thumb|250px|The announcement of the election of [[Pope Martin V at the Council of Constance]]
Habemus papam () is a Latin phrase used in—as well as the name of—the announcement of the election of a new pope of the Catholic Church, traditionally given by the protodeacon of the College of Cardinals (the senior cardinal deacon in the College) or by the senior cardinal deacon participating in the conclave.
The announcement is made from the central balcony (loggia) of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, overlooking St. Peter's Square. After the announcement, the new pope is presented to the people where he gives his first Urbi et Orbi blessing.
Format
The format for the announcement when a cardinal is elected pope has had major changes over time, but recently, it is as follows:
{|
|valign=top|
;Original Latin
<blockquote lang="la"><poem>
<i>Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum;
<u>habemus papam:</u>
Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum,
Dominum</i> [praenomen],
<i>Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem</i> [nomen],
<i>qui sibi nomen imposuit</i> [nomen pontificale].
</poem></blockquote>
| valign="top" |
;English translation
<blockquote><poem>
I announce to you with great joy;
<u>we have a pope:</u>
The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord,
Lord [first name],
Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church [surname],
who has taken upon himself the name [papal name].
</poem></blockquote>
|}
In the Habemus papam announcement given by Cardinal Jorge Medina on 19 April 2005, upon the election of Pope Benedict XVI, the announcement was preceded by an identical greeting in several languages, respectively, Italian, Spanish, French, German, and English:
<blockquote><poem>
Dear brothers and sisters,
</poem></blockquote>
History
The text of the announcement is partly inspired by the Gospel of Luke (2:10–11), which records the words of the angel announcing to the shepherds the birth of the Messiah:
<blockquote>"Fear not; for, behold, I bring thee good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people: For unto thee is born, this day, in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."</blockquote>
In the Vulgate (the Latin translation of the Bible by St. Jerome), the words used are "Evangelizo vobis gaudium magnum", while the word "annuntio" was used in previous translations.
The adoption of this formula is dated from the election of Odo Colonna as Pope Martin V (1417), who was chosen as the new pope by the cardinals and representatives from different countries at the Council of Constance. In this context, prior to Martin V, there were three claimants to the papal throne: Antipope John XXIII (who had called for the council, and appointed most of the cardinal electors), Antipope Benedict XIII (the only one to have been named cardinal before the outbreak of the Western Schism) and Pope Gregory XII. The first two were deposed by the Council itself, and Gregory XII abdicated after formally convoking the already convened council and authorizing its acts including the act of electing his successor. Two years after the first two contenders were deposed and the resignation of the third, the council elected the new pope. The announcement, therefore, could be interpreted as: "(Finally) we have a pope (and only one!)".
Announcement
Grammatical case of papal name
In announcing the name of the newly elected pontiff, the new pontiff's birth first name is announced in Latin, usually in the accusative case (e.g. Carolum, Iosephum, Robertum Franciscum), but the new pontiff's surname is announced in the undeclined form (e.g. Wojtyła,
In the announcement of Pius XII's election, his regnal name was declined in the accusative,
Regnal number
If a papal name is used for the first time, the announcement may or may not use the numeral Primi ("the First"). In John Paul I's election, the numeral Primi was used (Cardinal Protodeacon Pericle Felici announced the papal name as Ioannis Pauli Primi)
|-
| scope="row" | Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli || Angelum Iosephum || Roncalli || John XXIII || Ioannis XXIII<br>(Ioannis Vigesimi Tertii) || genitive || given ||
|-
| scope="row" | Giovanni Battista Montini || Ioannem Baptistam || Montini || Paul VI || Paulum VI<br>(Paulum Sextum) || accusative || given ||
|-
| scope="row" | Albino Luciani || Albinum || Luciani || John Paul I || Ioannis Pauli I<br>(Ioannis Pauli Primi) || genitive || given ||
|-
| scope="row" | Karol Wojtyła || Carolum || Wojtyła || John Paul II || Ioannis Pauli || genitive || not given ||
|-
|}
Evolution of the formula
From the beginning, the Habemus papam did not follow a strict formula, but varied in considerable form for many years. The table shows selected announcements given since the 1484 papal conclave.
