The Basilica of St. Peter with a view from the main balcony of the central loggia of the basilica (bottom right) where the name of the new pope will be announced and where he will give the Urbi et Orbi, on May 5, 2025. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP.)
Countdown for the Catholic Church: On Tuesday, cardinals begin moving into the Vatican accommodations where they will stay during the conclave, on the eve of their historical closed-door meeting to elect the successor of Pope Francis.
More than two weeks after the death of Pope Francis, the 133 cardinal electors will be locked in from Wednesday afternoon under the majestic frescoes of the Sistine Chapel for a conclave that promises to be particularly open. On Tuesday morning, the cardinals, whether electors (under age 80) or not, gathered for the final preparatory meeting, avoiding the microphones and cameras of about a hundred journalists from many countries, a sign of the global media coverage of the event.
Before the doors of the Sistine Chapel close on Wednesday afternoon, the cardinals will swear to keep absolute confidentiality, under pain of excommunication if they reveal what happens at the conclave. They will be prohibited from communicating with the outside world until they have elected a new pope. The Vatican announced it will cut off the phone network within the small city-state starting Wednesday at 3 p.m. (1 p.m. GMT) until the election, but this will not affect St. Peter's Square, where the faithful will gather. The cardinals, who will have to relinquish their mobile phones, will inform the world of their progress by burning their ballots to produce smoke—black if no decision is made, white for a new pope, a visually symbolic ceremony broadcast worldwide.
« Five or Six »
The “pre-conclave” discussions have so far covered a wide range of topics, from Vatican finances to the sex abuse scandal, including the unity of the Church and the profile of the next pope. With 133 electoral cardinals—a record—from about 70 countries across five continents, this conclave is the largest and most international ever organized, making its outcome more uncertain than ever. “There are various profiles, many personalities who can be elected. At least five or six, I would say,” Alger Archbishop Jean-Paul Vesco told Corriere della Sera. “There were the naturally expected candidates, those who by their role and personality are already known. And there are also those who speak up and make you think: that is a strong word. But there is no one who 'crushes' the others, someone of whom you would think: it will be him,” he added.
Francis carried out many reforms of the Church over his 12-year pontificate, but his actions have faced strong internal opposition. He appointed about 80% of the current cardinal electors, but experts believe they will not necessarily choose a successor who follows in his footsteps.
The “princes of the Church” traditionally stay at the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican, which offers private bathrooms and hotel-like room service, but it does not have enough rooms for all. Consequently, some will be accommodated at Santa Marta Vecchia, a neighboring building usually used for housing Vatican officials. They will be able to access their rooms—assigned by lottery—between Tuesday and the Wednesday morning Mass (8 a.m. GMT) at St. Peter's Basilica, which precedes the conclave.
Doctors, drivers, cooks, security and cleaning staff: the people surrounding the cardinals are also sworn to secrecy and took an oath on Monday. Around St. Peter's Square, security has already been heightened, with police blocking adjacent streets or inspecting tourists' bags.