THE CONCLAVE: Vatican Heads Into Pope’s Election As Cardinals Begin Voting
All eyes will be on the Vatican on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, as 133 cardinals from around the world begin the most important election in the Catholic Church: the choosing of the next Pope.
The election for the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics will begin on Wednesday morning with a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old Dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside over the broadcast liturgy, as he did at Pope Francis’ funeral.
This is the order for casting votes during the Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. The order is determined by precedence. Cardinal-bishops Parolin, Filoni, Tagle and Prevost go first. Image: Vatican Media. pic.twitter.com/rUyxDWX3MT
— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) May 6, 2025
The cardinals will cast their first vote to pick the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church on Wednesday evening, beneath Michelangelo’s renowned domed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.
According to Italian state media, mobile transmissions within Vatican territory would be turned off early in the afternoon to prevent any conclave participants from contacting the outside world.
The Vatican will also place signal jammers around the Sistine Chapel to prevent electronic surveillance or communication, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
As we prepare for the start of the conclave on May 7, here are several places to be familiar with.
— EWTN News (@EWTNews) April 30, 2025
1. Casa Santa Marta
Saint John Paul II designated the Domus Sanctae Marthae as the residence of the cardinal electors during conclaves.
2. Sistine Chapel
It is the seat of the… pic.twitter.com/PJqZaBBCZQ
Phone signals will be turned off at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, an hour and a half before the cardinals are expected to enter the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave, according to Italian state broadcaster RAI.
The 133 cardinal electors will meet in the Pauline Chapel at about 4:15 p.m. and begin a solemn procession to the Sistine Chapel.
During the procession, they will sing a litany and the hymn Veni Creator, an invocation to the Holy Spirit, who is historically regarded as the heavenly guide in the choice of a new pope.
Once inside the Sistine Chapel, each cardinal will take an oath of secrecy, pledging never to expose any information regarding the conclave.
What is a conclave, and how will the next pope be chosen?
— Forbes India (@ForbesIndia) May 7, 2025
Roman Catholic cardinals will begin their conclave to elect the Church's 267th pontiff and a successor to Pope Francis on May 7, the Vatican said. pic.twitter.com/x7UHuJh3Kv
According to Vatican Media, following the final oath, there will be a period of meditation.
The Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, Diego Ravelli, will then declare “Extra omnes”—Latin for “everyone out.”
This phrase marks the beginning of the cardinals’ isolation and the official start of the conclave.
Ravelli is one of just three clerical staff members allowed to remain in the chapel during the early phases, but all non-electors must leave for the actual vote counting.
The cardinals will not be locked in, but Vatican officials blocked the entrances to the Apostolic Palace, which holds the Sistine Chapel, with lead seals on Tuesday, where they will remain until the conclave is concluded.
Swiss Guards will be stationed at all entries.
While it is technically conceivable to elect a pope in the first round, this hasn’t happened in centuries.
If the initial vote does not yield the needed two-thirds majority, the Cardinals will return to the Casa Santa Marta guesthouse for dinner.
Critical debates and consensus-building around potential candidates frequently take place during these informal meetings.
Beginning Thursday, May 8, 2025, cardinals will eat breakfast between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m., followed by Mass at 8:15 a.m.
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Two votes will be held in the morning, followed by lunch and recuperation. Notably, the last two conclaves were completed at the conclusion of the second day.
At this point, it is impossible to determine whether the conclave will last long or short.
Some shots from two important rooms tied to the election of a new Pope: the Sistine Chapel, now prepared for the conclave, and the "Room of Tears", a small room next to the Sistine Chapel where the Pope dons the white papal vestments for the first time. pic.twitter.com/i1dtRq6i5l
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) May 6, 2025
However, cardinals understand that a lengthy process can be perceived as a sign of deep division.
As the cardinals pray, deliberate, and vote, thousands of faithful will gather outside the Sistine Chapel, watching the small chimney to the right of St. Peter’s Basilica—waiting for the white plume of smoke that signals the election of the new pope.
THE CONCLAVE: Vatican Heads Into Pope’s Election As Cardinals Begin Voting