{| class="wikitable"
! width=120| Date
! width=150| Announced by (Protodeacon or senior cardinal deacon)
! width=130|Pope elected
! Announcement
! English translation
|- valign="top"
|29 August 1484
|Francesco Piccolomini
|Giovanni Cybo – elected Innocent VIII
|Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; papam habemus: Reverendissimus Dominus Cardinalis Melfictensis electus est in summum pontificem et elegit sibi nomen Innocentium Octavum.
|I announce to you a great joy: we have a pope: The Most Reverend Lord Cardinal, Bishop of Molfetta, has been elected as supreme pontiff, and has chosen for himself the name Innocent the Eighth.
|- valign="top"
|1 November 1503
|Raffaele Riario
|Giuliano della Rovere – elected Julius II
|Papam habemus: Reverendissimum Dominum Cardinalem Sancti Petri ad Vincula, qui vocatur Julius Secundus.
|We have a pope: The Most Reverend Lord Cardinal [Priest] of San Pietro in Vincoli, who is called Julius the Second.
|- valign="top"
|11 March 1513
|Alessandro Farnese
|Giovanni de' Medici – elected Leo X<br/>Cardinal protodeacon at time of election
|Gaudium magnum nuntio vobis; papam habemus: Reverendissimum Dominum Iohannem de Medicis, Diaconum Cardinalem Sanctae Mariae in Domenica, qui vocatur Leo Decimus.
|A great joy I announce to you; we have a pope: The Most Reverend Lord Giovanni de' Medici, Cardinal Deacon of Santa Maria in Domnica, who is called Leo the Tenth.
|- valign="top"
|13 October 1534
|Innocenzo Cybo
|Alessandro Farnese – elected Paul III
|Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; papam habemus: Reverendissimum Dominum Alexandrum Episcopum Hostiensem, Cardinalem de Farnesio nuncupatum, qui imposuit sibi nomen Paulus Tertius.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most Reverend Lord Alexander, Designated Bishop of Ostia and Cardinal Farnese, who has taken upon himself the name Paul the Third.
|- valign="top"
|15 September 1644
|Francesco Barberini
|Giovanni Pamphili – elected Innocent X
|Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus papam: Eminentissimum et Reverendissimum Dominum Iohannem Baptistum Pamphilium, qui sibi nomen imposuit Innocentium Decimum.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Giovanni Battista Pamphili, who has taken upon himself the name Innocent the Tenth.
|- valign="top"
|7 April 1655
|Giangiacomo Teodoro Trivulzio
|Fabio Chigi – elected Alexander VII
|Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; papam habemus: Eminentissimum et Reverendissimum Dominum Fabium, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Presbyterum Cardinalem Chisium, qui elegit sibi nomen Alexandrum Septimum.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Fabio, Cardinal Priest of the Holy Roman Church Chigi, who has chosen for himself the name Alexander the Seventh.
|- valign="top"
|29 April 1670
|rowspan="2"|Francesco Maidalchini
|Emilio Altieri – elected Clement X
|Annuncio vobis gaudium magnum; papam habemus: Eminentissimus ac Reverendissimus Dominus Aemilius, Sanctae Romanae Eclessiae Presbyter Cardinalis Alterius, electus est in summum Pontificem, qui sibi nomen imposuit: Clemens Decimus.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Emilio, Cardinal Priest of the Holy Roman Church Altieri, has been elected to the highest pontificate, who has taken upon himself the name: Clement the Tenth.
|- valign="top"
|21 September 1676
|Benedetto Odeschalchi – elected Innocent XI
|Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; papam habemus: Reverendissimum Benedictum, Titulo Sancti Honufrii Cardinalem Odeschalcum, qui sibi nomen imposuit Innocentium Undecimum.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most Reverend Lord Benedetto, Cardinal [Priest] of the title of Sant'Onofrio, Odescalchi, who has taken upon himself the name Innocent the Eleventh.
|- valign="top"
|8 May 1721
|rowspan="2"|Benedetto Pamphili
|Michelangelo dei Conti – elected Innocent XIII
|Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; papam habemus: Eminentissimum et Reverendissimum Dominum Michaelem Angelum, Tituli Sanctorum Quirici et Iulitta Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Presbyterum Cardinalem de Comitibus, qui sibi nomen imposuit Innocentius Decimus Tertius.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Michelangelo, Cardinal Priest of the Holy Roman Church of the title of Santi Quirico e Giulitta, Conti, who has taken upon himself the name Innocent the Thirteenth.
|- valign="top"
|29 May 1724
|Pierfrancesco Orsini – elected Benedict XIII
|Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; papam habemus: Eminentissimum et Reverendissimum Dominum Fratrem Vincentium Mariam Cardinalem Ursinum, Episcopum Portuensem, qui sibi nomen imposuit Benedictus Decimus Tertius.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Brother Vincenzo Maria Cardinal Orsini, Bishop of Porto, who has taken upon himself the name Benedict the Thirteenth.
