The world woke up to solemn bells tolling across the Vatican on Monday. Pope Francis, the 88-year-old shepherd of over a billion Catholics, died peacefully in his Vatican residence. A stroke and subsequent heart failure claimed the life of the first Latin American pontiff.
Now, as the Church prepares for the conclave to elect his successor, history reminds us just how intense (and bizarre) this process once was.
The 3-Year Conclave
In 1268, the papal election following Pope Clement IV’s death turned into an epic deadlock. For nearly three years, cardinals failed to agree on a new pope. Tempers flared, and patience wore thin-not just inside the Church but among the Roman citizens, too.
Fed up with the delay, the locals in Viterbo (where the conclave was held) decided to take drastic action. They locked the cardinals inside the palace and removed the roof to expose them to the elements, hoping to pressure a decision.
Food rations were cut, and the cardinals were forced to endure the scorching sun and cold rains. Only then did the impasse break.
In 1271, Teobaldo Visconti, not even a cardinal at the time, was finally elected as Pope Gregory X.
That standoff gave birth to today’s conclave system – the term itself comes from “cum clave,” meaning “with a key,” referring to locking the cardinals in until a pope is chosen.
A Muder In The Church
During the same period, tensions in Viterbo weren’t just limited to the Vatican. Charles of Anjou, the most powerful man in Italy, had arrived in the city with his nephew, Philip III of France, to influence the outcome. Travelling with them was Henry of Almain, a young English noble – son of Richard of Cornwall, the titular King of Germany, and nephew to England’s King Henry III.
On March 13, 1271, Henry entered a small church in Viterbo for morning mass. Moments later, he was attacked inside the church, dragged outside, and brutally murdered in the square.
His killers were believed to be his cousins – sons of Simon de Montfort – who sought revenge for betrayals during England’s civil war. The murder had nothing to do with the ongoing papal election, but its timing was deeply unsettling.
Yet the cardinals-unmoved by the incident-returned to their standoff. It would take another six months before they finally elected Pope Gregory X.