Papal elections aren’t always as dramatic as ‘Conclave’ – but the history behind the process is
- Written by Joelle Rollo-Koster, Professor of Medieval History, University of Rhode Island
A view of the Sistine Chapel, where electors choose the new pope, on March 9, 2013, before the start of the conclave that resulted in the election of Pope Francis.AP Photo/Alessandra TarantinoI’m a historian of the medieval papacy and editor of the forthcoming three volumes of the Cambridge History of the Papacy. So it was more or less...