|- valign="top"
|12 July 1730
|Lorenzo Altieri
|Lorenzo Corsini – elected Clement XII
|Annuncio vobis gaudium magnum; papam habemus: Eminentissimum et Reverendissimum Dominum Laurentium, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Corsinum Episcopum Tusculanum, qui sibi Nomen imposuit Clemens Duodecimus.
|I announce to you great joy; we have a pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Lorenzo Cardinal Corsini of the Holy Roman Church, Bishop of Tusculana, who has taken upon himself the name Clement the Twelfth.
|- valign="top"
|17 August 1740
|Carlo Maria Marini
|Prospero Lambertini – elected Benedict XIV
|Annuncio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus papam: Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum Prosperum, tituli Sanctae Crucis in Ierusalem, Presbyterum Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Lambertinum, Archiepiscopum Bononiensem, qui sibi nomen imposuit Benedictus Decimus Quartus.
|I announce to you great joy; we have a pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Prospero, Cardinal Priest of the Holy Roman Church of the title of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme Lambertini, Archbishop of Bologna, who has taken upon himself the name Benedict the Fourteenth.
|- valign="top"
|15 February 1775
|Alessandro Albani
|Giovanni Braschi – elected Pius VI
|Nuntio vobis gaudium magnum; papam habemus: Eminentissimum et Reverendissimum Dominum Ioannem Angelum, tituli Sancti Onuphrii Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Presbyterum Cardinalem Braschi, qui sibi nomen imposuit Pius Sextus.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most eminent and Most Reverend Lord Giovanni Angelo, Cardinal Priest of the Holy Roman Church of the title of Sant'Onofrio Braschi, who has taken upon himself the name Pius the Sixth.
|- valign="top"
|28 September 1823
|Fabrizio Ruffo
|Annibale della Genga – elected Leo XII
|Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; papam habemus: Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum Annibalem, tituli Sanctae Mariae Transtiberim, Presbyterum Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Della Genga, qui sibi imposuit nomen Leo Duodecimus.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Annibale, Cardinal Priest of the Holy Roman Church of the title of Santa Maria in Trastevere Della Genga, who has taken upon himself the name Leo the Twelfth.
|- valign="top"
|2 February 1831
|Giuseppe Albani
|Bartolomeo Cappellari – elected Gregory XVI
|Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; papam habemus: Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum Maurum, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Presbyterum Cardinalem Cappellari, qui sibi nomen imposuit Gregorius Decimus Sextus.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Mauro, Cardinal Priest of the Holy Roman Church Cappellari, who has taken upon himself the name Gregory the Sixteenth.
|- valign="top"
|17 June 1846
|Tommaso Riario Sforza
|Giovanni Mastai-Ferretti – elected Pius IX
|Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; papam habemus: Eminentissimum et Reverendissimum Dominum Ioannem Mariam Mastai Ferretti, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Presbyterum Cardinalem, qui sibi nomen imposuit Pius Nonus.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti, Cardinal Priest of the Holy Roman Church, who has taken upon himself the name Pius the Ninth.
|- valign="top"
|20 February 1878
|Prospero Caterini
|Gioacchino Pecci – elected Leo XIII
|Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus papam: Eminentissimum et Reverendissimum Dominum Ioachim Pecci, qui sibi nomen imposuit Leonis Decimi Tertii.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Gioacchino Pecci, who has taken upon himself the name Leo the Thirteenth.
|- valign="top"
|4 August 1903
|Aloysius Macchi
|Giuseppe Sarto – elected Pius X
|Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus papam: Eminentissimum et Reverendissimum Cardinalem Iosephum Sarto, qui sibi nomen imposuit Pius Decimus.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Cardinal Giuseppe Sarto, who has taken upon himself the name Pius the Tenth.
|- valign="top"
|3 September 1914
|Francesco Salesio Della Volpe
|Giacomo della Chiesa – elected Benedict XV
|Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus papam: Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum Cardinalem Iacobum della Chiesa, qui sibi nomen imposuit Benedictum Decimum Quintum.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Cardinal Giacomo della Chiesa, who has taken upon himself the name Benedict the Fifteenth.
