Cardinals write their choice on a ballot paper, then fold up the pieces of paper and walk to the altar. They put the votes into a paten – the shallow metal plate used to hold communion wafers during mass – and then slide them into a large chalice.
What, exactly, is a conclave? And how does it work? Here are 7 key points to understanding how the Vatican prepares to elect a pope.
Cardinals write their choice on a ballot paper, then fold up the pieces of paper and walk to the altar. They put the votes into a paten – the shallow metal plate used to hold communion wafers during mass – and then slide them into a large chalice.
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