Conclave – What Is It?

To understand the word Conclave and what is its significance in the election of a Pope, we should first take a look at a couple bible passages. The first one is Peter’s profession of faith, when Jesus asked his disciples the questions, “who do people say that I am?” then, “who do you say I am?” To the second question Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” Then Jesus made the proclamation, “you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the underworld shall never prevail against it.” Jesus continues, “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.” (Matthew 16: 13 – 20)

The second bible passage is just as powerful as the first. It is taken from Matthew chapter 28, from verses 16. Here Matthew writes, “The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached them and said, ‘All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of time.'” This marked the inauguration of the Holy Roman Catholic Church by Jesus Christ himself, with the promise that He will be with the Church always until the end of time.

Bearing this in mind, we can now go back to the word Conclave and what it means.  It comes from the Latin words cum which means with and clavis which means key. A conclave occurs or comes into play every time a new pope has to be elected, be it from the death of the previous pope, or resignation as in the case of Benedict XVI.  It is a closed, secured room or hall specially reserved for the cardinals of the holy Roman Catholic Church when there is a need to elect a new pope.  Who is next in line to the papacy is never known until the election takes place within the conclave.