Black smoke wafted from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel Wednesday afternoon, signalling that the cardinals sequestered within have not yet chosen聽Pope Francis’s successor.
Thus concludes the first day of the conclave, a secretive, centuries-old selection process that can take years to resolve聽鈥 although modern conclaves have taken no more than a week to elect the next pontiff.
The ceremony comes more than a week after a quarter of a million people attended聽Francis’s funeral on April 26; he died April 21 at age 88.
VATICAN CITY (AP) 鈥 鈥淐onclave鈥 the film may have introduced moviegoers to the spectacular ritual and drama of a modern conclave, but the perio…
VATICAN CITY (AP) 鈥 鈥淐onclave鈥 the film may have introduced moviegoers to the spectacular ritual and drama of a modern conclave, but the perio…
Here’s everything you need to know about the ceremony, as well as what you can expect going forward.
The Vatican has announced that the conclave will take place on May 7 to elect the next pope. Reporter Nicole Thompson explains the process and whether Canada has any contenders. (April 28, 2025 / The Canadian Press)
What is a conclave?
The conclave is a centuries-old tradition that saw more than 100 cardinals from around the globe congregate in Vatican City to select the next bishop of Rome and leader of the world’s more-than 1.4 billion Catholics.
It must take place 15 days to a maximum 20 days after the pope vacates his position, .
The first day began with聽a special mass at St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica by the dean of the College of Cardinals. In the afternoon, the cardinal electors processed into the Sistine Chapel, where the voting will take place.
There are good reasons why the flying of the Pride flag outside schools matters.
There are good reasons why the flying of the Pride flag outside schools matters.
Inside, each cardinals swore an oath of secrecy and a senior cardinal delivered a meditation.聽Archbishop Diego Ravelli then called out聽“Extra Omnes”聽鈥 Latin for “all out” 鈥 dismissing anyone ineligible to vote from the building.
From then on, the cardinals will have no contact with the outside world until the next pope is chosen聽鈥 meaning no cellphones, newspapers, TVs, messages, letters or signals.
In between votes, cardinals will be staying at the聽Domus Santa Marta hotel in Vatican City and possibly another nearby Vatican residence as there are more cardinal electors than hotel rooms.
The word “conclave” is derived from the Latin “com-,” meaning “together,” and “clavis,” meaning “key”聽鈥 together, 聽in reference to how cardinals are sequestered until a winner is determined.
How will the next pope be chosen?
Only cardinals under 80 are allowed to vote. That means 135 of the total 252 cardinals will be eligible, although 聽for health reasons.
The cardinal electors must reach a two-thirds majority to elect a new pope. On the first day of the ballot, cardinals will take a single vote.
Because no winner has been chosen, the electors will return to the Sistine Chapel the Thursday morning. In the following days, there can be up to two votes each morning and two each afternoon until a pope is chosen.
Jesus was consistently compassionate to those who sought healing. Could the next pope not extend this very compassion to those with infertility?
Jesus was consistently compassionate to those who sought healing. Could the next pope not extend this very compassion to those with infertility?
Voting will be done using paper ballots. The slips are burned afterward; the smoke that emerges from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel signals that a round of voting has ended. Black smoke means the cardinals have not yet reached a decision. White smoke means a new pope has been chosen.
In the lead-up to the conclave, all cardinals聽鈥 even those over 80聽鈥 can participate in what’s known as general congregations, where issues affecting the church are discussed.
“These are extremely important pre-conclave meetings where the cardinals have a chance to get to know one another,” according to聽Neil MacCarthy, director of public relations and communications with the Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto.
How long will the conclave last?
The longest conclave in history took nearly three years聽鈥 or聽1,006 days 鈥 as two geopolitical factions clashed over the successor to Pope Clement IV in the 13th century.
But this decision will most likely come much sooner. Since the election of Pope Pius IX in 1846, the cardinal electors have not taken more than five days to come to a decision.聽Pope Francis was elected in 2013 within two days, on the fifth ballot.
If a pope is not chosen within three days, voting is paused for a day to allow prayer, discussion and a “brief spiritual exhortation” by a senior cardinal.
Who is eligible to become the next pope?
Whoever succeeds Pope Francis will inherit his momentous and controversial legacy of relatio…
Technically, any baptized Catholic聽male is eligible to be pope. But since 1378, only cardinals have been selected聽鈥 including cardinals over 80, despite being ineligible to cast a ballot.
Women are not allowed to be Catholic priests, which also precludes them from being pope. According to Catholic doctrine, only men can achieve priesthood because Christ only chose men as his 12 apostles.
What’s with all the secrecy?
What happens in the Sistine Chapel stays in the Sistine Chapel聽鈥 to the point where the building is swept for listening devices before and during the conclave. Cardinals and assistants must swear an oath of secrecy; anyone who leaks information will face excommunication.
Papal elections didn’t used to be so secretive. The change came during the aforementioned longest conclave in history, during which concerns over political interference soared.
The incoming Pope Gregory X decreed that, from then on, cardinal electors should be locked in seclusion 鈥 guided by God’s will, without any political interference or distractions 鈥斅爑ntil the deed is done.
Over the centuries, various popes have modified and reinforced Gregory X’s rules, further emphasizing the secrecy.
What happens after the conclave selects a new pope?
White smoke and ringing bells will signal to the crowd waiting in St. Peter’s Square that a pope has been chosen.
Within the Sistine Chapel, the most senior cardinal will ask the one elected: “Do you accept your canonical election as supreme pontiff?”
With their consent, the new pope will be asked to select their papal name. The 10 most common names are, in order of popularity: John, Gregory, Benedict, Clement, Innocent, Leo, Pius, Stephen, Boniface and Urban, according to the聽Archdiocese of Toronto.
The new pontiff will then be led to the “Room of Tears” in the Sistine Chapel, named after the overwhelming emotion incoming popes often experience. There they will don white robes and receive a new cross and head cap, after which the cardinals will greet and pledge themselves to him.
Traditionally, the most senior cardinal deacon of the College will reveal the new pope to the crowd in St. Peter’s Square, after which the pontiff will deliver a blessing to those gathered.
With files from The Associated Press
