• During the vacancy of the Apostolic See, the College of Cardinals has no power of jurisdiction in matters which pertain to the Supreme Pontiff during his lifetime or in the exercise of his office.
• During the vacancy the cardinals are to wear the usual black cassock with piping and the red sash, with skullcap, pectoral cross and ring.
• At the death of the pope all heads of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia cease to exercise their office except for the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church and the Major Penitentiary. Likewise the cardinal vicar general for the Diocese of Rome continues in office as does the cardinal archpriest of the Vatican basilica and the vicar general for the Vatican City.
• Should the offices of Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church or of Major Penitentiary be vacant at the time of the pope's death or should they become vacant before the election of his successor, the College of Cardinals shall as soon as possible elect the cardinal or cardinals who shall hold these offices until the election of the new pope.
• If the vicar general of the Diocese of Rome dies during the vacancy, the viceregent shall exercise this office. If there is no viceregent, the auxilary bishop who is senior by appointment shall exercise this office.

• The right to elect the Roman pontiff belongs exclusively to the cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, with the exception of those who have reached their 80th birthday before the day of the Roman Pontiff's death or the day when the Apostolic See becomes vacant. The maximum number of cardinal electors must not exceed 120.
• A cardinal of the Holy Roman Church who has been created and published before the College of Cardinals thereby has the right to elect the pope, even if he has not yet received the red hat or the ring or sworn the oath. Cardinals who have been canonically deposed or who with the consent of the Roman pontiff have renounced the cardinalate do not have the right to elect. The College of Cardinals cannot re admit or rehabilitate them.
• From the moment the Apostolic See is vacant, the cardinal electors must wait 15 full days before beginning the election; they may wait a maximum of 20 days before beginning the conclave.
• The conclave shall take place within the territory of the Vatican City.
• During the conclave the cardinal electors shall reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
• The following person shall also be admitted:

• the secretary of the College of Cardinals who acts as the secretary of the conclave
• papal master of ceremonies along with two masters of ceremonies and two religious attached to the papal sacristy
• an ecclesiastic chosen to assist the cardinal dean or the cardinal taking his place
• confessors
• two medical doctors
• cooks and housekeepers

• The election is to take place in the Sistine Chapel of the Apostolic Palace.
• Two thirds of the votes, calculated on the basis of the total number of electors present, are required for election. If it is impossible to divide the number of electors into three equal parts, one additional vote shall be required for election.
• There shall be two ballots in the morning and two ballots in the afternoon.
• After balloting has been carried out for three days without result, voting is to be suspended for a maximum of one day.
• After seven ballots, there shall be another pause.
• Another series of seven ballots is then held. If election has not taken place, there is another pause.
• Another series of seven ballots is then held.
• Then, if balloting has not resulted in an election, the cardinal electors shall be invited to express an opinion about the manner of proceeding. The election will then proceed as the absolute majority of the electors decides. Nevertheless, there can be no waiver of the requirement that a valid election takes place only by an absolute majority of the votes or else by voting only on the two names which in the ballot immediately preceding have received the greatest number of votes; in this second case only an absolute majority is required.
• The crime of simony shall not invalidate or nullify the election.
• Civil authorities may not veto any candidate.
• Any one may be elected; membership in the College of Cardinals is not required.
• When the election has taken place, the cardinal dean, or the cardinal who is first in order and seniority, asks the one elected: Do you accept your canonical election as supreme pontiff? Then he asks: By what name do you wish to be called?
• After his acceptance, the person elected, if he has already received episcopal ordination, is immediately bishop of the church of Rome, true pope and head of the college of bishops. He thus acquires and can exercise full and supreme power over the universal church. If the person elected is not already a bishop, he shall be immediately ordained bishop.
• The senior cardinal deacon announces that the election has taken place and proclaims the name of the new pope.
• If the newly elected supreme pontiff is not already a bishop, his episcopal ordination shall be carried out by the dean of the College of Cardinals or, in his absence, by the subdean or, should he too be prevented from doing so, by the senior cardinal bishop.
• I hereby declare abrogated all constitutions and orders issued by the Roman Pontiffs, and at the same time I declare completely null and void anything done by any person, whatever his authority, in any way contrary to this constitution.

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