Victor EzejaNot less than 133 cardinal electors have gathered at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican, Rome, today, for the beginning of the conclave, a solemn process for the election of a new pope, the head of the Catholic Church.
The Vatican had last week, announced the commencement of the conclave today, 7 May, following the conclusion of the burial rite of the 266th Pope, Francis I. The 88-year-old Argentine-born Pontiff died on 21 April and was buried on 26 April 2025.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe task before the 133 cardinal electors from 71 countries is to embark on a process laid down by the Catholic Church over thousands of years ago, for the election of the 267th Pope. The cardinal electors, who are under the age of 80, are eligible to vote. Eighty per cent of the participating cardinals were appointed by Pope Francis.
According to Vatican News, cardinals and over five thousand faithful gathered at Saint Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning to attend Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over the Mass marking the beginning of the conclave. He prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide the cardinal electors as they undertake what he called “an act of the highest human and ecclesial responsibility.”
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Admonishing the faithful on what to do as the conclave begins, Cardinal Re said: “To pray, by invoking the Holy Spirit is the only right and proper attitude to take as the Cardinal electors prepare to undertake an act of the highest human and ecclesial responsibility and to make a choice of exceptional importance.
“This is a human act for which every personal consideration must be set aside, keeping in mind and heart only the God of Jesus Christ and the good of the Church and of humanity.”
“May we pray for “a Pope who knows how best to awaken the consciences of all and awaken the moral and spiritual energies in today’s society” that “tends to forget God,” Cardinal Re further prayed.
He noted that the world expects much from the Church in safeguarding the “fundamental human and spiritual values” that human coexistence and future generations depend upon.
Countries with the largest number of voting cardinals include Italy (17), the United States (10), Brazil (7), and France and Spain (5 each). Other countries with four voting cardinals each include Argentina, Canada, India, Poland, and Portugal.
Nigeria has four cardinals, but only one cardinal (Most Rev. Peter Okpaleke, Bishop of Ekwulobia in Anambra State), is eligible to vote.
How A New Pope is Elected
Prior to the commencement of the conclave at the Sistine Chapel, the cardinal electors take an oath of absolute secrecy. They remain inside the chapel, shut out from worldly affairs until a new pope is elected. The voting which is done by secret ballot, involves four voting sessions daily until a candidate secures a two-thirds majority.
The results are recorded by three approved cardinals who count the ballots out loud. The votes are burned using chemicals that emit black smoke, signifying an inconclusive voting, if no candidate reaches the threshold.
The Dean of the College of Cardinals inquires as to whether a cardinal accepts the papacy after he receives the necessary two-thirds. After being accepted, he decides on a papal name, puts on the customary garments, and gets ready for his public debut.
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The successful election is indicated by white smoke rising from the chapel’s chimney. “Habemus Papam,” which means “We have a pope,” will then be declared by the senior cardinal deacon, who is presently French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, where the new pope will make his first appearance and offer his blessing on Rome and the entire world.
At the Vatican, preparations have already begun. A temporary chimney has been put in place to release the signal smoke, and curtains have been arranged on the balcony where the new pontiff will appear.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
