Overview

• The Vatican announced that the conclave to elect a new pope will begin on May 7, 2025, in the Sistine Chapel.
• 135 cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote, though Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera will be absent due to illness.
• Preparations for the conclave include the closure of the Sistine Chapel to tourists and the implementation of strict isolation measures for voting cardinals.
• A two-thirds majority is required to elect the new pope, with black or white smoke signaling unsuccessful or successful ballots, respectively.
• The election follows a global mourning period for Pope Francis, whose funeral on April 26 drew 250,000 attendees to St. Peter’s Square.