Electing a Pope (information & activities for students)

UPDATED 4/21/25





Here are some links that might be useful in teaching students about electing a pope:


fisheaters.com- How Popes Are Elected

loyolapress.com- What Is a Papal Conclave? and Frequently Asked Questions about the Pope

usccb.org- How Is a New Pope Chosen?

ewtn.com- Papal Interregnum

newadvent.org- Election of the Popes

catholic.org- The Vacancy of the Holy See (Papal Interregnum)

pbs.org- Step-by-Step Guide to Electing a Pope

loyolapress.com- Activities and Prayers for the Papal Transition

americamagazine.org- Papal Transition
Q&A on Papal Transition, Conclave & Election of New Pope

catholicinspired.com- Choosing a New Pope (reading comprehension printable) Scroll down to Here is the first of 2 downloads on this post. It's the Reading Comprehension Pages:

smp.org- Electing a New Pope

csun.edu- Time To Choose

ewtn.com- Conclave Details

bbc.co.uk- How The Next Pope Is Chosen

catholicinspired.com- Learning about the Papal Insignia {A Pope Party!!}

Niagara Catholic District School Board- Mock Conclave

wdtprs.com- Hold a Mock Conclave of Your Own



Books

books.google.com- Conclave: The Politics, Personalities, and Process of the Next Papal Election by John Allen

books.google.com- Selecting the Pope: Uncovering the Mysteries of Papal Elections by Greg Tobin



Coloring

edupics.com- coloring page pope

crayola.com - Holy See - Vatican City (flag and map)

catholicicing.com- Catholic Draw ‘N Learn Friday: The Vatican Flag {and free coloring!!!}

world-free-printable-flags.com- 2 Vatican flags posted (scroll down to these)

catholicinspired.com- Learning about the Papal Insignia (scroll down to Download the Papal Insignia Pages here)

thecatholickid.com- Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Coloring Page



Crafts

Have the students make a mural of how a pope is elected.

catholicicing.com- Make a Zucchetto

catholicicing.com- Pope John Paul II Mitre Craft for Catholic Kids (several kinds to choose from)

withhopeinthedivinewill.blogspot.com- Paper Bishop mitre or “Pope Hat”

catholicicing.com- Papal Flag Idea for Kids

catholicicing.com- How to Craft a Papal Flag for World Youth Day (scroll down to this)

catholicicing.com- Pope Puppet

missionsantaines.org- Saints Paper Bag Puppets (make one into a pope using the templates provided)

catholicinspired.com- Conclave Smoke Craft (scroll down to this)

showerofroses.blogspot.com- Papal Lap Book



Flash Cards

quizlet.com- Electing a Pope (flash cards)



Games

funtrivia.com- Electing a Pope (online game)

catholicinspired.com- Pass the Papal Keys Game (scroll down to this)

catholicinspired.com- Simon Peter Says (play the game as posted or play "The Pope Says")

The Catholic Toolbox- How To Review Material (lots of games posted)






Electing A Pope (file folder game)- The idea is to answer questions about electing a pope so you can move your stones around the board. The goal is to move each stone along the 24-square path from the beginning to the end and remove the stone from the board. If the stone of one player lands on a square occupied by the stone of the opponent, the opponent’s stone is removed from the board and must start again. If a player has two or more pieces on a space the pieces on it cannot be captured. An exact throw is needed to remove a piece from the board. The winner is the player who removes all their stones from the board first.


Graphics

graphics.latimes.com- Selecting a pontiff (large graphic)

washingtonpost.com- How a Pope Is Elected (large graphic)

lasotrasinfografias.files.wordpress.com- Papal Election (large graphic)



Lap Book

showerofroses.blogspot.com- Papal Lap Book



Lessons

thereligionteacher.com- Papal Conclave Lesson Plan
A full lesson with: Objectives, Assess Prior Knowledge, Explore the Papal Conclave, Papal Election Educational Resources, Conclave Q & A, Compare Papal Elections and Presidential Elections, Assessment: The Papal Conclave Process

passports.com- Vatican City: Habemus Papam! The Papal Conclave

live.com- Intermediate Conclave Lesson

twinkl.com- The Pope and the Conclave (lesson)

contemplativehomeschool.com- Matthew 16 and the Papal Conclave for Kids

catechisisinthethirdmillennium.wordpress.com- Lessons on Pope Benedict and Papal Conclave

ercbna.org- Pope Francis and the Papacy - Lesson 4: Conclave



Worksheets

threesidedwheel.wordpress.com- Habemus Papam Copywork (two sheets, one in Latin and one in English)

twinkl.com- The Pope and the Conclave FactFile and Quick Quiz

Electing A Pope Matching Worksheet- Write the letter of the correct match next to the answer.

twinkl.com- Choosing a New Pope Sequencing Mind Map



If you see any information or activities about electing a pope, please let me know so I can add it to the list.