Papal conclave has roots in turbulent 13th century

March 12, 2013 00:47

When Roman Catholic cardinals enter the secret conclave to choose a new pope on Tuesday they will be following a ritual dating to the 13th century, when papal elections could last for years and some cardinals died during the gruelling process.

The term conclave comes from the Latin for "with a key" and refers to the practice of locking cardinals away from the world's prying eyes to allow them to choose a new pope without outside interference.

The 115 cardinal-electors will disappear from public view on Tuesday to vote in the Sistine Chapel for a successor to Pope Benedict as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.

A puff of white smoke from a Vatican chimney, signifying a decision has been reached, is expected within a few days if the conclaves of the past 100 years are any guide.

It was not always that straightforward.

Click HERE to read further...

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

DGCA directs airlines to seat kids up to 12 years with their parents

A child who is less than 12 years of age must be allotted a seat beside at least one parent or a guardian with whom he is travelling, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) told airlines on Tuesday. The DGCA has said that the...

Dangerous to say govt can't take over private property: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the Constitution intended to bring about a 'sense of social transformation' and it would be 'dangerous' to say that the private property of an individual cannot be regarded as material resources of...

Asian U-20 Athletics: Deepanshu wins gold in javelin

Deepanshu Sharma secured the gold medal in men's javelin as Indian athletes produced a good show on the opening day of the 21st Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships.

IPL PIX: Pant, Axar dazzle as DC post huge total

Images from the IPL 2024 match between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans.

SP changes mind, now Akhilesh to contest from Kannauj

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Kannauj, the party announced on Wednesday, two days after it had declared another candidate for the Uttar Pradesh seat.