圣彼得的继任者、基督的代表以及公教会的领袖刚刚进入了他的永恒奖赏。 The successor to Saint Peter, the Vicar of Christ, and the head of the Catholic Church has just passed into his eternal reward.
接下来会发生什么？ What happens now?
教宗去世时，首先要做的是确认他确实已经去世。 When the pope dies, the first thing to do is to verify that he is actually dead.
这项任务由一位特别选出的枢机主教承担，他被 称为教宗府库官，在圣座空缺期间担任管理者。 This task is taken on by a specifically selected cardinal called the camerlengo, who is appointed as administrator during the sedevacante, which is the time when the Chair of Peter is vacant.
传统上，教宗府库官会拿出一把仪式用的银锤，轻敲教宗 头部三次，同时呼唤他的洗礼名和童年名以确认其去世。 To verify the pope's death, classically, the camerlengo drew a ceremonial silver hammer and taps the pope three times on his head, calling to him in his baptismal name and childhood name.
当然，如今的程序有所不同，通常会有医生在场，但确认教宗去 世的责任仍由教宗府库官承担，并由几位其他神职人员见证。 The process is, of course, different today, with a doctor likely standing by, but the responsibility of confirming the pope's death still rests with the camerlengo, who is witnessed by a few other clerics.
教宗去世确认后，直到选出新教宗之前，这段时间被称为教宗空位期。 With the pope's death confirmed and until a new pope is selected, we are in a period known as the interregnum.
在教宗空位期开始时，圣座几乎所有高级神职人员都会立即失去职务。 At the outset of the interregnum, nearly every high-ranking cleric of the Holy See immediately loses their job.
这是因为，就像美国新总统上任后必须选择新的内阁一 样，新教宗也会选拔新的管理机构成员，即罗马教廷。 This is because, somewhat like how a new president of the United States must select a new presidential cabinet during their time in office, the new pontiff will select new members of their own governing body, the Roman Curia.
在教宗空位期间，只有罗马枢机代牧、宗座大赦署长和宗座大赦署负责 人以及宗座大使仍然掌权，教宗府库官及其办公室则暂时管理梵蒂冈。 During the interregnum, the cardinal vicar of Rome, the major penitentiary, head of the apostolic penitentiary, and the apostolic nuncios are the only officials to remain in power, with the camerlengo and his office holding temporary stewardship over the Vatican.
宗座大赦署之所以继续运作，是因为它的职能即使在教宗空位期间也至关重要，负责处理 诸如赦免、良心问题、特许或绝罚等事项，这些事务提交给圣座，只有圣座才能处理。 The apostolic penitentiary stays in power because its function is essential even during the interregnum, with the penitentiary being responsible for those things like indulgences, questions of conscience, dispensations or issues of excommunication which are submitted to the Holy See and which cannot be dispensed with except by the Holy See.
像任何君主去世一样，教宗去世后必须确立继承人以确保平稳过 渡，但与其他君主不同，新教宗必须由枢机团在秘密会议中选出 ，而根据管辖法律，秘密会议不得早于教宗去世后15天开始。 Like the death of any monarch, after the death of the pope it is paramount that succession be established for a smooth transition, but unlike other monarchs, the new pope must be elected specifically by the College of Cardinals at the conclave, but the conclave is still a ways off with jurisdictional laws establishing that the conclave cannot begin earlier than 15 days after the death of the pope.
首先是一个称为九日哀悼期的阶段。 First must come a period known as the novendialis.
九日哀悼期是为罗马教宗举行的连续九天弥撒和祈祷 ，人们会表达敬意，枢机团团长会主持葬礼弥撒。 The novendialis are nine days of Masses and prayers for the Roman pontiff during which people will pay their respects and the dean of the College of Cardinals will celebrate a funeral Mass.
弥撒传统上包括「永恒安息赐给他，主啊」的祷文和「愿天使引领你进入天 堂」的圣歌。教宗通常穿着他标志性的金色主教冠和专属的红金祭衣下葬。 The Mass traditionally includes the Requiem aeternam donum es domine, "Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord," and the hymn in paradisum deducant te angeli, "May the angels lead you to paradise." The pope is normally buried in his characteristic golden miter and exclusive red and gold chasuble.
