Summary
Highlights
To become Pope, one must be a Catholic man. While technically any Catholic man could be chosen, in practice, the selection is an 'inside job' carried out by cardinals, who prefer to elect one of their own. The last non-cardinal elected Pope was over 600 years ago, making being a cardinal an unofficial requirement.
Becoming a Catholic priest requires extensive training, including a college degree in Catholic Philosophy and a master's in divinity. Additionally, candidates must be men, unmarried, and willing to remain celibate for life. After meeting these requirements and working with the church, one can be officially ordained.
Bishops are a much more selective group, with only about 5,000 worldwide compared to 400,000 priests. Bishops oversee a number of local churches from their cathedrals. Advancement requires patience for a current bishop's retirement or death. There's a secret list of potential bishops, updated every three years, based on recommendations from current bishops. Requirements include being at least 35 years old, a priest for five years, and possessing a doctorate in theology. The selection process involves the Apostolic Nuncio, the Congress of Bishops at the Vatican, and ultimately the Pope's approval, which can take months or even years.
Cardinals are bishops with additional titles and responsibilities, primarily electing the new Pope. Only the current Pope can appoint a cardinal, and out of 5,000 bishops, only about 200 are cardinals. Once appointed, one must wait for the current Pope's death or retirement for the election process, known as a papal conclave, to begin.
Cardinals under 80 are sequestered in Vatican City, isolated from the outside world. The election involves four daily votes in the Sistine Chapel, requiring a two-thirds majority. Voters write a name on a paper, say a Latin phrase, and cast their ballot. Ballots are then burned; black smoke indicates no new Pope, while white smoke announces a successful election. This meticulous and slow process can take weeks, or in historical cases, years. The newly elected Pope then chooses a new name, traditionally from a previous Pope.
The career path to becoming Pope is summarized as being born into the right demographic, becoming one of a billion Catholics, then one of 400,000 priests, then one of 5,000 bishops, then one of 200 cardinals, and finally convincing two-thirds of fellow cardinals to elect you after the current Pope's tenure ends.