The Vatican has announced that cardinals from around the world will gather in conclave next month to elect the next leader of the Catholic Church, following the death of Pope Francis. The secretive process is set to begin inside the Sistine Chapel on 7 May.
Approximately 135 cardinals are eligible to participate in the closed-door meeting, which will commence after a solemn mass celebrated at St Peter’s Basilica. Once inside the Sistine Chapel, the cardinals must sever all communication with the outside world until a new pontiff is elected.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed the arrangements, noting that while there is no official timetable, recent conclaves — those of 2005 and 2013 — lasted just two days.
The process is steeped in tradition. On the first afternoon, cardinals will hold a single round of voting. From the following day, up to four votes will take place each day until a two-thirds majority is achieved. After three days without a successful election, the cardinals may take a pause for prayer and reflection.
Each cardinal writes the name of his chosen candidate on a simple card inscribed with the Latin words, "I elect as Supreme Pontiff." Outside, the world will watch for the traditional signals: black smoke for no decision, white smoke for the election of a new pope.
The forthcoming conclave follows an emotional farewell to Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. His funeral, attended by royalty, political leaders, and tens of thousands of mourners, took place on Saturday in St Peter’s Square.
During the funeral mass, hymns echoed across the Vatican as 91-year-old Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re paid tribute to Francis’s legacy of compassion, humility, and outreach to the marginalised. Following the service, an estimated 140,000 people lined the streets of Rome to witness the procession as the pope’s coffin journeyed to his final resting place at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica.
Images released on Sunday showed a simple tomb — a stone bearing only the name "Franciscus" beneath a crucifix — illuminated softly and adorned with a single white rose.
As the Catholic world prepares for a pivotal moment of transition, attention now turns to who will be chosen to guide the Church into the future. The coming weeks are expected to be filled with prayer, deliberation, and intense speculation.
