Curia
The College of Cardinals, or Sacred College, or Curia, is the supreme body of the Roman Aristotelian Church. It brings together all cardinals, regardless of their nature or position.
The Curia makes its decisions by consensus or by vote.
Votes cast in the Curia normally last for five days.
All decisions made in the Curia are made by an absolute majority of the votes cast. An absolute majority is defined as follows:
- If the total number of votes cast is even: half of the total votes, plus one.
- If the total number of votes cast is odd: half of the total votes rounded up to the nearest whole number.
- In all cases, blank ballots or abstentions are deducted from the total number of votes cast to determine the majority threshold.
- A blank ballot is an abstention.
Any decision put to a vote must include the option to abstain.
Any decision put to the vote, and ruling on a choice other than ‘for or against’, must include the option ‘against all proposals’, in addition to the option ‘abstention’.
A second ballot is only held if an absolute majority is not achieved in the first ballot. The proposals put to the vote are necessarily those that can obtain an absolute majority in this second ballot.
A third ballot shall only be held if an absolute majority has not been reached in the second ballot. The third ballot shall necessarily be the last. Only the two proposals that received the most votes in the second ballot shall be put to the vote.
No quorum is required for ballots, unless otherwise specified in Canon Law, and except in the following cases:
- the election of the Pope (if applicable) requires a quorum of two-thirds or more of the cardinals designated as electors in that election.
- the election of the Camerlengo
- changes to fundamental points of dogma or canon law require a quorum of one-third or more of the cardinal electors.
Abstentions are counted in the calculation of the quorum.
The voting period may be reduced to 24 hours in the case of an urgent measure or extended to 10 days in the case of an important measure.
The urgency or importance of a measure is determined by the Camerlengo or the Archdeacon of Rome.
