October 1978 Conclave
elected John Paul II14–16 October 1978 · The modern conclaves · Sistine Chapel, Apostolic Palace, Vatican City
A conclave was held from 14 to 16 October 1978 to elect a new pope to succeed John Paul I, who had died on 28 September 1978, just 33 days after his election. All 111 eligible cardinal electors attended.
Elected pope
John Paul II
Karol Wojtyła
Succeeded
John Paul I
Duration
3 days
8 ballots
Cardinal electors
111
locked in under conclave rules
Key officials
| Dean | Carlo Confalonieri |
| Camerlengo | Jean-Marie Villot |
Ballot-by-ballot tallies are destroyed by design — the paper is burned in the stove whose smoke announces the result — so this entry records what the Church documents: the dates, the electors, the number of ballots where known, and the man who walked out onto the balcony.