What it takes to become pope: Key qualifications and qualities
Following the death of Pope Francis on 21 April at the age of 88, the Catholic Church has entered a period of sede vacante — Latin for "the seat being vacant" — during which the Holy See has temporarily removed the papal coat of arms and replaced it with the sede vacante seal.
With the upcoming papal conclave set for 7 May, the Holy See has released the minimum qualifications for the next pope through an official post on its LinkedIn account, responding to what it described as “several messages of interest” in the role.
Roughly 135 cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to participate in the conclave. They will gather inside the Sistine Chapel, completely secluded from the outside world, to vote until a new pope is chosen. A two-thirds majority is required. White smoke rising from the chapel’s chimney signals a successful election, while black smoke indicates an inconclusive vote.
The post lists the essential qualifications a candidate must meet under Church law:
Must be a baptized Catholic
Male
Of sound mind
Eligible for episcopal ordination
Not canonically impeded or excommunicated
Beyond the basic canonical criteria, there are traditional qualities that the College of Cardinals usually seeks:
Already a cardinal
Mature in age
Well-versed in theology
Known for holiness and moral integrity
Strong devotion to the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary
In today’s global Church, the Holy See also outlined real-world skills and characteristics that would aid a modern pontiff:
Wisdom and prudence
Conflict resolution ability
Cultural sensitivity and diplomatic skills
High emotional resilience and physical endurance
Capacity to work long hours with minimal breaks
Multilingual skills, especially in Latin and Italian
Public speaking and communication skills, with a good singing voice as a plus
A clear vision for the future of the Catholic Church
Strong preference for serving the poor and vulnerable
An eye for identifying and appointing the right people to key roles
While any baptized Catholic male could technically be elected pope, in practice, the conclave has traditionally selected one of their own — someone already serving as a cardinal and deeply embedded in Church leadership.
As the Church prepares for this historic transition, all eyes will turn to the Sistine Chapel next week, awaiting the telltale sign of white smoke and the name of the next spiritual leader of 1.3 billion Catholics around the world.
