Overview

• The conclave to elect the new pope opens on May 7, 2025, at 4:30 PM in the Sistine Chapel, requiring 89 votes—the highest quorum in papal history.
• Cardinal electors have completed 12 preparatory congregations, emphasizing the need for a pastoral leader with hands-on experience and empathy.
• Leading candidates include Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, and Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, though none have secured broad consensus yet.
• The conclave will be conducted under maximum security, with electors sequestered at Casa Santa Marta and all communications strictly prohibited.
• Observers predict a potentially lengthy process as ideological divisions persist and new alliances form during the secretive voting rounds.