2005 papal conclave

Papal conclave April 2005
Dates and location
18–19 April 2005 Sistine Chapel, Apostolic Palace, Vatican City
Key officials
Dean	Joseph Ratzinger
Sub-dean	Angelo Sodano
Camerlengo	Eduardo Martínez Somalo
Protopriest	Stephen Kim Sou-hwan
Protodeacon	Jorge Medina
Secretary	Francesco Monterisi
Election
Ballots	4
Elected pope
Joseph Ratzinger Name taken: Benedict XVI
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A papal conclave was held on 18 and 19 April 2005 to elect a successor to John Paul II, who had died on 2 April 2005. Upon the pope's death, the cardinals of the Catholic Church who were in Rome met and set a date for the beginning of the conclave. Of the 117 eligible members of the College of Cardinals, those younger than 80 years of age at the time of the death of Pope John Paul II, all but two attended. After several days of private meetings attended by both cardinal electors and non-voting cardinals, the conclave began on 18 April 2005. It ended the following day after four ballots with the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Dean of the College of Cardinals and Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Ratzinger was the first member of the Roman Curia to become pope since Pius XII, elected in 1939. After accepting his election, he took the name Benedict XVI.