Papal Conclave Begins Today

The Papal Conclave begins today to elect a successor to Pope Francis following his death on April 21, 2025. The Cardinals have been meeting twice a day in the recent days to discuss the Conclave and the decisions necessary leading into today.

The Cardinals began the day with a morning mass in the St. Peter’s Basilica and later today, they will gather in the Sistine Chapel to begin voting for a new Supreme Pontiff (Pope).

Of the 252 Cardinals worldwide, only 133 are considered Cardinal Electors. In order to be a Cardinal Elector, they are required to have not reached their 80th birthday on the day of the Pope’s death.

Cardinal Electors take an oath to never reveal what happens at the Conclave and voting is done by a hand-written, secret ballot. One by one, they bring their votes up to Michelangelo’s Fresco of the Last Judgement and place them into a chalice. 

In order to name a successor, two-thirds of the vote is needed by a candidate. The Cardinals will vote 4 times a day if needed. The votes are burned in a stove mixed with chemicals to make either black smoke (no majority met) or white smoke (majority met) with an announcement to follow naming the new Pope. 

By - FZ