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WorksheetsInside a Papal Conclave
Total questions: 75
Worksheet time: 19hrs 45mins
What is the name of the highly secretive gathering that chooses the leader of the Catholic Church?
Synod
Conclave
Council
Assembly
What does the Latin term "conclave" translate to?
"Holy gathering"
"With a key"
"Sacred assembly"
"Secret meeting"
What does that meaning refer to about how Cardinals used to be held while selecting a new pope?
They were locked in until a new pope was selected
They were given a key to the Vatican.
They were allowed to leave the room only with a key.
They were given a new car key
The roots of the conclave can be traced back to what time period?
The Stone Age
The time of Jesus
The Middle Ages
Vatican II Council
Which Pope, in 1996, overhauled the bulk of the modern rulebook by which Cardinals select the pope?
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope John Paul II
Pope Francis
Pope Paul VI
Where is the home of the conclave?
St. Peter's Square
Sistine Chapel
Vatican Gardens
Apostolic Palace
What fraction of votes cast are needed to be elected the pope?
One-half
Two-thirds
Three-fourths
Unanimous
Technically, who could become pope?
Any baptized Catholic male
Any cardinal
Any bishop
Any priest
But in practice, the new pontiff is chosen from AND by whom?
The College of Cardinals
Cardinals and bishops
Cardinals and priests
Cardinals and laity
Only those under the age of what, are allowed to vote?
70
75
80
85
How many current Cardinals are eligible?
120
135
150
180
How many of those Cardinals are from the US and Canada?
53
14
23
18
Which continent has the most eligible Cardinals?
Europe
Africa
Asia
North America
Put the following in order of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church:
Deacon, Priest, Bishop, Archbishop, Cardinal, Pope
Priest, Bishop, Pope, Deacon, Cardinal, Pope, Archbishop
Pope, Bishop, Deacon, Priest, Cardinal, Archbishop
Cardinal, Deacon, Priest, Pope, Bishop, Archbishop
What happens first on the first day of the Conclave, and where is that held?
Cardinals gather for a special Mass at St. Peter's Basilica.
Cardinals assemble in the Vatican Gardens.
Cardinals eat a good breakfast together.
Cardinals take bets on who will become the next Pope.
Where do they assemble in the afternoon?
Pauline Chapel
St. Peter's Basilica
Apostolic Palace
Sistine Chapel
What do they chant on the way to the Sistine Chapel?
Ave Maria
Veni Creator
Gloria in Excelsis Deo
Our Father
What does that Latin phrase mean?
"Hail Mary"
"Come, Holy Spirit"
"Glory to God"
"We praise You"
Following the death of the pope, what is the name for the most powerful man at the Vatican?
Cardinal Dean
Camerlengo
Secretary of State
Papal Legate
What does he help organize?
The new Pope's clothing
A party to celebrate the new Pope
The conclave
Who orchestrates the Conclave?
The Pope
The Camerlengo
The Dean of the College of Cardinals
The Secretary of State
What is the first order of business for the cardinals?
Taking an oath of secrecy
Casting the first vote
Preparing the Sistine Chapel
Electing the Pope
In what order do they make this solemn vow?
By seniority
By alphabetical order
To guarantee complete secrecy, what is done with the Sistine Chapel?
It is placed on total lockdown.
It is broadcast on TV 24/7.
It is audio recorded only.
All of the above
What was installed in 2013 to keep things secret?
Surveillance cameras
Signal blockers
Soundproof barriers
Encryption devices
Name 5 types of people who can stay on the Vatican grounds during the election:
Swiss Guards, security and civil protection services, priests to hear cardinal confessions, medical personel, housekeeping staff
Journalists, tourists, guards, nuns, and priests
What must they promise to do?
Take an oath of secrecy and swear not to use any audio or video equipment
Report any irregularities
Assist in the election process
Stay within the Vatican grounds
When is the voting process carried out?
Morning and afternoon
Afternoon only
Morning only
Evening only
Which group is responsible for overseeing the voting?
Scrutineers
Infirmary
Revisers
All of the above
Which group is responsible for collecting votes from the sick?
Scrutineers
Infirmary
Revisers
All of the above
Which group is responsible for verifying the results?
Scrutineers
Infirmary
Revisers
All of the above
In what are each ballot received by the 3 Scrutineers?
A treasure chest
A receptacle covered by a plate
A chalice
A tupperware container
By what traditional means does each cardinal elector submit his vote?
Online form
Paper ballot
Verbal declaration
Electronic device
Each Cardinal makes the same declaration upon casting their vote. Who do they call to be their witness and judge for the vote that they cast?
The Pope
The Dean of the College
Christ the Lord
Their BFF
How does a sick Cardinal cast their vote?
By putting it in a locked box brought to him by the Infirmarii
They don't
Via a nurse
In person
Who reviews and tallies the ballots?
