Catholic Answers Live – Episode #12179

Topic: How Were Popes Elected Throughout Church History?
Host: Cy Kellett
Guest: Tim Staples
Date: May 2, 2025

Episode Overview

This lively "Ask Me Anything" episode welcomes senior apologist Tim Staples to answer questions on a wide range of Catholic topics, with special focus on the history of how Popes have been elected. Sprinkled with humor and friendly banter, the show’s central segment unpacks the evolution of papal elections—from earliest Christian times, through medieval developments, to the modern conclave system.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening Banter and Poll: “What Would Your Papal Name Be?”

• The episode kicks off with a light-hearted poll for listeners: "What name would you choose if you were chosen as Pope?" (00:34)
• Tim Staples humorously considers possible names:

  "I would love to see John Paul III, I would love to see Francis II, and I would love to see Benedict XVII." (02:31, Tim)

• The hosts joke about stringing together the names of recent Popes, e.g. “John Paul Benedict Francis.”
• Reflective remark:

  "This is not just history, it’s the Holy Spirit at work here, you know... That’s what makes it beautiful, doesn’t it? God’s will is going to be done." (03:33, Tim)

The Mystery and Process of Papal Elections

Divine Providence & Human Freedom

• Tim Staples discusses how Catholics believe papal elections blend God’s providence with human free will (04:15).

  "That great mystery of our free will...God’s will involves...our free will. And it’s exciting...we know all things ultimately work together for the good." (04:15, Tim)

Observations about Potential Popes

• Discussion about the qualities of current Cardinals—number of languages spoken, academic degrees, and global diversity (05:32).

  "They’ll just talk about these cardinals...he’s got two PhDs and he speaks eight languages. The Church has this one who only speaks five languages..." (05:42, Cy)

• Light quips about Americans only speaking “English and pig Latin.” (06:06, Cy)

Predicting Duration of Next Conclave

• Tim predicts the next conclave “might go a little longer” than the last (which concluded in about 25 hours), but "not much...There’s just too many good guys." (06:24, Tim)

Main Topic: How Were Popes Elected Throughout Church History?

(Prompted by caller Ryan, 19:02)

[19:22 – 26:08] Tim Staples delivers a scholarly, yet accessible summary:

• Early Centuries:

  • Initially, the Roman clergy and the Christian people of Rome elected their bishop (the Pope). Influential bishops from outside Rome sometimes had a say.
  • “From the earliest days, it was simply the people, the Roman clergy, and the people of Rome elected their bishop...Very much a local event, even though it had universal implications.” (19:22, Tim)

• Constantinian and Imperial Era:

  • As Christianity gained favor and Rome grew, emperors and Christian kings increasingly interfered in papal selections, prompting the need for reform and clarification.

• Development of the College of Cardinals:

  • The College of Cardinals arose out of necessity, formalized by a papal bull in 1059.
  • “The creation of the College of Cardinals didn’t happen until 1059, but it wasn’t like the creation happened immediately right there. There was already a movement in the Church of certain men who were close to the Holy Father that had authority…” (21:05, Tim)
  • The Pope alone could elect cardinals and establish voting rules.

• Biblical Precedent—Acts 1:

  • Tim draws on the precedent of St. Peter establishing rules for Matthias’s election in Acts 1.

    “It was Peter who laid out the rules. He quotes Psalm 69 and Psalm 109...He established the rules, how the election would happen. And...they chose Matthias by lot.” (22:40, Tim)

  • Early methods reflected “rolling the dice,” trusting God to guide the choice.

• Medieval to Modern Developments:

  • Over time, papal electoral rules developed further, especially in the 13th century: “Conclave, from Latin 'with key'—cardinals locked in to deliberate; age and eligibility rules developed.”
  • Only Popes can change election rules—a tradition maintained up to recent reforms by John Paul II (25:45, Tim).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God and the Papacy:

  “This is the beauty of our belief in a sovereign God and us having free will...God’s will involves that great mystery of our free will. And it’s exciting...” (04:15, Tim)

• On the Role of Cardinals:

  “The College of Cardinals really grew out of necessity...the pope alone could elect cardinals and establish the rules...” (21:55, Tim)

• Scholarly Insight:

  “What started as a local event, with some influence from outside...became much more...especially as emperors and Christian kings got involved...” (20:48, Tim)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:34–06:20 — Papal names poll, light banter about conclave, process, and potential papabili
• 19:02–26:08 — In-depth answer: How were Popes elected throughout church history? [Main segment]
• 06:21–07:48, scattered throughout — More on conclave lengths and expectations
• 29:18–35:00+ — Varied listener questions (Talmud, blessing of objects, Marian symbols, use of “Yahweh”)
• 40:44–43:00+ — Miscellaneous listener questions; humor about papal names/blankets

Additional Listener Q&A and Discussions

• Sanctuary Usage:
  Story of a toy tractor driven around the altar by schoolchildren, leading to a discussion on reverence and sacred spaces (08:11–11:44).
• Marian Symbols:
  Callers ask about Marian bumper stickers—the “M with a line” is a Marian symbol, often related to the Miraculous Medal (14:35–17:43).

Entertaining or Noteworthy Moments

• “Papa John PizzaBella,” a playful prospective papal name (29:18, listener John).
• Cy joking about only Americans knowing two languages, “one of them is pig Latin.” (06:06)
• Tim’s advice about naming conventions and history:

  “You go in chronological order. You don’t go in reverse because we have an established precedent now because of John Paul I.” (07:24, Cy)

Conclusion

This episode combines the gravitas of Church history and the papacy with plenty of humor and engaging audience interaction. Tim Staples provides a thorough historical outline of papal elections, showing how processes evolved from local community choice to the regulated conclave system—always within the mysterious interplay of God’s will and human agency.

End of Summary