Cardinal electors in the 2005 papal conclave

Photograph of Pope Benedict XVI
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI by the conclave on 19 April 2005.

The papal conclave of 2005 was convened to elect a pope, the leader of the Catholic Church, to succeed Pope John Paul II following his death on 2 April 2005. In accordance with the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici gregis, which governed the vacancy of the Holy See, only cardinals who had not passed their 80th birthday on the day on which the Holy See became vacant (in this case, cardinals who were born on or after 2 April 1925) were eligible to participate in the conclave.[1] Although not a formal requirement, the cardinal electors invariably elected the pope from among their number. The election was carried out by secret ballot (Latin: per scrutinium).[1]

Of the 183 members of the College of Cardinals at the time of John Paul II's death, there were 117 cardinal electors who were eligible to participate in the subsequent conclave.[2] Two cardinal electors did not participate, decreasing the number in attendance to 115.[3][4] The number of votes required to be elected pope with a two-thirds supermajority was 77, or (only in the event of a protracted deadlock) a simple majority of 58.[1]

Of the 115 attending cardinal electors, 5 were cardinal bishops, 93 were cardinal priests, and 17 were cardinal deacons; 2 had been created cardinals by Pope Paul VI and 113 by Pope John Paul II; 24 worked in the service of the Holy See (such as in the Roman Curia), 73 were in pastoral ministry outside Rome, and 18 had retired. The oldest cardinal elector in the conclave was Marco Cé, at the age of 79,[5] and the youngest was Péter Erdő, at the age of 52.[6] Another 66 cardinals were ineligible to participate in the conclave, for reasons of age.[2]

The cardinal electors entered the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave on 18 April 2005.[7] On 19 April, after four ballots over two days, they elected Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who took the papal name Benedict XVI.[8]

  1. ^ a b c Pope John Paul II (22 February 1996). "Universi Dominici Gregis". The Holy See (Apostolic constitution). Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b O'Connell, Gerard (4 April 2005). "Search for next pope begins as 183 cardinals gather in Rome". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2005.
  3. ^ "Briefing del Direttore della Sala Stampa della Santa Sede, Dr. Joaquín Navarro-Valls" [Briefing of the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Dr. Joaquín Navarro-Valls]. Sala Stampa della Santa Sede. 9 April 2005. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2005.
  4. ^ "Elenco degli Em.mi Cardinali che entrano in Conclave secondo il loro rispettivo ordine di precedenza (Vescovi, Presbiteri, Diaconi)" [List of the Eminent Cardinals entering into Conclave according to their respective order of precedence (Bishops, Priests, Deacons)]. Sala Stampa della Santa Sede (in Italian). 18 April 2005. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2005.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cé was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Erdő was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Ingresso in Conclave" [Entrance into the Conclave]. Sala Stampa della Santa Sede (in Italian). 18 April 2005. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2005.
  8. ^ "L'annuncio dell'elezione del Papa" [Announcement of the election of the Pope]. Sala Stampa della Santa Sede. 19 April 2005. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2005.