Overview

• The Sistine Chapel has been closed to the public, with traditional infrastructure like the chimney for smoke signals and ballot-burning stove fully installed for the conclave process.
• 133 cardinals under the age of 80 will participate in the secretive conclave starting May 7, with Pietro Parolin and Luis Antonio Tagle emerging as leading contenders.
• Pre-conclave congregations have focused on key issues, including Vatican finances, with Secretary of State Parolin advocating solutions to fiscal challenges.
• Cardinals remain divided over whether the next pope will continue Francis's reformist legacy on inclusion, poverty, and the environment or return to traditional governance.
• Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell is overseeing the Church's interim administration, ensuring conclave logistics adhere to centuries-old protocols.