Portal:Catholic Church/Selected article/17

Coat of Arms during the Vacancy of the Holy See

The Papal conclave of 2005 was convened due to the death of Pope John Paul II on April 2, 2005. After his death, the cardinals who were in Rome met and set a date for the beginning of the conclave to elect John Paul's successor. The conclave began on April 18, 2005 and ended on the following day after four ballots. Eligible members of the College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church (those who were less than 80 years of age at the time of the death of Pope John Paul II) met and elected Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger as the new Pope. After accepting his election, he took the regnal name Pope Benedict XVI.Proceedings on April 18 consisted of a morning Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff (Latin Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice). In the afternoon the Cardinal electors assembled in the Hall of Blessings in St Peter's Basilica and from there went in solemn procession to the Sistine Chapel, where, after the singing of the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus, each Cardinal took the prescribed oath.
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