This week in Christian history: Papal election secret ballot instituted, Ulf Ekman converts to Catholicism, Balthasar Hubmaier martyred

Pope Gregory XV issues bull on papal elections – March 12, 1622

This week marks the anniversary of when Pope Gregory XV issued an edict titled “Decet Romanum Pontificem,” which required that papal elections have secret ballots.

Gregory XV, who had been elected head of the Roman Catholic Church the previous year, had sought to reform the means of electing popes to curb potentially corrupt external influences.

“Most of the papal elections during the [16th] century were influenced by political conditions and by party considerations in the College of Cardinals,” noted The Catholic Encyclopedia.

“By introducing secrecy of vote Pope Gregory XV intended to abolish these abuses. The rules and ceremonies prescribed by Gregory XV are substantially the same as those that guide the papal elections of our day.”