Following the 2/3rds vote of the electoral cardinals, the new Pope will have a set of traditions and decisions to make that will immediately determine the tone of his papacy.
To start off, the cardinal presiding over the conclave will ask him to accept his election, in accordance with the customs outlined by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1996.
Following his acceptance, the cardinal presiding over the conclave will ask the pontiff what name he will take --- this decision typically reflects the tone of the papacy. Many Popes inherit the name of a Pope they want to emulate, while others, like Pope Francis, opt to start a new naming tradition.
Then, to the acclamation of the cardinals, the newly elected Pope goes to the front of the Sistine chapel, where all 132 cardinal electors will process and declare their allegience to him as the Supreme Pontiff of the Church.
The Pope then walks to a nearby sacristy, known as the “Room of Tears”, where three sizes of papal attire (small, medium, and large) are prepared to be fitted to him. During Pope John the 23rds election, many don't know that his cassock had to be opened in the back, as there had not been a size prepared that fit him.
While the basics of the papal dress are all the same, the Pope must make various style decisions which will reflect the tone of his papacy.
Vatican euthusiasts will be watching to see if the new Pope dons the papal mozzetta as Pope Benedict the 16th did or if he opts out of it as Pope Francis did.
CRT
