Two Third Majority: Motu Proprio dt. 11th June 2007

On 11 June, 2007, pope Benedict XVI surprised the Church with an apostolic letter issued "motu proprio", i.e. on his own initiative, concerning the votes required at a conclave for the valid election of the pope. The document is brief, its language is terse, and its content is simple and clear: in all circumstances two thirds of the votes of the cardinals is required for the valid election of a pope.

In the 2005 conclave, out of a total of 115 electors the majority needed for the election of a pope was initially two thirds, equal to 77 votes. But after 34 unsuccessful voting rounds, absolute majority (half of the votes plus one) i.e. 58 votes would have been necessary: this was established by the rules for conclaves promulgated in 1996 by John Paul II.

But the new “motu proprio,” Benedict XVI eliminated this possibility of lowering the majority requirement. Now, once again, two thirds of the votes will be needed to elect a pope.

While the “motu proprio” of June 11 restores the tradition of the two-thirds majority, in another way it is innovative. After 34 unsuccessful voting rounds, only the two candidates who have received the greatest number of votes in the previous round are eligible from that point on, until one of the two reaches the necessary two thirds.

In the traditional system, the cardinals would have been free to abandon both candidates and look for a new one.