Overview

• The Vatican has announced that the conclave to elect the next pope will commence on May 7, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis on April 21.
• A total of 133 cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote, with two electors having withdrawn due to health reasons.
• The College of Cardinals, reshaped by Pope Francis’s global appointments, now includes only 39% European members, down from 52% in 2013.
• Leading candidates, or papabili, include Cardinal Pietro Parolin of Italy, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, and Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana.
• The conclave will take place in the Sistine Chapel, with cardinals isolated from the outside world and ballots burned to signal voting outcomes.