New revised and updated edition. This is a fascinating and highly readable account of how a pope is elected. From Linus down to John Paul II, it has always been an event of special importance. This booklet explains the new norms promulgated by John Paul II in 1996 and combines the technical with the historical and spiritual elements of the process to produce a unique and highly informative summary. Perhaps no one is better equipped to explain the method and history of such elections than Mgr Charles Burns, who has devoted 35 years of his priestly life to dedicated work in the Vatican Secret Archives.