Related Articles
-Editorial
The College of Cardinals will convene in Vatican City on May 7, 2025, to begin the papal conclave that will elect the next pope following the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at the age of 88.
The conclave, held in the Sistine Chapel, will be preceded by the traditional Mass Pro Eligendo Pontifice (“For the Election of the Pontiff”) celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica. Later that afternoon, at 4:30 p.m., the 133 attending cardinal electors will participate in a prayer service in the Pauline Chapel before proceeding into the conclave, where they will take a solemn oath of secrecy and sing the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus.
According to procedures established by Pope John Paul II in Universi Dominici Gregis and amended by Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, the conclave must begin within 15 to 20 days after the papal seat becomes vacant. The decision to begin the conclave on May 7 was made during the cardinals’ general congregation on April 28.
Of the 136 eligible cardinal electors under the age of 80, 133 are expected to participate. Three cardinals—Giovanni Angelo Becciu, Antonio Cañizares Llovera, and John Njue—will not attend due to personal or health-related reasons. This will be the first conclave to exceed the nominal cap of 120 electors set in 1975, reflecting the global expansion of the College of Cardinals under Pope Francis, who appointed 108 of the current electors.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the most senior cardinal bishop under the age of 80, will preside over the conclave, as both the dean and vice-dean of the College—Cardinals Re and Leonardo Sandri—are ineligible to vote due to age.
The 2025 conclave will be among the most geographically diverse in history, with 135 electors representing 71 countries. Analysts have noted the increased likelihood of a non-European pope, given the growing presence of cardinals from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The use of Italian as the working language of the Roman Curia may present logistical challenges, as some electors do not speak it fluently.
Speculation about potential successors—known as papabili—has been widespread, though Vatican observers caution that predictions are often unreliable. Among those frequently named are Cardinals Parolin, Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, and Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Despite historical trends, conclaves have occasionally elected unexpected candidates, and Vatican tradition holds that “he who enters the conclave a pope, leaves it a cardinal.”
Due to the complex dynamics of this conclave, some cardinals expect the process to take longer than the two days it took to elect Pope Francis in 2013. Others anticipate a relatively short conclave, estimating two to three days.
The election of a new pope will conclude with the Habemus Papam announcement from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, followed by the new pontiff’s first public blessing. Until then, the world waits as the cardinals begin their solemn deliberations behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel.