What Happens Next?

The events to follow the death of Pope John Paul II are laid out by a script the pontiff himself drew up his 1996 "apostolic constitution," Universi Dominici Gregis, along with traditions set during previous turnovers.

The first step will be for the cardinals of the Catholic Church to decide on the time of two events: the funeral and the start of the conclave, the gathering in which the cardinals will debate on and elect a new pope.

The Universi Dominici Gregis law dictates that the pope must be buried between the fourth and sixth day after death, after his embalmed body has been on display at St. Peter's Basilica for mourners.

It says there must be a total of nine days of mourning, beginning on the day after the death, and the conclave cannot begin earlier than 15 days or later than 20 days after the pope's death.

All action in the conclave will be secret. No updates will be made until a decision is reached, however long it takes. The first indication will be white smoke from the burning ballots from the chimney of the Vatican.

Here is a detailed timeline of what will happen:

DAY ONE

  • Announcement of "sedes vacantes" -- the seat of the Holy See is empty.

  • The Interregnum begins. Interregnum is the period between the death of the pope and the election of a new pope. Cardinals begin gathering in Rome.

    DAY TWO

  • By tradition, the body of the pope is dressed in papal vestments and may be put on display at St. Peter's Basilica as early as the second day after his death. Pilgrims will flock to St. Peter's.
  • The beginning of "Novendiales" -- nine days of mourning -- ending on the 10th day after death. There will be a mass on each day.

    DAY FOUR, FIVE or SIX

  • By law, the burial takes place. Tradition calls for popes to be buried in St. Peter's Basilica. Pope John Paul II might have asked to be buried in Poland.

    DAY 10

  • By tradition, a big funeral mass takes place at St. Peter's.

    DAY 15 (earliest possible date)

  • By law, Conclave begins in the Sistine Chapel. Conclave refers to a locked section of the Vatican where the cardinals remain until they have elected a new pope. On that morning, the cardinals will celebrate the votive Mass "Pro Eligendo Papa."
  • The cardinals will determine where to hold the Mass; most likely it will be in St. Peter's Basilica.
  • In the afternoon they will start the conclave. In theory they can vote that afternoon.

    THE VOTING

    The cardinals will vote twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon. At the end of each voting session, the cardinals will burn the ballots and send a signal to the world by the color of the smoke: black for no pope and white to signify the election of a new pope. Voting can go on for days.

    It used to be that a two-thirds majority plus one was needed for election, but Pope John Paul II changed that. Now, if there is no conclusive decision after 30 ballots, a simple majority is enough.

    For each vote, the cardinals receive ballots bearing the inscription, "Eligo in summum ponticem," Latin for "I elect as supreme pontiff."

    In order of seniority, the cardinals place their folded ballot containing their choice onto a small disc made of precious metal, then drop it inside a chalice.

    After each vote, the ballots are burned. Chemicals are added to make the smoke black or white.

    Any baptized male can be elected, though any layman selected would have to be ordained priest and bishop.

    Whoever is elected is asked whether he wants the job. The process is complete as soon as he accepts.

    If the person elected is a bishop, he becomes Bishop of Rome. If he is not, he is then ordained by the dean of the college.

    Each of the cardinals then pledges his support to the new pope. The cardinal dean asks him what name he chooses, and the eldest member of the college then announces the selection to the world.

    AFTER NEW POPE IS ELECTED

  • The newly elected pope will come out St. Peter's Basilica main balcony.
  • A cardinal will say the words "Habemus Papam" and will announce the new pope's name.
  • By tradition, anywhere between 30 minutes to one hour can pass between the white smoke and the appearance on the balcony. It is only when the cardinal announces the name that the public knows who was elected.
  • Installation of the new pope will likely take place days after his election. He decides where and when to hold the Mass, although it probably will be at St. Peter's.