̌Pope Francis died the day after Easter Sunday after a bout of double pneumonia and other ailments.
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00:00Pope Francis dead? What happens next?
00:02Pope Francis has died the day after Easter at the age of 88 after serving for 12 years.
00:08On 21st April of 2025, the Vatican confirmed in a video statement that the Pope returned to the home of the Father.
00:14Just a day ago, the Pope had delivered his Easter Sunday address from the Basilica's balcony,
00:19calling for more tolerance and even condemning the dramatic and deplorable situation in Gaza.
00:23So, how does the Vatican select a new Pope?
00:26Well, the Pope is not directly selected by God, but by 120 Cardinals or the Church's most senior officials under the age of 80 who announce God's will.
00:34Interestingly, the Vatican does have a detailed protocol on what happens if a Pope dies or resigns, which is a rarest of rare case.
00:40Technically, any baptized Roman Catholic male is an eligible candidate.
00:44The Pope is then elected by the College of Cardinals, a group of senior Catholic officials in a secret ballot process called a conclave.
00:50Cardinals are under 80 years old and vote in secret ballots one by one in front of Michelangelo's Last Judgment Fresco.
00:58These ballots are then burned in a stove to generate smoke as the crowd waits for the color of the smoke.
01:03Black smoke means no majority was reached, while white smoke signals a new Pope has been elected.
01:08The selected Cardinal is then asked if he accepts the election by the Dean.
01:11To which, if he agrees, the Dean announces Habimus Pappus, which means we have a Pope.
01:16The new Pope is elected for life and announced to the world at the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.
01:21What are your memories of Pope Francis' reign?
01:23Let us know in the comments below.