Following Pope Francis’ dying on April 21, 133 cardinals from round the world will convene inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on Wednesday (May 7, 2025), to elect the subsequent pope in the Papal Conclave 2025. As it chooses the 267th pope, this momentous event represents a serious change for the Catholic Church.
With the world’s consideration centered on Rome, there is widespread conjecture about the prime candidates, how this covert process will proceed and who may turn into the future religious chief of greater than 1.3 billion Catholics all through the world.
What is the voting process?
Voting begins with a morning Mass, adopted by a day entry into the Sistine Chapel. The chapel is then sealed to be certain that solely the electors and important employees stay, reduce off from the outdoors world.
Cardinals solid a single vote on the first day. Two ballots are held in the morning and two in the afternoon beginning on the second day.
On a bit of paper, every vote is scribbled with the phrases Elijo como Supremo Pontífice, which interprets to “I elect as Supreme Pontiff,” and the identify of the candidate. After being folded, ballots are then taken to the altar and positioned in a selected urn.
Each vote is counted and browse out by three scrutineers, who’re randomly chosen cardinals. Ballots are burned in a range after being stitched along with a needle. The end result is proven by the color of the smoke indicators coming from the chapel chimney: white smoke signifies a profitable election, whereas black smoke signifies no resolution.
To win, a candidate should get a two-thirds majority – no less than 89 votes out of 133.
Watch: How is a new Pope chosen? | Explained
What if no Pope is chosen?
If no pope is chosen inside three days, the cardinals take a day of prayer and thought. Seven further ballots are then solid. After three iterations of this cycle, the two main candidates, who’re unable to solid their very own ballots, enter a runoff election.
Conclaves have hardly ever lasted lengthy in trendy historical past. In truth, the 12 pope elections which have taken place since 1846 have concluded in three to 5 days.
Both the 2005 and 2013 Conclaves had been brief, lasting solely two days every.
What occurs after the new Pope is chosen?
After a new pope is chosen, he accepts the place and decides on a papal identify that represents his imaginative and prescient or inspiration. The earlier pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, selected Francis as his papal identify in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.
In the “Room of Tears,” the new pope dons his white papal clothes.
Following this, the senior cardinal declares, “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; HabemusPapam!” (“I announce to you a great joy; we have a pope!”) from St Peter’s Basilica’s balcony, and the new pope seems to give his first public blessing.
Published – May 07, 2025 01:36 pm IST
