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| Conclave of 2005 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Conclave of 2005 |
| Date | 18–19 April 2005 |
| Venue | Sistine Chapel |
| Location | Apostolic Palace, Vatican City |
| Type | Papal conclave |
| Elected | Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) |
| Ballots | Four |
| Participants | 115 cardinals |
Conclave of 2005 was the papal conclave that elected Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI following the death of Pope John Paul II. The conclave convened in the Sistine Chapel within the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, drawing participation from cardinals from across Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America, and Oceania. The event unfolded amid global attention involving figures and institutions such as George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac, Kofi Annan, and international media outlets.
The conclave followed the death of Pope John Paul II on 2 April 2005, after his long pontificate that engaged with actors including Lech Wałęsa, Solidarity, Ronald Reagan, and Mikhail Gorbachev. Preparations involved officials such as the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Carlo Maria Martini, and the Camerlengo Tarcisio Bertone; Vatican administrative continuity referenced the Lateran Treaty, the role of Italy in hosting Vatican City, and the Holy See's diplomatic relations with states like United States, France, Germany, Poland, and Brazil. The conclave procedures had precedents in documents such as Universi Dominici Gregis and drew historical comparisons to earlier elections including those following the deaths of Pius XII and Pius XI.
Cardinals eligible to vote included prominent prelates such as Joseph Ratzinger, Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa, Angelo Sodano, Camillo Ruini, Claudio Hummes, Giovanni Battista Re, Tarcisio Bertone, Roger Etchegaray, Dionigi Tettamanzi, Francis Arinze, and Paul Josef Cordes. International electors represented sees like New York, São Paulo, Warsaw, Munich and Freising, Cairo, Dakar, Manila, and Sydney. Secular leaders and religious organizations observing the transition included European Union, United Nations, Organisation of African Unity, World Council of Churches, and national institutions such as Polish government, Italian government, and German government.
Conclave rules enforced by the Dean and the Camerlengo referenced canonical norms originating in documents like Apostolicae Sedis and encyclicals of popes including Pius XII, John XXIII, and Paul VI. The schedule, accommodation, and security involved the Swiss Guard, the Gendarmerie Corps of Vatican City State, and coordination with the Italian Police, Carabinieri, and Italian Government. Balloting procedures used secret ballots and the two-thirds plus one majority rule, procedures that had applied in conclaves of 1978 papal conclave and earlier sessions. Media coverage compared black smoke and white smoke protocols to historical instances such as the 1417 Council of Constance and the 1878 conclave that elected Leone XIII.
After four ballots over 18–19 April, the cardinals elected Joseph Ratzinger, then Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who accepted and took the name Benedict XVI. His election was announced from the Loggia of St. Peter by the Cardinal Protodeacon Julián Herranz amid crowds assembled in St. Peter's Square beside observers including delegations from Poland, Germany, Italy, United States, Argentina, and Brazil. The new pope's choice evoked figures and movements such as Thomas Aquinas, Augustine of Hippo, Ignatius of Loyola, Second Vatican Council, Ecumenical movement, and commentators from outlets associated with The New York Times, BBC, Agence France-Presse, and Vatican Radio.
Statesmen and religious leaders reacted, including messages from George W. Bush, Vladimir Putin, Silvio Berlusconi, Tony Blair, Kofi Annan, Condoleezza Rice, and Angela Merkel. Religious figures such as Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, and leaders of World Council of Churches issued responses. Catholic communities in dioceses like Rome, Paris, Bamako, Lima, Manila, and New York City held celebrations and vigils; international organizations including European Union institutions, United Nations offices, and non-governmental groups such as Caritas Internationalis and Catholic Relief Services noted implications for humanitarian and diplomatic engagement.
The election shaped relations with entities such as the European Union, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United Nations, and national episcopal conferences including Polish Episcopal Conference, German Bishops' Conference, and Brazilian Episcopal Conference. Benedict XVI's papacy influenced debates involving theological currents traced to John Henry Newman, Henri de Lubac, Romano Guardini, and movements tied to Opus Dei, Communion and Liberation, and Focolare Movement. The conclave's conduct informed later reforms discussed by cardinals like Angelo Sodano and successors such as Pope Francis and impacted ecumenical dialogues with Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, Lutheran World Federation, and interreligious contacts with representatives from Islamic Conference Organization and Jewish institutions including Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Category:Papal conclaves