What Is a Conclave? The Word Means Locked In
Posted on August 28, 2026 by Jordan Walker
The word comes from the Latin cum clave, meaning with a key. It is not a metaphor. In the thirteenth century, the citizens of Viterbo physically locked the cardinals into a palace, cut their food down to bread and water, and eventually removed the roof, because the election had already dragged on for years. It […]