CONCLAVE TO ELECT NEW POPE UNDERWAY
The 133 cardinals from 70 nations responsible for electing a new pope are locked inside the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, Italy for the secret ballot.
Cardinals took an oath in which they promised to keep secret all matters related to the vote and that whoever is elected to succeed the late Pope Francis will faithfully carry out the role. They will now have no communication with the outside world until a new pope is elected. Pope Francis died on Easter Monday April, 21, 2025 aged 88 after a long illness. He was buried six days later on Saturday April 26, 2025 at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
The Vatican said this year’s conclave is the largest ever. 108 of the cardinals participating are ’’novices’’ who have never taken part before in the selection of a new pope. The exact number required to elect the pope also changes based on the total number of electors in attendance. Only five cardinals present in the conclave this year voted in the year 2005 and 2013 namely; Philippe Barbarin of France, Josip Bozanic of Croatia, Peter Erdo of Hungary, Vinco Pulic of Bosnia and Peter Turkson of Ghana.
The first smoke from the first vote is expected on Wednesday night. White smoke means a new pope has been elected while black smoke means another round of voting will take place on Thursday. In 2013 black smoke from the first vote came at 7:41 pm while in 2005 black smoke from the first vote came at 8:05 pm.
