The Roman Catholic Church will soon start the process of choosing a new pontiff. Pope Francis passed away on April 21 after leading the papacy for 12 years. A new pontiff will be picked by cardinals at a "secretive" conclave. They come together under one roof at the Sistine Chapel to pick the new pope, but no one knows for sure what transpired behind those closed doors.

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Why is the process of picking a new pope such a hushed affair? Some people say that God himself comes down on Earth and delivers the verdict through the cardinals. Such a mystical occurrence cannot take place in front of millions of eyes, and so it happens away from the eyes of the world.

However, another reason for it is attributed to something that dates back to the 13th century. According to historians, there was a period when the seat of the pontiff was empty for a long time.

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This led the church to shut everyone in a room and close the doors. It was meant to create a sense of urgency in the election and keep them focused on the job at hand without any external interference. At the time, this concept was thought to happen because people believed God descended to impart wisdom to the cardinals.

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An interesting tale suggests that the deliberations and delay once led villagers in Viterbo, Italy, to remove the roof of the palace where the cardinals had gathered. They were trying to get them to reach a decision quickly.

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Pope's seat was vacant for three years

The three-year vacancy in the 13th century also led the new pope to create a set of rules. Pope Gregory X, who was selected in 1271 as the new leader of the Catholic church, took cognisance of the delay and issued a papal bull known as Ubi periculum. 

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This consisted of a set of laws for future papal elections and established secrecy around them. The cardinals were supposed to sit behind closed doors, away from the distractions of the world. Each of them could have one or two servants. Their food was delivered through a window. In case the cardinals were unable to pick a pope within eight days, their food stock was cut down to bread, water and wine. 

So now the cardinals were in a situation where they had to pick a new pope as soon as possible. The setting prevented them from procrastinating, besides keeping political agendas from leaders at bay.

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But it also came with a downside. Miles Pattenden, an Oxford University professor, told NPR that personal hygiene became a huge concern as the cardinals remained inside the conclave. He says records suggest that during 16th- and 17th-century papal conclaves, it got "disgusting" and "how susceptible it was to disease, especially if the conclave was taking place in summer." Some of them even fell ill because of the conditions.

However, in 1996, Pope John Paul II issued a declaration which stated that during future conclaves, all cardinals will live in the guesthouse Domus Sanctae Marthae, built in the same year in Vatican City.