In the sacred stillness of the Sistine Chapel, beneath Michelangelo’s towering masterpiece The Last Judgment, 133 cardinal electors from 71 nations gathered on 7 May 2025 to begin the prayerful and historic process of choosing the next pope — the 267th successor to St Peter. Carrying both the weight of history and the hopes of 1.3 billion Catholics around the world, the cardinals called upon the Holy Spirit, prayed for unity, and cast their votes.
The conclave began with the Mass Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice (For the Election of the Roman Pontiff), celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, in St Peter’s Basilica. Attended by more than 200 cardinals and many members of the faithful, Cardinal Re urged his brother electors to choose a shepherd who can lead the Church in what he described as a “difficult and complex and tormented” era.
He reminded the cardinals that the world looks to the Church to safeguard and uphold essential human and spiritual values. “This is a human act for which every personal consideration must be set aside,” he said, “keeping in mind and heart only the God of Jesus Christ and the good of the Church and of humanity.”
Cardinal Re spoke about the importance of authentic, selfless, and sacrificial love, the kind shown by Jesus, as the true mark of a spiritual leader. “Let us pray that God will grant the Church a pope who is self-giving, who knows how best to awaken the consciences of all and awaken the moral and spiritual energies in today’s society, characterised by great technological progress but which tends to forget God.”
Watch the full homily and Mass here:
Entering the Conclave: Solemn Oaths and Sacred Rituals
By late afternoon, the 133 eligible cardinals processed toward the Sistine Chapel, accompanied by the chant of the Litany of Saints. Led in prayer by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, they asked God to have mercy on them. The litany invoked the Saints, Archangels, and Prophets to intercede. Their prayers also remembered the dead and all those suffering due to hunger or war. They implored God to bring peace, “comfort and enlighten” the Church, help Christians reconcile, and guide all people to the truth of the Gospel.
Inside the chapel, they sang the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus (Come, Creator Spirit), calling upon the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance.
Each cardinal then made a solemn oath, placing a hand on the open Book of the Gospels, turned to Matthew 4:12–23, the passage recounting the calling of the first disciples. In Latin, they pledged secrecy and faithfulness, each one saying: “Et ego Cardinalis (name) … spondeo, voveo ac iuro. Sic me Deus adiuvet et haec Sancta Dei Evangelia, quae manu mea tango.” (“And I, Cardinal (name), do so promise, vow, and swear. So help me God and these Holy Gospels, which I touch with my hand.”)
Watch the solemn procession and the cardinal electors take their oath and call on the Holy Spirit:
Among them was Australia’s Cardinal, His Eminence Mykola Cardinal Bychok, CSsR, who wore his traditional black koukoulion, a distinctive Eastern monastic headdress. He and other Eastern-rite cardinals wore the choral habit of their respective traditions, highlighting the Church’s rich diversity. Latin-rite cardinals wore red cassocks with white rochets, mozzettas (short capes), birettas, and pectoral crosses, symbols of their unity and readiness to serve.
This was the largest gathering of cardinal electors in modern conclave history, exceeding the 115 who elected both Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
Following centuries-old tradition, the chapel was sealed with the phrase Extra omnes! (“Everyone out!”) as Archbishop Diego Ravelli dismissed those not authorised to remain. Remaining behind, however, was Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, 90, who was chosen by the cardinals to offer a special meditation on the challenges facing the modern Church and the importance of discernment.
Watch the chapel’s closure:
A Night of Black Smoke, A Day of White
On the first day of the conclave, black smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling that no pope had been elected. Though expected for the first vote, the moment still brought a hush and sense of anticipation to the estimated 30,000 pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square.
Among those watching was Maggie Popp, a US native living in Rome, who brought her husband and children. “We figured it would be a great opportunity to bring our little boys to experience this, even if they won’t remember, and ultimately pray for whoever it is that we’re going to receive as a new Holy Father,” she said.
Gabrielle Estrada extended her European trip specifically to be present for the conclave. “I grew up Catholic, so I remember watching the smoke on TV,” she said. “Now I’m here, and I want to see how the next pope engages with young adults like me.”
Watch the black smoke rise:
Then, on the second day of the Conclave – 8 May 2025 – the bells of St Peter’s Basilica rang just after 6pm Rome time. A thick plume of white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney.
Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti announced to the waiting crowd: Nuntio vobis gaudium magnum: habemus papam” – “I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope.”
Cheers rang out across the square, echoing around the world. The conclave to elect the 267th pope had ended, marking one of the shortest conclaves in history.
Watch the highlight of the pope’s announcement:
