Will New Zealand play a part in choosing the new pope?

Tuesday, 22 April 2025

The Pope, who was the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died at 07:35 local time on Easter Monday.

With Pope Francis’ death on Easter Sunday, attention now turns to who his successor will be, and the upcoming papal conclave.

After a period of mourning, followed by a funeral, cardinals from around the world will meet in the Vatican City to choose a new pope.

Conclaves are held in the Sistine Chapel of the Apostolic Palace and are done in secret.

During the conclave, cardinals will be cut off from communication with the outside world while in discussions and lobbying among themselves to decide the Catholic Church’s new leader.

One-hundred-and-thirty-five cardinals from around the world are eligible to vote in the conclave.

But does New Zealand have a role in all this? And will we be taking part in this vote?

Will a New Zealander be involved in choosing the new pope?

The short answer is yes. Cardinal John Dew will be the only New Zealander involved in helping to choose the new pope.

Formerly the Archbishop of Wellington between 2005 and 2023, Dew has been a cardinal since 2015 when he was appointed to the position by Pope Francis.

John Dew will be the only New Zealander involved in choosing the new pope.

Dew will be heading to the Vatican in the next few days where he will attend the funeral and take part in the conclave.

Only cardinals under the age of 80 are allowed to take part in the conclave. Dew is 76.

There are 252 cardinals, of whom 135 are eligible to vote to elect a new pope.

Have any other New Zealanders been involved in choosing the Pope?

The first time a New Zealander was involved in choosing a pope was in 1978 with Pope John Paul II.

There have been four cardinals from New Zealand over the years: Dew, Thomas Williams, Reginald Delargey, and Peter McKeefry.

Williams was involved in the conclave that chose Pope Benedict in 2005, while Delargey helped choose Pope John Paul II in 1978.

McKeefry did not take part in a conclave, meaning Dew will become the third New Zealand cardinal to participate in this historic event.

Is Dew representing New Zealand?

Cardinals Luis Antonio Tagle, of the Philippines, left, and Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, of Nigeria.

Technically not. Cardinals are appointed by the pope and not by individual countries’ Catholic dioceses.

While at the conclave, all the cardinals will be representing the Catholic Church on a global level, not their country of origin.

What will happen when Dew gets to the Vatican?

Pope Francis’ formal apartment in the Vatican has been sealed in a ritual that is a key part of the tradition after a pope dies.

Traditionally, a 15-day mourning period is observed before the conclave begins.

After the funeral, Dew and other cardinals will first get together for a series of what are known as congregations.

These are essentially discussions that will look at the issues that are facing the church, and help to hone the thinking around the sort of skills that might be necessary for the next pope.

The cardinals will also hold masses where they will pray to help guide their deliberations and to ensure they make the right choice for the church.

Once this is completed, the conclave will begin in secret.

A majority of two-thirds plus one is needed to agree on a new pope, so multiple rounds of voting are often required.

After the first day, a secret ballot takes place twice a day and this process can often stretch to several days until the new pope is finally chosen.

It took the conclave two days to pick Francis as the new pope in 2013.