VATICAN CITY — Cardinals from around the world are set to gather in the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, to begin the solemn task of electing a new pope following the end of Pope Francis’ tenure. A total of 133 cardinal electors under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in this sacred and highly secretive process, which has historically produced a new pontiff within days.
The length of past conclaves offers insight into what to expect this year. The 2013 conclave that brought Pope Francis to the papacy lasted just two days. Before that, the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI was completed in just over 24 hours. In modern times, conclaves rarely extend beyond five days, as procedures have been refined to ensure efficiency while maintaining the spiritual gravitas of the process.
The conclave operates under tight protocols to preserve confidentiality and avoid external influence. Cardinal electors are entirely cut off from the outside world—no phones, internet, or media access—and are required to swear an oath of secrecy. Voting occurs up to four times per day: two rounds in the morning and two in the afternoon. To be elected pope, a candidate must receive a two-thirds majority—at least 89 votes.
If no candidate achieves this threshold after three days of voting, the cardinals pause for a day of prayer and reflection. If the stalemate continues through 34 ballots, voting procedures may be modified to narrow the choice to the two leading candidates—though the two-thirds requirement remains in place.
The most visible sign of a successful vote is the plume of white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney, a centuries-old tradition that signals to the world that a new pope has been chosen. The elected pope then appears on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to offer his first public blessing, “Urbi et Orbi.”
While speculation about leading candidates remains unofficial due to the conclave’s strict confidentiality, Vatican observers expect a relatively swift outcome in keeping with recent history.
Until the smoke turns white, the world watches—and waits.