The Pope
The Scrutineers
The Cardinals
The Secretary of State
Who checks the results of the Scrutineers?
The Pope
The Cardinals
The Revisers
The Dean of the College of Cardinals
Who shakes the urn to mix the ballots?
The Pope
The Scrutineers
The Cardinals
A designated official
What happens if the number of ballots does not match the number of electors?
The ballots are burned and the vote is redone
The election is postponed
The discrepancy is investigated
The ballots are recounted
How many of the Scrutineers have a role in noting and reading the name aloud?
1
2
3
4
Who records the vote?
The Pope
The last Scrutineer
All the Cardinals
The most popular Cardinal
As he reads the name aloud, what does he do with a threaded needle?
Waves it in the air
Sticks it into a pincushion
Secures the ballot to the rest of the votes
None of the above
What does the word “Eligo” mean?
I choose
I reject
I write
I read
Where are all the ballots cast placed, after reading out all the names?
In a box
In an urn
In a container
In a chalice
What is it getting prepared for?
Counting
Burning
Storage
Analysis
How many total votes can be possibly cast in a given day, should the ⅔ majority not be reached?
1
2
3
4
If no Pope is declared after 4 consecutive days of voting, Cardinals suspend the vote to allow time for what THREE things to occur?
Snacks, naps, and doomscrolling
Prayer, quiet reflection and informal discussion
Arguing, debating, and forgiving
If a stalemate continues after another seven rounds of voting, Cardinals are allowed then choose the new Pope from among whom?
The Bishops
The Priests
The Laity
The two leading candidates
If it proceeds to this stage, by what vote is a winner determined?
Absolute Majority
Two-thirds
Unanimous
What was the length of the longest papal conclave in history?
5 days
1 month
3 years
10 years
Between what years did the longest papal conclave occur?
1268–1271
1271–1274
1281–1284
1284–1287
Why did it take so long?
They liked hanging out in the Sistine Chapel
Political infighting between the cardinals
They did not want to go back to work
What is the only indication for how voting is going outside of the chapel?
Smoke signals
News reports
Social media updates
Official Vatican announcements
How often does this occur?
After each vote
After every third vote
After every fifth vote
Only after a pope is elected
When does this process date back to?
Roman Empire
Middle Ages
1800's
2010's
What does Black smoke indicate?
A new pope has been elected
No candidate has received a two-thirds majority of the votes cast
The vote was invalid
The chapel is open to the public
What three chemicals are added to make the black smoke appear darker?
Potassium perchlorate, anthracene, and sulphur
Ammonium nitrate, iron sulfate, and copper chloride
What does White smoke indicate?
A new pope has been elected
The vote was inconclusive
What is the role of the Dean of the College of Cardinals at the point of a vote that yields a winner?
To announce the new pope
To ask if the candidate accepts his election and which name he chooses to tak
To lead the first Mass
To prepare the Room of Tears
What would happen if the chosen person was not already a bishop?
The vote would start over
They would be given a temporary title
They would not be eligible to become pope
They are quickly ordained
Where does the pope-elect change into the traditional robes of a pope?
In the Room of Tears
In the Sistine Chapel
In St. Peter's Basilica
In the Apostolic Palace
Where is that located?
Beneath St. Peter's Basilica
Next to the Sistine Chapel
In the Apostolic Palace
In the Vatican Gardens
Why is it called the Room of Tears?
Because of its historical events
Due to its architectural design
Because of the strong emotion many new popes feel when they first put on the white cassock and confront the weight of their new role
Upon returning to the Sistine Chapel what is read aloud?
The papal oath
A passage from the Gospels
The Apostles' Creed
The papal blessing
What is offered?
The papal ring
A prayer
The papal tiara
The papal cross
Who pays homage?
The cardinals
The Vatican staff
The public
The clergy
How many versions of the pontifical robes are made in advance of the pope-elect?
One
Two
Three
Four
Why?
To accommodate any size
To allow for personal preference
To accommodate different occasions
To have backups in case of damage
In English, what does the Cardinal Protodeacon of the College of Cardinals say, as he appears at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome?
Guess what?
The Lord has chosen!
The Church has a shepherd!
I announce to you a great joy; we have a Pope!
What does the phrase “Habemus Papam!” mean?
We have a pope!
We have a shepherd!
We have a leader!
We have a guide!
The new Pope’s first apostolic blessing is known as Urbi et Orbi, which translates to what in English?
To the Church and the World
To the City and the World
To the People and the World
To the Faithful and the World
Where does he deliver it?
On the Vatican website
On the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica
In the Sistine Chapel
In the Apostolic Palace
By what is he framed by?
The Vatican flag
The papal tiara
The papal cross
Red curtains
In the days ahead, what does the new pontiff attend?
His inauguration Mass
The papal blessing
The conclave
Where does that Mass take place?
In the Sistine Chapel
In St. Peter's Basilica
In the Apostolic Palace
In Cleveland
