May 5, 2025 • 7 mins
Australian Catholic University's Joel Hodge answers all our questions about the conclave.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Jersey and Amanda gam Nation.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
On May seven, that's tomorrow, the election of the two
hundred and sixty seventh Catholic Pope will begin. The process
is known as a conclave. But how does it work?
Who selects the new Pope? Who are the front runners?
To help us understand it all is someone who knows
this stuff inside out? Professor Joel Hodge from the Australian
Catholic University.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Hello, Joel, Hi, morning, Professor morning, Can I ask question
number one? Why do they build a new chimney each time?
I thought they just have the same chimney.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Well, I think they have to repair it. They have
to make sure it does its job. So everyone's got
their eyes fixated on it. It goes black or white,
of course, depending on whether they elect a pope. If
they get to the two thirds majority, it goes white
and everyone's excited, but it's black until they until they
get to that point.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
I would have thought that with Donald Trump throwing his
hat into the ring, the orange smoke might be getting
a look in.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Well, I'll be that caused quite astir that that image
of him as pope, and a lot of a lot
of Catholics, including those I think who voted for him,
we're not happy with that image. I mean, he has
tried to come out and say, you know, it was
a lighthearted thing and all that, and of course Catholics
(01:19):
don't want to joke, but I think, yeah, you have
to be careful. At this time, Pope France is just
having died, and you know, there's a lot of sensitivities
and mourning going on, and of course, of.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Course, so can you talk us through the process. Is
there a lot of political jostling? Does each potential pope
have their own lobbyists? How what actually happens behind the
scenes now.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Well, at the moment, they're having what's called general congregations,
so they're all the cardinals, including those who are over eighty.
The ones over eighty can't vote, but they can participate
in these initial discussions before the conclave actually begins tomorrow,
and they're discussing various things. The Vatican has put out
statements about some of the topics that the cardinals have
(02:06):
talked about. It's a chance for all the cardinals to
talk about different things that they're concerned with. So they've
talked about things about, you know, presenting the faith to
the world, at this time, the geopolitical situation, the place
of the family, all manner of different things that they've
been talking about. So they'll do these initial meetings and discussions,
(02:30):
and of course they'll be praying together, they'll be talking
with each other, getting to know each other. It's a
very global group. It's probably the most global group we've
ever had. Pope Francis increase the number of representatives from
Africa and Asia, so a lot of cardinals are from
countries that have never had representation before, including some of
(02:51):
our own region like East Team or never had a
cardinal elector before. And then tomorrow the cardinal electors one
hundred and thirty three who are there in Rome will
go into the Sistine Chapel and into their accommodation nearby,
and they will be cut off from the outside world
so that there's no external influence. Of course, in the
(03:11):
past there's been lots of politics around the papal elections,
particularly from the kings and queens of Europe, and so
they've tried to block that out and ensure that the
cardinals are able to pray, talk and have a really
deep and meaningful time together. Because they're not just talking
with each other. They're talking with God, so they've got
to have some silence to do that.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
And that begs the question. You're a man of religion.
You're praying to God, please make me, Please make me pope.
But all the other guys are doing it as well.
What has God say, come on you guys?
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Exactly? Well, there is a degree of humility here that's
meant to be had. And I think anyone who realizes
what the papacy involves, you know, the biggest organization in
the world, you could say, with the most amount of people,
the longest history. You know, the scale of that task
is so intimidating. So I think anyone with half of
(04:07):
mind would be intimidated from that and would recoil from it.
So I think there does need to be a degree
of humility. People won't be canvassing for themselves or anything
like that. There's not that kind of politicking going on,
but there are discussions about, you know, who is a
good leader, who's a good spiritual person, who has these
views all that kind of thing. That's natural, but they
(04:28):
will be trying to say, you know, who's really the
right person at this time.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
You said earlier, Joel that there were like hundreds of
cardinals there, but how many are actually being voted for.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Well, there's one hundred and thirty three who are eligible
to elect, so they're below eighty and they're of good health.
