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List of papal conclaves


This is a list of papal conclaves held to elect popes in the Catholic Church.

A papal conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a new pope during a sede vacante period, typically following the death or resignation of the previous pope. Conclaves have been the primary method of papal election since the Second Council of Lyon in 1274, which formalized their use under Pope Gregory X.[1] The procedures are currently governed by the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis (1996), as amended by Pope Benedict XVI's Normas nonnullas (2013).[2]

Since the 15th century, conclaves have been held in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, with cardinals sequestered to ensure secrecy.[3] The following table lists notable papal conclaves since 1276, including the ongoing 2025 conclave, which is the largest in history with 133 participating cardinal electors.[4]

List of papal conclaves

Year Dates Location Electors Elected pope Name taken Predecessor Notes
1276 (I) 20–21 January Arezzo, Papal States 13 Pierre of Tarentaise Innocent V Pope Gregory X First conclave under Ubi periculum rules[5]
1294 5 July Perugia, Papal States 23 Pietro Angelerio Celestine V Pope Nicholas IV Elected a hermit; resigned after five months[5]
1378 7–8 April Rome, Papal States 16 Bartolomeo Prignano Urban VI Pope Gregory XI Triggered the Western Schism[1]
1799–1800 30 November – 14 March Venice, Republic of Venice 34 Barnaba Chiaramonti Pius VII Pope Pius VI Last conclave outside Rome; held in San Giorgio Monastery, Venice[5]
1922 2–6 February Sistine Chapel, Vatican City 53 Achille Ratti Pius XI Pope Benedict XV First conclave after World War I[1]
1939 1–2 March Sistine Chapel, Vatican City 62 Eugenio Pacelli Pius XII Pope Pius XI Shortest conclave of the 20th century[5]
1958 25–28 October Sistine Chapel, Vatican City 51 Angelo Roncalli John XXIII Pope Pius XII Convened Second Vatican Council[1]
1963 19–21 June Sistine Chapel, Vatican City 80 Giovanni Montini Paul VI Pope John XXIII Continued Vatican II reforms[5]
1978 (I) 25–26 August Sistine Chapel, Vatican City 111 Albino Luciani John Paul I Pope Paul VI Shortest pontificate in modern history[1]
1978 (II) 14–16 October Sistine Chapel, Vatican City 111 Karol Wojtyła John Paul II Pope John Paul I First non-Italian pope since 1523[1]
2005 18–19 April Sistine Chapel, Vatican City 115 Joseph Ratzinger Benedict XVI Pope John Paul II Fastest conclave of the 21st century[5]
2013 12–13 March Sistine Chapel, Vatican City 115 Jorge Bergoglio Francis Pope Benedict XVI First conclave after a papal resignation since 1415[1]
2025 7 May – ongoing Sistine Chapel, Vatican City 133 TBD TBD Pope Francis Largest conclave in history; ongoing as of 5 May 2025[4][2]

Notes

  • Conclaves before 1274 were not consistently documented due to the lack of formalized procedures.[5]
  • The number of electors reflects those eligible to vote, typically cardinals under 80 years of age since the 1970s, per Ingravescentem aetatem.[1]
  • The 2025 conclave, with 135 eligible electors (133 participating), exceeds the nominal limit of 120 set by Universi Dominici Gregis.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Papal conclave". 4 May 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_conclave. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "2025 papal conclave". 5 May 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_papal_conclave. 
  3. ↑ "Conclave to elect new Pope to begin on May 7th". 28 April 2025. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2025-04/conclave-to-elect-new-pope-to-begin-on-may-7th.html. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "2025 conclave to be largest in Catholic Church’s history". 2 May 2025. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/2025-conclave-to-be-largest-in-catholic-churchs-history. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Baumgartner, Frederic J. (2003). Behind Locked Doors: A History of the Papal Elections. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-312-29463-2. 
  6. ↑ "Cardinal electors in the 2025 papal conclave". 5 May 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_electors_in_the_2025_papal_conclave. 

Further reading

  • Baumgartner, Frederic J. (2003). Behind Locked Doors: A History of the Papal Elections. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-312-29463-2.
  • Walsh, Michael J. (2011). The Conclave: A Sometimes Secret and Occasionally Bloody History. Sheed & Ward. ISBN 978-1-58051-159-9.

External links

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