教宗通常葬于圣彼得大教堂，但他们也可以选择其他地方，比如教宗方济各因 敬奉一幅称为「罗马人民守护圣母」的拜占庭圣母像，安排葬于圣母大殿。 The popes are generally buried at Saint Peter's Basilica though they can choose to be buried elsewhere, with Pope Francis, for example, making arrangements to be buried at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major due to his devotion to a Byzantine icon of the Blessed Mother called Our Lady Protectress of the Roman People.
教宗安葬完毕，九日哀悼结束后，枢机团有几天时间在罗马聚集，准备选举下一任教宗。 With the pope buried and the nine days concluded, the College of Cardinals have a few days to convene in Rome before they elect the next pope.
值得注意的是，枢机团作为一个整体，并不是一群彼此无法区分、身份相同的主教。 It's worth noting here that the College of Cardinals as a body is not a single group of indistinguishable bishops who are all a cardinal in the same sense.
实际上，枢机团分为三个不同等级，分别是枢机主教、枢机祭司和枢机执事。 Rather, the College of Cardinals is actually divided into three different ranks, which are the cardinal bishops, the cardinal priests, and the cardinal deacons.
你可能直觉认为这三个等级对应主教、祭司和执 事这三个圣秩等级，但实际上它们完全不同。 You might intuitively assume that these three ranks are filled with bishops, priests, and deacons, the three ranks of holy orders, but you would surprisingly be mistaken as these are totally different.
这三个等级的名称源自罗马教区历史上的教区联系，担任这些职 务的枢机主教可能会被正式授予类似罗马主教、祭司或执事的头 衔，这源于教会早期由罗马城内神职人员选举教宗的传统。 The names of these three groups are produced from a vestigial connection to the historical sees in the Roman ecclesiastical province, and the cardinals who occupy these roles may officially be given titles as if they were bishops, priests, or deacons within Rome out of tradition for the early days of the church when it was the clerics of the city of Rome itself who elected the pontiff.
枢机主教是枢机团中最高等级。 Cardinal bishops are of the highest rank within the College of Cardinals.
他们包括几位重要主教，如枢机团团长，以及东仪公教会的宗主教。 They include several important bishops including the dean of the College of Cardinals, as well as patriarchs within Eastern Catholicism.
枢机祭司是人数最多的枢机团成员，包括一些罗马 教廷成员、教宗的立法机构成员以及多位大主教。 Cardinal priests are the largest body of cardinals including some members of the Roman Curia, the pope's legislative apparatus, and various archbishops.
最低等级的枢机执事包括其他罗马教廷成员以及被提升为枢机的知名神学家。 The lowest order, cardinal deacons, will include other members of the Roman Curia as well as respected theologians who have been elevated to cardinal.
一个人在某个等级中可以升迁到另一个等级，且在同一级别内通常按资历排序。 A person in one order can be moved to another, and within their own order they are generally ranked by seniority.
教宗选举人就是从这个团体中选出的。 It is from this collegial body the electors for pope are selected.
不过，并非所有枢机主教都有选举教宗的资格。 However, not every cardinal is a cardinal elector.
自保禄六世起，并由后续教宗维持，年满80岁的枢机主教失 去选举教宗的权利，选举权由79岁及以下的枢机主教行使。 Since Paul VI, and is upheld by subsequent pontiffs, the duty of voting for pope is dissolved for those cardinals who are 80 years old and above, with the electors coming from those 79 and younger.
当三个等级的枢机主教聚集完毕后，秘密会议便可开始。 Once the cardinals of the three ranks have gathered, the conclave can begin.
秘密会议以在圣彼得大教堂举行的奉献弥撒开始，随后在宗座宫的保罗礼拜 堂祈祷，最后在西斯廷礼拜堂宣誓，誓言避免外来干涉并遵守审议法律。 The conclave starts with a votive Mass in Saint Peter's, then prayers in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace, then to the Sistine Chapel to make a Latin oath to avoid outside influence and follow the laws set forth for deliberation.
