On 7 May, 2025, the Sistine Chapel will be the site of an unprecedented conclave in the history of the Catholic Church.
Following the death of Pope Francis on 21 April, 133 Cardinals under the age of 80 will solemnly gather to elect the 267th pontiff of the Church.
The number of Cardinal electors not only exceeds the traditional limit of 120 but it is also notable for its geographical diversity.
The electors represent 71 countries. This reflects the global expansion of the College of Cardinals during the pontificate of Pope Francis who appointed 80% of the electors.
Two Cardinals, eligible to vote, will not attend due to health reasons, and Cardinal Angelo Becciu will not take part after a posthumous request from the late pontiff saying he should be excluded. In 2023, Becciu became the first Cardinal in history convicted by the Vatican’s own criminal court, receiving a five-and-a-half-year sentence for embezzlement and abuse of office. He is appealing the verdict.
This will be the first conclave to take place after the death of a pontiff. The last conclave, which elected Pope Francis, followed the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.
The 15th century Sistine Chapel has been closed for a week in preparation for the conclave. The Chapel and adjacent areas have been checked to ensure no audiovisual equipment for recording or transmitting has been installed by anyone. Cardinals must refrain from written correspondence and from all conversations, including those by telephone or radio, with anyone outside the conclave. This is to prevent any, political or otherwise, undue influence and to emphasise to the faithful this is a decision of the Holy Spirit.
Through a series of secret ballots, the Cardinal electors will decide the new supreme pontiff, spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, Bishop of Rome, and successor of the Apostle Peter.
Since the death and funeral of Pope Francis, Cardinals, both electors (under the age of 80), and non-electors (over the age of 80) have been gathering in General Congregations to prepare for the conclave, meet with each other and discuss the current priorities and needs of the Church.
Apart from Sunday, 4 May, they will meet until 7 May. On the morning of 7 May the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, will preside at the Votive Mass for the Election of the Pope (Pro Eligendo Papa), to be celebrated in St Peter’s Basilica at 10.00am (Rome time).
The conclave will officially begin at 4.30pm (Rome time) that afternoon with a prayer service in the Pauline Chapel, and attended by the Cardinal electors who will pray the Litany of the Saints before entering in procession into the Sistine Chapel.
They will sing the Veni Creator before making the solemn oath to faithfully fulfill the minus Petrinum as Pastor of the Universal Church, if they are elected pope, and to maintain absolute secrecy regarding the conclave.
At this point the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, Msgr Diego Ravelli, delivers a meditation to focus on the responsibility that rests upon the electors and the necessity of acting with pure intentions, keeping only God before their eyes. After that, everyone leaves the Chapel, except the Cardinals. The Chapel is sealed off until the election is concluded.
If the Cardinals wish they can immediately begin the election process and hold one ballot on the first afternoon. Following the first day, two ballots are held in the morning and afternoon until two-thirds of the votes decide the result.
There is no electronic voting in a papal election.
The rectangular ballot paper has the words Eligo in Summum Pontificem (I Elect As Supreme Pontiff) on the upper half and space to write the name of the candidate on the lower half. Cardinals write the name of the person they choose and then fold the ballot twice. One by one they deliver their ballot to the altar and say ; “I call as my witness, Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who, before God, I think should be elected.”
Three scrutineers open the ballots and read them aloud.
As the scrutineer reads out each name, he pierces each ballot with a needle, binds the ballots with thread and ties a knot.
The results are added up and written down.
If no two-thirds majority has been reached, the ballots are then put aside and burned in the chapel stove along with a chemical that sends black smoke up through the Chapel's chimney, which is visible from the outside. The black smoke indicating no new pope has been chosen.
Once the Cardinals have elected a new pope, the last of the Cardinal Deacons calls the Secretary of the College of Cardinals and the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations into the Sistine Chapel.
The Dean of the College, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, speaking on behalf of all the electors, asks for the elected candidate’s consent with the following words: “Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?”
Upon receiving consent, he then asks: “What name do you wish to be called?”
The functions of a notary, with two Ceremonial Officers as witnesses, are carried out by the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, who drafts the document of acceptance and records the chosen name.
From this moment, the newly-elected pope acquires full and supreme authority over the universal Church. The conclave ends immediately at this point.
This time white smoke pours out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, the St Peter’s Basilica bells toll and thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square cheer and clap, and await the appearance of the new pope on the Basilica’s balcony.
Following the Conclave:
In theory, a Cardinal can refuse the papacy.
Rarely does anyone say no, as intentions would be clear during the pre-conclave meetings. However there is a history of some refusals. In Viterbo in 1271, St Philip Benizi fled and hid until another candidate was chosen. Likewise, St Charles Borromeo, turned down the papacy. When Cardinal Giovanni Colombo, the 76-year old archbishop of Milan, began receiving votes during the conclave in October 1978, he made it clear he would refuse the papacy if elected.
Since 1846, Cardinals have taken two to five days to make decisions of the past 12 popes.
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope after two days on 13 March 2013.
However it hasn’t always been that quick.
The longest conclave was between 1268-1271. After Pope Clement IV died in November 1268, Cardinals met in Viterbo, Italy to vote on a successor.
Cardinals were divided by two powerful families – one family who supported the pope as the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, and the other family who supported the holy Roman emperor, the secular leader of the Roman Empire, a group of regions in Central Europe.
As disagreements dragged on, frustrated citizens of Viterbo locked the Cardinals in the Episcopal Palace, reduced their meals, and even removed the roof to expose them to the elements, hoping to expedite the process.
The Cardinals supporting the family who supported the pope prevailed, and finally elected Pope Gregory X. Although Pope Gregory’s reforms helped reduce the length of future conclaves, two others that ended in 1316 and 1417 lasted two years or more.
There is no suggestion the conclave of 7 May 2025 will be so drawn out!
After the next pope is elected by the Cardinal electors, accepts his role and gives his papal name, he will have a moment to himself in a small antechamber within the Sistine Chapel in what is called the Room of Tears.
It is a moment when the new pope can pray and prepare for what is to come as his whole life will change from this point.
Before appearing in public, the new pontiff will choose is papal vestments, receive a new pectoral cross and white zucchetto. The Cardinals greet the new pope and pledge their obedience to him.
Traditionally, the most senior Cardinal deacon in the College of Cardinals, in this case Dominique Mamberti, tells the crowd in St Peter’s Square, and the millions watching around the world; “ Annuntio vobis Gaudium magnum; Habemus Papam” – I announce to you with great joy: We have a pope”.
The new pope appears on the balcony and will likely deliver a blessing to the crowd, announcing his chosen name.
He will give the traditional papal address in Latin – Urbi et Orbi. This is the most solemn address in the Catholic Church, and is only used at Christmas, Easter, and on the election of a new pope.
In the past, the newly-elected pope has greeted different nations in their own languages. Pope Francis broke with tradition and instead of offering blessings, he asked the faithful to pray for him.
The new pope’s inauguration is likely to be a week after his election.