The 2005 papal conclave elected Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Benedict XVI, the first pope from the Roman Curia since Pius XII in 1939.
Key Facts
- Conclave dates
- 18–19 April 2005
- Eligible cardinal electors
- 117
- Cardinals who attended
- 115 (all but two)
- Ballot on which pope was elected
- 4th ballot
- Pope elected
- Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, took name Benedict XVI
- Last Curial pope before this
- Pius XII, elected 1939
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Pope John Paul II died on 2 April 2005 after a prolonged illness, creating a vacancy in the papacy and triggering the canonical requirement for the College of Cardinals to convene a conclave to elect his successor.
On 18 and 19 April 2005, 115 of the 117 eligible cardinal electors gathered in the Sistine Chapel. On the fourth ballot, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — dean of the College of Cardinals and prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith — was elected pope.
Ratzinger accepted his election and took the name Benedict XVI, becoming the first pope drawn from the Roman Curia since Pius XII in 1939. His election was seen as a continuation of doctrinal conservatism within the Catholic Church.