Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- papal conclave: Top Questions
- cardinal
- papal conclave - Papal election in the early church
- papal conclave - Codifying the rules of the conclave
- papal infallibility: Top Questions
- How Is the Pope Elected?
- cardinal camerlengo - Preparing the papal conclave
- papal conclave - The transformation of papal elections
Must the new pope be chosen from the College of Cardinals?
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papal conclave
Cardinals assembled inside the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican Palace for a conclave to elect a new pope; Vatican City, 2005.
No, it is not a formal requirement that the new pope be chosen from the College of Cardinals. While the pope is typically selected from among the cardinals, this is a matter of tradition rather than a strict rule of the Roman Catholic Church.12
The election process, known as the papal conclave, is conducted by the cardinal electors, who must be under the age of 80 to participate. Although the cardinals have historically chosen one of their own to lead the church, any baptized male Catholic is theoretically eligible to be elected as pope.12