There's two that can't make it because they they're not
in good health. And any anyone, any man are baptized,
could be elected because you have to be the Bishop
of Rome and that's reserved to men at the moment,
(05:01):
so anyone they could elect anyone outside or inside the conclave.
Usually they elect people within their group because they're the
ones that have had the experience and history and they
get to know each other and all that kind of thing.
So there are some leading contenders amongst the cardinals in
our own region. Cardinal Taglay is being talked about. He's
(05:24):
from the Philippines. Cardinal Parolin, who was the second in
charge under Pope Francis, he's Italian. He's being talked about.
There's some African cardinals, Cardinal Sarah, Cardinal Turksen that are
being talked about as well. So there's a range of
different people. But as they say, you go into a
conclave of the pope and you come out of cardinal
you never know Wow.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
And an African pipe that would be that would be unprecedented.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
It would be extraordinary. You know, we've had people from
North Africa, but it would be extraordinary at this time
because Catholicism has grown so much in Africa. It's really
on fire there, and the cardinals and the people from Africa,
I think it would just be such an amazing boost
to that continent and a great contribution to the Church.
(06:11):
So there's some good candidates there, but whether they get
the two thirds majority is a question. But a couple
of them have had experience in the Vatican. Two Cardinal
Turks and Cardinals Sarah both have had experience, so they
are people that could do the job.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
So they go into the conclave tomorrow. When are we
likely to see the white smoke?
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Well, they are talking about the cardinals wanting a short conclave,
but who knows. They have three initial days where they
do voting and if they haven't got someone by that time,
they can have another day of prayer to try to
really discern who might be suitable. So hopefully within those
(06:52):
first three days, Pope Francis was elected within two days,
so fingers crossed. But if that doesn't happen, they'll have
to keep keep looking, keep discussing, and try to narrow
it down eventually, maybe the two candidates, right, yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Well, look for them down at Bunnings buying some firelighters.
They wouldn't use Little Lucifer, so I'd imagine maybe a
church approved firelighter would imagine job that was. That's extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Thank you, professor, thank you, thank you,
Jersey and Amanda gam Nation.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
On May seven, that's tomorrow, the election of the two
hundred and sixty seventh Catholic Pope will begin. The process
is known as a conclave. But how does it work?
Who selects the new Pope? Who are the front runners?
To help us understand it all is someone who knows
this stuff inside out? Professor Joel Hodge from the Australian
Catholic University.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Hello, Joel, Hi, morning, Professor morning, Can I ask question
number one? Why do they build a new chimney each time?
I thought they just have the same chimney.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Well, I think they have to repair it. They have
to make sure it does its job. So everyone's got
their eyes fixated on it. It goes black or white,
of course, depending on whether they elect a pope. If
they get to the two thirds majority, it goes white
and everyone's excited, but it's black until they until they
get to that point.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
I would have thought that with Donald Trump throwing his
hat into the ring, the orange smoke might be getting
a look in.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Well, I'll be that caused quite astir that that image
of him as pope, and a lot of a lot
of Catholics, including those I think who voted for him,
we're not happy with that image. I mean, he has
tried to come out and say, you know, it was
a lighthearted thing and all that, and of course Catholics
(01:19):
don't want to joke, but I think, yeah, you have
to be careful. At this time, Pope France is just
having died, and you know, there's a lot of sensitivities
and mourning going on, and of course, of.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Course, so can you talk us through the process. Is
there a lot of political jostling? Does each potential pope
have their own lobbyists? How what actually happens behind the
scenes now.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Well, at the moment, they're having what's called general congregations,
so they're all the cardinals, including those who are over eighty.
