US EditionA guide to the conclave - electing a pope
- The College of Cardinals will convene a conclave starting Wednesday, 7 May 2025, in the Sistine Chapel to elect the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church.
- Following the death of Pope Francis, the gathering of 133 cardinals under the age of 80 will elect his successor in a conclave governed by the regulations set forth in the 1996 apostolic constitution, which requires a two-thirds majority for a valid election.
- Voting occurs up to four times daily with meticulous procedures including sealed ballots folded in half, scrutineers counting votes, revisers verifying counts, and ballots burned in a cast-iron stove that signals results with black or white smoke.
- Before casting their folded ballots, each cardinal solemnly declares in Italian, invoking Christ the Lord as witness and judge, that their vote is directed to the person they consider should be chosen according to God's will.
- The conclave lasts from two to five days and concludes when the new Pope accepts election, appears on St. Peter’s Basilica balcony, and imparts the Urbi et Orbi blessing to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Start of the Conclave, guide with curiosity, data and statistics
Who are the Popes? After how many scrutins has been elected, in the past, the greatest number of pontiffs? In these days much has been said about who could be the successor of Bergoglio between hypotheses and predictions. Here is a definitive guide to the Conclave that begins on May 7: from curiosity to data that have accompanied the election of the Pope over the centuries. Moreover, you can test your knowledge of the most important event of the…
‘Extra omnes’: How a Pope is elected during the Conclave
From the voting of cardinal electors to the burning of ballots in a cast-iron stove dating back to 1939, here’s a look at what happens inside the Sistine Chapel during a papal election. By Tiziana Campisi “Eligo in Summum Pontificem” (“I elect as Supreme Pontiff”.) These are the words printed on each ballot that the 133 cardinal electors will use to choose the 267th Roman Pontiff. The ballot is rectangular, with the top half bearing the Latin p…
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