此外，枢机主教们对选举过程本身发誓绝对保密。 Furthermore, the cardinals are sworn to absolute secrecy about the election itself.
正如若望保禄二世强调的，秘密会议期间，任何直接或间接以 言语、文字、手势或其他方式泄露秘密者，都会自动被绝罚。 As John Paul II emphasized, during the conclave anyone who directly or indirectly could in any way violate secrecy, whether by words or writing, by signs or in any other way, is automatically excommunicated.
投票开始前，一位被特别指定、教义纯正且智慧的祭司会做默想讲道。 Before voting begins, a specially designated priest of sound doctrine and wisdom gives a meditation.
随后，教宗礼仪总管、枢机团秘书以及其他协助 人员和无投票权的枢机主教必须离开会议室。 Then the master of papal liturgical ceremonies and the secretary of the College of Cardinals as well as any others who may be assisting and any non-voting cardinals must leave the room.
教宗礼仪总管和枢机团秘书是非枢机的祭司或主教，他们会在会议间隙协助投票程序。 The master of papal liturgical ceremonies and the secretary of the College of Cardinals are non-cardinal priests or bishops who will assist the voting process in between sessions.
只剩下有投票权的成员时，枢机团团长会向众人说明投票程序。 With only voting members remaining, the cardinal dean explains the voting process to the assembled.
选举人会得到一张可折叠的选票，上面写着「Elego in summum pontificem」，意为「我选举至高教宗」，后面留有填写姓名的空格。 The electors are to be given a foldable ballot with the words "Elego in summum pontificem," or "I elect for supreme pontiff," followed by a space to write a name.
他们每人只能写一个名字，否则选票无效。 They must each write only one name or else their ballot is nullified.
随机选出三位选举人担任计票员，负责统计写下的名字。 Three electors are randomly chosen to serve as scrutineers who tally these names once they are written.
另外三位选举人担任病人代表，秘密将选票送给因病无法亲自出席的枢机主教。 Three more electors serve as infirmarii who discretely take ballots to sick cardinals who could not be present in person due to infirmity.
再有三位选举人担任复核员，核查计票员的工作。 Three more electors serve as revisers who check the work of the scrutineers.
如果投票后选票数量与选举人数不符，选票将被焚毁，立即重新投票。 If the number of ballots after voting doesn't match the number of electors, the ballots are burned and a new vote is immediately taken.
否则，三位计票员依次宣读选票，然后用针穿孔并串联起来，以防止欺 诈或错误。根据历代教宗的规定，第一天只进行一次投票，接着第二天 和第三天各投四次，给枢机主教们机会修改答案，希望达成共识。 But otherwise, the three scrutineers each read the ballots one after the other and then puncture them with a needle and thread them together to avoid fraud or error.According to the prescriptions laid out by the previous pontiffs, the first day shall have only one vote, followed by four on the following day and four more on the day after that, giving cardinals the option to revise their answers in the hopes of reaching a consensus.
如果三天投票后无人获得三分之二多数票，将休息最多一天 ，进行祈祷和讨论，由执事等级中资深的枢机主教作反思。 If no one individual has received a two-thirds majority of the votes after these three days of voting, they take a break for up to one day for prayer and discussion, and a reflection by the senior cardinal in the order of deacons.
接着是三天内七次投票，再次休息，由祭司等级中资深枢机主教劝勉，然 后再进行七次投票，接着同样的程序，由主教等级中资深枢机主教劝勉， 再进行七次投票，理论上共26次投票，假设仍无人获得三分之二多数。 This is then followed by seven more ballots over three days, another similar pause with an exhortation by the senior cardinal in the order of priests, then seven more ballots in the same fashion, followed by the same thing, but the senior cardinal in the order of bishops gives an exhortation, then seven more ballots again over three days, which puts us at 26 theoretical votes, assuming there is still no two-thirds majority.
在2005年教宗选举的第26次投票时，若望保禄二世的 指示允许暂停三分之二多数的要求，改为绝对多数50%。 At the 26-vote point for the 2005 papal election, Pope John Paul II's instructions allowed for a suspension of the two-thirds majority in favor of an absolute majority of 50%.