The ones over eighty can't vote, but they can participate
in these initial discussions before the conclave actually begins tomorrow,
and they're discussing various things. The Vatican has put out
statements about some of the topics that the cardinals have
(02:06):
talked about. It's a chance for all the cardinals to
talk about different things that they're concerned with. So they've
talked about things about, you know, presenting the faith to
the world, at this time, the geopolitical situation, the place
of the family, all manner of different things that they've
been talking about. So they'll do these initial meetings and discussions,
(02:30):
and of course they'll be praying together, they'll be talking
with each other, getting to know each other. It's a
very global group. It's probably the most global group we've
ever had. Pope Francis increase the number of representatives from
Africa and Asia, so a lot of cardinals are from
countries that have never had representation before, including some of
(02:51):
our own region like East Team or never had a
cardinal elector before. And then tomorrow the cardinal electors one
hundred and thirty three who are there in Rome will
go into the Sistine Chapel and into their accommodation nearby,
and they will be cut off from the outside world
so that there's no external influence. Of course, in the
(03:11):
past there's been lots of politics around the papal elections,
particularly from the kings and queens of Europe, and so
they've tried to block that out and ensure that the
cardinals are able to pray, talk and have a really
deep and meaningful time together. Because they're not just talking
with each other. They're talking with God, so they've got
to have some silence to do that.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
And that begs the question. You're a man of religion.
You're praying to God, please make me, Please make me pope.
But all the other guys are doing it as well.
What has God say, come on you guys?
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Exactly? Well, there is a degree of humility here that's
meant to be had. And I think anyone who realizes
what the papacy involves, you know, the biggest organization in
the world, you could say, with the most amount of people,
the longest history. You know, the scale of that task
is so intimidating. So I think anyone with half of
(04:07):
mind would be intimidated from that and would recoil from it.
So I think there does need to be a degree
of humility. People won't be canvassing for themselves or anything
like that. There's not that kind of politicking going on,
but there are discussions about, you know, who is a
good leader, who's a good spiritual person, who has these
views all that kind of thing. That's natural, but they
(04:28):
will be trying to say, you know, who's really the
right person at this time.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
You said earlier, Joel that there were like hundreds of
cardinals there, but how many are actually being voted for.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Well, there's one hundred and thirty three who are eligible
to elect, so they're below eighty and they're of good health.
There's two that can't make it because they they're not
in good health. And any anyone, any man are baptized,
could be elected because you have to be the Bishop
of Rome and that's reserved to men at the moment,
(05:01):
so anyone they could elect anyone outside or inside the conclave.
Usually they elect people within their group because they're the
ones that have had the experience and history and they
get to know each other and all that kind of thing.
So there are some leading contenders amongst the cardinals in
our own region. Cardinal Taglay is being talked about. He's
(05:24):
from the Philippines. Cardinal Parolin, who was the second in
charge under Pope Francis, he's Italian. He's being talked about.
There's some African cardinals, Cardinal Sarah, Cardinal Turksen that are
being talked about as well. So there's a range of
different people. But as they say, you go into a
conclave of the pope and you come out of cardinal
you never know Wow.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
And an African pipe that would be that would be unprecedented.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
It would be extraordinary. You know, we've had people from
North Africa, but it would be extraordinary at this time
because Catholicism has grown so much in Africa. It's really
on fire there, and the cardinals and the people from Africa,
I think it would just be such an amazing boost
to that continent and a great contribution to the Church.
(06:11):
So there's some good candidates there, but whether they get
the two thirds majority is a question. But a couple
of them have had experience in the Vatican. Two Cardinal
Turks and Cardinals Sarah both have had experience, so they
are people that could do the job.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
So they go into the conclave tomorrow. When are we
likely to see the white smoke?
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Well, they are talking about the cardinals wanting a short conclave,
but who knows. They have three initial days where they
do voting and if they haven't got someone by that time,
they can have another day of prayer to try to
really discern who might be suitable. So hopefully within those
(06:52):
first three days, Pope Francis was elected within two days,
so fingers crossed. But if that doesn't happen, they'll have
to keep keep looking, keep discussing, and try to narrow
it down eventually, maybe the two candidates, right, yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Well, look for them down at Bunnings buying some firelighters.
They wouldn't use Little Lucifer, so I'd imagine maybe a
church approved firelighter would imagine job that was. That's extraordinary.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Thank you, professor, thank you, thank you,
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