On this day in the conclave of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope. The election was conducted after four ballots. Namely, if no candidate receives two-thirds of the vote, the election is repeated. After such an unsuccessful ballot, black smoke is released through the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. Only when two-thirds of the vote go to one candidate is the new pope elected, and white smoke released through the chimney.
The Papal conclave of 2005 was relatively short; it did not even last two full days. Similarly, the conclave of 2013 lasted about two days. The conclave of 2005 was attended by a total of 115 cardinals eligible to vote. It is interesting that more than half of them (58) were from Europe. The new pope, Benedict XVI, was inaugurated on 24 April, at the St. Peter’s Basilica. The Papal Inauguration was done by giving the Pope the papal ring (named the “Ring of the Fisherman” after the tradition of St. Peter, who was a fisherman) and the Pallium (a white ribbon with crosses around the neck). The papal coronation was performed with a triple tiara, but this custom was abandoned by Pope John Paul I.
