The process has commenced. On Wednesday morning, 133 Roman Catholic Cardinals from 66 countries convened behind the Vatican walls to initiate the Conclave that will lead to the election of Pope Francis’ successor.
Among the gathering, there were 52 cardinals from Europe, 23 from Asia, 17 from South or Central America, 17 from Africa, 20 from North America, and 4 from Oceania.
The proceedings kicked off at 4:30 PM local time, with the cardinals chanting the reflective “Litany of the Saints” followed by the Latin hymn “Creator of Veni,” as they made their way to the stunning frescoed Sistine Chapel.
Following the cardinals’ oaths, a senior cardinal leads a period of meditation. However, the Conclave only officially starts when the master of the Pope’s liturgical ceremony announces “Extra Omnes,” signaling everyone else to leave, and the door is shut.
Here’s a brief on what’s next:
- The Cardinals will be isolated in the Vatican to pray and cast their votes for the next Pope. Their first and only vote of the day will take place later tonight at the Sistine Chapel.
- A two-thirds majority is required to elect the new pontiff. Should further voting sessions be necessary, these will happen regularly in the morning and afternoon until a Pope is chosen.
- After voting, the results will be burned in a special stove—black smoke signals no decision has been made, while white smoke indicates a new Pope has been selected. The smoke is expected to emerge from the Vatican chimney around 7 PM.
If there isn’t a clear winner from the initial vote, the Cardinals will hold a maximum of four votes daily, taking place twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon.
By tradition, a two-thirds majority is needed to select the new Pope. With 133 Cardinals present, 89 must cast their votes for the new leader in a confidential ballot.
In recent times, Conclave elections typically wrap up within a few days. Notably, the previous elections of Benedict XVI in 2005 and Francis in 2013 both concluded in two days. Historically, the longest voting session of the 20th and 21st centuries lasted five days, seen during the election of Pope Pius XI in 1922.
