How is a new pope chosen?
Death and election The current regulations regarding a Papal interregnum — i.e., a Sede Vacante “vacant see” — were promulgated by John Paul II in his 1996 document Universi Dominici Gregis. During the Sede Vacante, the Sacred College of Cardinals, composed of the Pope’s principal advisors and assistants, is collectively responsible for the government of the Church and of the Vatican itself, under the direction of the Cardinal Chamberlain; however, canon law specifically forbids the Cardinals from introducing any innovation in the government of the Church during the vacancy of the Holy See. Any decision that needs the assent of the Pope has to wait until a new Pope has been elected and takes office. The Pope’s death is officially determined by the Cardinal Chamberlain by gently tapping the late Pope’s head thrice with a golden hammer and calling his name. A doctor may or may not have already determined that the Pope had passed away. The Cardinal Chamberlain then retrieves the Fisherm
