How a new pope is elected after Benedict XVI’s resignation requires the individual to be a man, a catholic and a cardinal. To become a cardinal, one must graduate with a major in Catholic Philosophy, a masters in Divinity, and a pHD in Theology in order to become a bishop before rising up to a cardinal.

Cardinals elect one of their own to become the pope only when the current pope dies or resigns. In most cases, the new pope is elected when the previous pope dies, which is why the process of electing a new pope after Benedict XVI’s resignation is a long and difficult process.

The last time a non-cardinal became a pope was six hundred years ago, and ever since it has been required to climb the catholic corporate ladder which therefore requires a lot of education since it is a serious profession.

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Sourced: CGPGrey

Curated: @KatherineNader, an online editor at Arbitrage Magazine, is the author of The Deadly Mark. She is a student of Biology, English, and Professional Writing at the University of Toronto.