| CONCLAVE | Body of cardinals gathered to elect a new pope (8) |
| SISTINE | --- Chapel, venue for conclaves to elect a new pope |
| RACLETTE | Elect a rat by mistake with a cheese dish (8) |
| OPPOSITE | New Pope is to converse (8) |
| AUDIENCE | People who have gathered to watch (8) |
| CONSTITUENCY | Body of citizens entitled to elect a representative |
| PLECTRUM | Pressure to elect headless type from The Bar, as useful for pulling a few strings perhaps (8) |
| PICKWICK | Scottish town going on to elect club president |
| MONTANA | First state to elect a congresswoman |
| VOTE | Have your say to elect a government - or school captains (4) |
| SMOKE | A world class welcome: Whenever a new pope is chosen, bells are heard as puffs of white ___ rise from the chimney of the Sistene Chapel |
| ENDOFTHEWORLD | After Armageddon! Is this where you'd expect to find a new Pope? (3,2,3,5) |
| HOLYSMOKE | Wow! Does it say there's a new pope? (4,5) |
| HABEMUSPAPAM | Latin phrase used when a new pontiff has been chosen (7,5) |
| MAY | Name for hawthorn; its blossom, traditionally gathered to celebrate the first day of a month named after a fertility goddess of springtime; or, one's bloom, early life, flush or prime (3) |
| SACREDCOLLEGE | The body of cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church (6,7) |
| REELECT | Elect a person for a further term in office (2-5) |
| OPPONENT | New pope not welcoming new adversary (8) |
| PEOPLED | New Pope showed the way to be full of humanity (7) |
| CONCLAVES | Meetings of cardinals to elect popes (9) |
