Cardinals said to be 'raw-dogging' at the conclave and people are very confused

Cardinals responsible for electing the future head of the Catholic Church have been accused of 'raw-dogging' the current conclave.

I bet that's a sentence you never thought you'd read.

While a new pope has now been chosen, the startling and somewhat X-rated accusation was made by a trio of CBS Mornings reporters yesterday (7 May) - the first day of the religious voting process.

During a live broadcast, lead co-anchor Tony Dokoupil was joined by papal contributor John Allen, who took the opportunity to explain the ins and outs of the highly-complex, centuries-old system.

"We imagine in the conclave that there's all these charged political debate going on," Allen began.

"No, inside the Sistine Chapel itself, virtually the entire time that the cardinals are inside is given over to the ritual of the balloting. Each ballot takes about an hour and a half and with this extraordinary number of electors, it will probably take a little longer."

When they're not undergoing their four-times-daily votes, the College of Cardinals reside in the Casa de Santa Marta - a shared five-storey accommodation situated close to St Peter's Basilica.

Inside their individually-prescribed quarters, each of the 133 church leaders are expected to pray, and are barred from making any contact with the outside world until the voting process is over, so as not to be influenced by news and current affairs.

"Most of them will tell you that while that's going on, they’re sitting reading their breviary, that’s a book of prayers that clergy have, or praying a rosary," Allen continued during the CBS broadcast.

The College of Cardinals aren't permitted to use their phones during the conclave (Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"The one thing we know they’re not doing is checking Instagram because their devices have all been confiscated."

It was then that Dokoupil blindsided viewers by noting: "I believe the kids call it 'raw-dogging'."

The same host continued to elaborate: "If you're gonna go through a long period of time with no electronic device."

A female panellist on the show then chimed in, adding: "Oh, right - well, they're at a certain age..."

For those unfamiliar with the controversial terminology, 'raw-dogging' is a phrase popularised last year, and describes doing a certain activity with no distractions.

So, if you 'raw-dog' a long-haul flight, for example, you simply sit there without listening to music, reading a book, or watching a movie, etc.

Not every viewer was thrilled with the 'raw-dogging' accusations (ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images)

According to the New York Times, however, the phrase has sexual origins, and was initially used to refer to engaging in sexual intercourse without using a condom.

Naturally, therefore, some spectators to the ongoing papal election were horrified to hear the term applied to the College of Cardinals voting for the future Pontiff.

One hit out online: "Not the time or the place to use that term....."

And another added: "This phrase and the conclave do not go together."