Papal Conclave to Elect New Pope Set to Begin May 7 Following Death of Pope Francis
- Victor Nwoko
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Cardinals will gather on May 7 for the start of the papal conclave, the centuries-old tradition through which a new head of the Catholic Church is elected. The announcement was made following the burial of Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88 after a prolonged health battle. His funeral drew hundreds of thousands of mourners and numerous world leaders to the Vatican.
The Vatican confirmed the conclave's start date after a fifth general congregation of cardinals, attended by more than 180 cardinals. Of these, a little more than 100 will serve as electors, as only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote. Several cardinals spoke during the congregation on the future of the Church and the qualities needed in the new pope.
A special Mass is scheduled for May 7, with voting beginning that afternoon. Some cardinals have already indicated they will be arriving late due to health reasons. Funeral rites for the late Pope Francis are expected to continue for nine days following his burial. The conclave is traditionally held 15 to 20 days after the pope’s death to allow time for necessary preparations.
The conclave, stemming from the Latin term cum clave (“with key”), began in 1268 when the citizens of Viterbo locked up the cardinals until a pope was chosen. Since then, the process has been significantly streamlined, with modern conclaves typically lasting only a few days. Pope Francis and his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, were both elected within approximately two days.
On May 7, the Cardinal electors will participate in a solemn Eucharistic celebration, the Mass Pro Eligendo Papa, before proceeding in a solemn procession to the Sistine Chapel. Upon entering the chapel, each Cardinal elector will take an oath, committing to faithfully fulfill the Petrine ministry if elected, to maintain absolute secrecy about the proceedings, and to avoid any external interference.
Following the oaths, all non-participants will leave the Sistine Chapel. A meditation on the grave responsibilities of the election will then be delivered to the Cardinal electors, who will pray and decide whether they are ready to begin voting. All election procedures will occur exclusively within the sealed Sistine Chapel at the Vatican Apostolic Palace.
During the election, Cardinal electors must refrain from any form of external communication, including letters, phone calls, media consumption, or broadcasting. A two-thirds majority is required to elect the new pope. If the number of electors is not divisible evenly by three, one extra vote is added to the two-thirds requirement.
On the first day, only one ballot will occur in the afternoon. In subsequent days, two ballots are scheduled for the morning and two for the afternoon. After each voting session, ballots are burned: black smoke indicates an inconclusive vote, while white smoke signifies that a new pope has been elected.
If after three days no consensus is reached, the cardinals may pause for a day of prayer, informal discussion, and spiritual exhortation led by the Cardinal Proto-Deacon. Once a candidate is elected, the Dean of the College of Cardinals will formally ask the chosen individual for acceptance and the name they wish to adopt. The new pope’s acceptance is recorded immediately, and from that moment, he assumes full and supreme authority over the universal Church.
The Cardinal electors then pledge their obedience to the new Pope. The Cardinal Proto-Deacon announces the election to the faithful with the traditional phrase, “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; Habemus Papam.” The new pope then gives his first Apostolic Blessing, Urbi et Orbi, from the Loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.
The final ceremonial step for the new pontiff is the formal possession of the Patriarchal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, marking the full inauguration of his papacy.
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