|- valign="top"
|6 February 1922
|Gaetano Bisleti
|Achille Ratti – elected Pius XI
|Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus papam: Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum Cardinalem Achillem Ratti, qui sibi nomen imposuit Pius Undecimus.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord Cardinal Achille Ratti, who has taken upon himself the name Pius the Eleventh.
|- Valign="Top"
|2 March 1939
|Camillo Caccia Dominioni
|Eugenio Pacelli – elected Pius XII
|Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus papam: Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum Eugenium, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Pacelli, qui sibi nomen imposuit Pium.
|I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope: The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord, Lord Robert Francis, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church Prevost, who has taken upon himself the name Leo the Fourteenth.
|}
List of cardinals who have given the announcement
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Cardinal !! Pope !! Year
|-
! colspan=3 style="background:#FFFFE0;"| 15th century
|-
| rowspan=2|Francesco Piccolomini || Innocent VIII || 1484
|-
| Alexander VI || 1492
|-
!colspan=3 style="background:#FFFFE0;"| 16th century
|-
| rowspan=2|Raffaele Riario || Pius III || rowspan=2| 1503
|-
| Julius II
|-
| Alessandro Farnese || Leo X || 1513
|-
| rowspan=2|Marco Cornaro || Adrian VI || 1522
|-
| Clement VII || 1523
|-
| rowspan=2|Innocenzo Cybo || Paul III || 1534
|-
| Julius III || 1550
|-
| rowspan=2|Francesco Pisani || Marcellus II || rowspan=2| 1555
|-
| Paul IV
|-
| Alessandro Farnese || Pius IV || 1559
|-
| Giulio Feltre della Rovere || Pius V || 1566
|-
| Girolamo Simoncelli || Gregory XIII || 1572
|-
| Luigi d'Este || Sixtus V || 1585
|-
| Francesco Sforza || Urban VII || 1590
|-
| rowspan=3|Andreas von Österreich || Gregory XIV || 1590
|-
| Innocent IX || 1591
|-
| Clement VIII || 1592
|-
! colspan=3 style="background:#FFFFE0;"| 17th century
|-
| rowspan=2|Francesco Sforza || Leo XI || rowspan=2| 1605
|-
| Paul V
|-
| Andrea Baroni Peretti Montalto || Gregory XV || 1621
|-
| Alessandro d'Este || Urban VIII || 1623
|-
| Francesco Barberini || Innocent X || 1644
|-
| Giangiacomo Teodoro Trivulzio || Alexander VII || 1655
|-
| Rinaldo d'Este || Clement IX || 1667
|-
| rowspan=3|Francesco Maidalchini || Clement X || 1670
|-
| Innocent XI || 1676
|-
| Alexander VIII || 1689
|-
| Urbano Sacchetti || Innocent XII || 1691
|-
! colspan=3 style="background:#FFFFE0;"| 18th century
|-
| rowspan=3|Benedetto Pamphili || Clement XI || 1700
|-
| Innocent XIII || 1721
|-
| Benedict XIII || 1724
|-
| Lorenzo Altieri || Clement XII || 1730
|-
| Carlo Maria Marini || Benedict XIV|| 1740
|-
| rowspan=3|Alessandro Albani || Clement XIII || 1758
|-
| Clement XIV || 1769
|-
| Pius VI || 1775
|-
! colspan=3 style="background:#FFFFE0;"| 19th century
|-
| Antonio Doria Pamphili || Pius VII || 1800
|-
| Fabrizio Ruffo || Leo XII || 1823
|-
| rowspan=2|Giuseppe Albani || Pius VIII || 1829
|-
| Gregory XVI || 1831
|-
| Tommaso Riario Sforza || Pius IX || 1846
|-
| Prospero Caterini || Leo XIII || 1878
|-
! colspan=3 style="background:#FFFFE0;"| 20th century
|-
| Aloysius Macchi || Pius X || 1903
|-
| Francesco Salesio Della Volpe || Benedict XV || 1914
|-
| Gaetano Bisleti || Pius XI || 1922
|-
| Camillo Caccia Dominioni || Pius XII || 1939
|-
| Nicola Canali || John XXIII || 1958
|-
| Alfredo Ottaviani || Paul VI || 1963
|-
| rowspan=2|Pericle Felici || John Paul I || rowspan=2| 1978
|-
| John Paul II
|-
! colspan=3 style="background:#FFFFE0;"| 21st century
|-
| Jorge Medina || Benedict XVI || 2005
|-
| Jean-Louis Tauran || Francis || 2013
|-
| Dominique Mamberti || Leo XIV || 2025
|}