若望保禄二世或许考虑到了1268年至1271年在维泰博臭 名昭著的秘密会议，当时不满的民众将枢机主教关在建筑内，拆 掉屋顶，使他们暴露在风雨中，迫使他们最终选出教宗继任者。 Pope John Paul II may have had in mind elections like the infamous conclave of 1268 to 1271 in Viterbo, where a disgruntled populace ended up locking the cardinals in a building and removing the roof, exposing them to the elements, forcing them to finally choose a papal successor.
然而，教宗本笃十六世当选后，推翻了若望保禄二 世的规定，使未来选举恢复三分之二多数的规则。 However, when Benedict XVI was elected, he reversed John Paul II's ruling so that future elections returned to the two-thirds majority rule.
这是在其他枢机主教请求恢复传统规则后，为了延续第 三次拉特兰会议制定的传统投票制度而做出的决定。 This was after requests for a reversal from the other cardinals and in continuity with the traditional voting system produced at the Third Lateran Council.
三分之二多数制度的设立是为了遏制反教宗的问题，确保大多数枢 机主教能够接受当选教宗，防止教宗的权威因选民不满而削弱。 The two-thirds majority system was established to curb the issue of anti-popes by insisting that most cardinals would tolerate the pope who was elected and ensuring that the pope's authority was never weakened by a disgruntled electorate.
确保严格遵守现行规则版本，或许与对秘密会议细节的保密誓言一样重要，甚至更重要。 Ensuring that the current version of the rules are stuck to consistently is arguably as important or more important than the oath of secrecy about the details of the conclave.
正如若望保禄二世所说：「如果选举未按照本宪章规定进行， 或未遵守此处制定的宪章，选举因此无效，无需任何声明。」 As John Paul II also noted, "Should the election take place in a way other than that prescribed in the present constitution, or should the constitutions laid down here not be observed, the election is for this very reason null and void without any need for a declaration on the matter.
因此，选出的教宗不享有任何权利。」教宗当选后，资深枢机 执事会重新接纳教宗礼仪总管和枢机团秘书进入秘密会议。 Consequently, it confers no right on the one elected." After a pope is elected, the junior cardinal deacon readmits the master of papal liturgical celebrations and the secretary of the College of Cardinals into the conclave.
然后，枢机团团长或资深枢机主教会问当选者：「你接受作为至高教宗 的合法选举吗？」如果回答是，会问：「你希望以什么名字称呼？」一 旦接受职责，他立刻成为罗马主教和拥有全部权利与权力的教宗。 Then the cardinal dean or the most senior cardinal will ask the one who has been elected, "Do you accept the canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?" If they say yes, they are asked, "By what name do you wish to be called?" Once the person has accepted their duty, he is immediately the Bishop of Rome and the pope with full rights and powers.
不过，由于枢机主教技术上不必是主教，事实上教宗本人也不必曾是枢机主教，若当选者 根本不是主教，必须先受主教圣秩，才能向世人宣布为教宗，这有一套特别的替代程序。 However, because cardinals are not technically required to be bishops, and in fact, the pope himself need not have been a former cardinal, there's a special alternate procedure that states that if the person elected is not a bishop at all, he must be ordained one before being announced as pope to the world.
这是因为教宗的职务始终与罗马主教的职务相同。 This is because the role of the pope is always identical to the role of the Bishop of Rome.
教宗法比安就是一个很好的例子，他属于罕见的非主教教宗，因为他是在一 只鸽子落在他头上后，民众强烈要求选举他，尽管当时法比安并非主教。 Pope Fabian is a great example of someone who fell into this rare category of non-bishop popes because he was elected by popular demand after a dove alighted on his head, even though Fabian was not then a bishop.
教宗选出后，选举人会上前向新教宗致敬。 After a pope is selected, the electors approach and give homage to the new pope.
执事等级中资深的枢机主教会向大众宣布新教宗的名 字，教宗则从梵蒂冈大殿的阳台上赐予使徒祝福。 The senior cardinal from the cardinal deacons announces the name of the newly elected pope to the people, and the pope imparts the apostolic blessing from the balcony of the Vatican Basilica.
至此，世界正式认识了新教宗。 And with that, the world is introduced to the new pope.