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5d ago

Vatican Prepares for Largest Papal Conclave in Modern History

135 cardinals will convene on May 7 under heightened security to elect the 267th pope, with the process expected to conclude within days.

FILE - Pope Benedict XVI blesses the faithful as he arrives at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, Dec. 16, 2010. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)
Image
FILE - Nuns talk in front of Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti's Moses statue, part of a funerary monument he designed for Pope Julius II inside San Pietro in Vincoli Basilica in Rome, July 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)
Cardinals attend a mourning Mass for Pope Francis on the sixth day of Novendiali (nine days of mourning after the Pope's funeral) at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, May 1, 2025. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli/File Photo

Overview

  • The conclave to elect the 267th pope will begin on May 7, with 135 eligible cardinals participating, the largest electorate in recent history.
  • Advanced security measures, including bug sweeps, jamming devices, and window coatings, are being implemented in the Sistine Chapel to ensure secrecy.
  • Pre-conclave general congregations are underway, allowing cardinals to discuss the Church’s future and review potential candidates' qualifications.
  • The electorate reflects unprecedented global diversity, with many first-time voters from Asia and Oceania, a hallmark of Pope Francis’s appointments.
  • Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo anticipates the election will take two to three days, continuing the Church’s tradition of balancing procedure with divine guidance.