conclave

salainen neuvottelu The set of apartments within which the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church are continuously secluded while engaged in choosing a pope.
The group of Roman Catholic cardinals locked in a conclave until they elect a new pope; the body of cardinals.
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It was said a cardinal, by reason of his apparent likelihood to step into St. Peter's chair, that in two conclaves he went in pope and came out again cardinal.

The verdicts pronounced by this conclave (Johnson's Club) on new books, were speedily known over all London.