The current procedures for papal conclaves, per the encyclopedia, began with reforms made in 1059, and the entire procedure was codified in 1904 by way of a constitution that Pope Pius X issued.

Like his predecessors, Pope Francis was selected using an age-old method -- a system known as the Papal conclave. To stream 9NEWS on your phone, you need the 9NEWS app. Download the 9NEWS app ...

The longest papal conclave in the time period analyzed was for Benedict XIV, which lasted six months — 182 days to be exact. But this isn’t the longest conclave in history.

The Conclave has remained virtually unchanged for the last 800 years and typically begins 15 to 20 days after the pope's death or resignation. Skip Navigation Share on Facebook ...