logo
episode-header-image
May 5
10m 40s

Conclave: How a new pope is chosen

Bbc World Service
About this episode

In April 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI following the death of Pope John Paul II.

The new leader of the Catholic Church was elected after four ballots of the papal conclave.

The late Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor was one of 115 cardinals who took part.

He spoke to Rebecca Kesby in 2013.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Cardinals conduct their final mass before entering into the conclave in 2005. Credit: Getty Images)

Up next
Aug 22
Geneva Conventions
In 1859, Swiss businessman Henry Dunant witnessed the Battle of Solferino, in Italy. He couldn’t believe the lack of aid for the wounded soldiers and came up with two ideas – a voluntary aid organisation and an international treaty to protect those injured in wartime. They went o ... Show More
10m 2s
Aug 21
The rise and fall of BlackBerry
In the early 2000s, BlackBerry was the phone that ruled the world. But within a decade, it collapsed, overtaken by the touch screen revolution.Sam Gruet speaks to former co-CEO Jim Balsillie about BlackBerry’s meteoric rise, its battle against Apple, and the moment he knew it was ... Show More
9m 50s
Aug 20
The book that changed Norway’s view of immigrants
In 2010, a book came out in Norway that transformed the way people looked at paperless immigrants. The author, a 25-year-old Russian woman, fled North Ossetia as a child with her parents. They were never granted asylum, yet she managed to earn a university degree and eventually h ... Show More
10m 13s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
The mystery of Raoul Wallenberg
Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat, saved thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Nazis during World War Two.Once Soviet troops reached Budapest, Wallenberg reported to Soviet officials on 17 January 1945. But he was never seen in public again. Rumours of his fate have circled eve ... Show More
8m 58s
Feb 2023
Popes
It has been 10 years since Pope Benedict XVI announced his shock resignation. It was the first time in almost 600 years that a pope had stepped down. In this programme, we hear stories about the history of the papacy, including how a pope is chosen, the inception of Vatican II an ... Show More
51m 22s
May 8
How to choose a pope
All eyes have been on the Vatican in recent days, as the conclave have decided who will be the next pope. But how does the process today compare to that of past centuries? What have been some of the most dramatic papal elections down the centuries? And was there ever really a fem ... Show More
40m 57s
May 9
Peruvians celebrate election of new Pope
The new leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, was born in Chicago but spent many years living and working in Peru where he was made a bishop. We speak to a Peruvian Catholic, who welcomes Leo's election, and hear from our correspondent, Ione Wells, in the Peruvian city of ... Show More
47m 25s
May 2024
05/19/2024: Pope Francis, Cuban Spycraft, The Album
Norah O'Donnell meets Pope Francis for a rare and historic interview at his home, the Santa Marta guest house in Vatican City, a week before the Catholic Church hosts its inaugural World Children's Day. The 87-year-old, Argentinian-born pope - the first named Francis and first fr ... Show More
52m 14s
May 3
CLASSIC: A Dead Pope Goes To Court
The Catholic Church is no stranger to scandal and controversy, but in January of 897 the institution was home to a new and unique scandal that put the garden variety tales of adultery and financial corruption to shame. Listen in to learn what drove Pope Stephen VI (also sometimes ... Show More
27m 26s
Apr 2025
How Pope Francis Changed the Catholic Church
Church bells rang out across the world on Monday to mark the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88.Jason Horowitz, the Rome bureau chief at The New York Times, discusses the pope’s push to change the church, his bitter clashes with traditionalists, and what his papacy meant to t ... Show More
39m 20s
May 8
Tariffs Driving Up Prices on Baby Products | Tailoring Businesses Eagerly Await New Pope | Bill Gates on Why He's Giving Away Virtually All of His Wealth by 2045
The cardinals electing the next pope will vote again Thursday afternoon after black smoke rose again from the Sistine Chapel Thursday, indicating no pope was selected in the conclave's latest round of voting. The secrecy surrounding the conclave hasn't stopped people from trying ... Show More
41m 20s
Dec 2023
Pourquoi le cardinal Mazarin ne pouvait-il pas célébrer la messe ?
Premier ministre de la Régente Anne d'Autriche et parrain et mentor de Louis XIV, Mazarin est nommé cardinal par le Pape en 1641. On sait que les cardinaux, tout vêtus de rouge, sont les plus hauts dignitaires de l'Église catholique. Ils forment le Sacré Collège, dont la mission ... Show More
2m 4s
May 9
New Pope, who dis?
White smoke from the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City on Thursday 8th May announced that a new Pope had been elected. Pope Leo XIV is the 267th Pope to be exact and the first American. He also has Peruvian citizenship.In this episode we’re going to explain what we know about the ne ... Show More
11m 52s