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Within Italy, there is a term that always crops up everytime there is a new Pope to elect: papabile, or 'he who has the makings of a Pope.' Those cardinals that are considered papabile are usually very senior men in the Curia (the Vatican government), but there are always longshots; Cardinal Wojtyla wasn't in anyone's sights as a papabile until he was elected. So much so, that incredulous Italians in St. Peter's Square, upon hearing his given name for the first time, questioned Un polacco? (A Pole?)

The vote in the College of Cardinals is strictly secret; violators run the risk of losing their cardinalate for unlawfully divulging privileged information during the Conclave.

No one will know the identity of the next Pope until the Sacred Conclave elects him, the white smoke comes out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the Cardinal Camerlengo (chamberlain) announces (in Latin) "Joyous tidings... we have a Pope!"