Conclave Begins Today: What To Know About Secretive Election For Next Pope

Topline

The papal conclave begins at the Vatican Wednesday, the secretive process by which cardinals seclude themselves for what could be several days as they elect a new leader for the Catholic Church, weeks after the death of Pope Francis.

Key Facts

On Wednesday afternoon, 133 cardinal electors will gather in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel and cast their first ballots in the papal election, a process that will continue until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority of the vote.

It’s unclear how long the conclave will take until a new pope is elected, though most recent conclaves have lasted two or three days.

A large majority of the cardinals participating in the conclave were appointed by Francis, in what is set to be the most globally diverse conclave ever, though papal experts say that does not mean Francis’s successor will be ideologically aligned with him, as some of his appointees hail from areas where the church is more conservative.

While participating in the conclave, cardinals will be secluded from the outside world: They were required to turn in their phones ahead of the conclave, and the Vatican has disabled phone service.

Who Are The Leading Contenders To Be Elected Pope?

There’s no clear frontrunner to win the papacy, Vatican experts say, though some of the cardinals considered to be prime candidates include Italy’s Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state who is considered more moderate than Francis, and the Philippines’s Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, who has drawn comparisons to Francis for his liberal-leaning stances and his championing of the poor. Parolin and Tagle are the two leading contenders on various betting sites, including Polymarket and Kalshi, as bettors wage millions on the papal election. Other cardinals considered possible candidates include several from Italy, Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Matteo Zuppi, as well as Congo’s Fridolin Ambongo, Hungary’s Peter Erdo, Ghana’s Peter Turkson and France’s Jean-Marc Aveline.

How Does The Conclave Work—and How Long Will It Take?

While secluded from the outside world, cardinals under the age of 80 will cast four votes each day until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority. The process begins Wednesday afternoon with mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, after which cardinals proceed to the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave. Should no successor be chosen on a given day, cardinals spend the night in Vatican guesthouses to resume voting the next day. Each cardinal is assigned a desk affixed with papers that say, “Eligo in summum pontificem,” or, “I choose as supreme pontiff.”

How Do They Announce When A Pope Has Been Chosen?

After voting, the ballots are burned, and chemicals are added to produce either black smoke—indiciating no pope has been elected—or white smoke—meaning a pope has been chosen—from the Sistine Chapel. Vatican watchers gather to watch what color the smoke is after every vote.

Why Is This Conclave Important?

Papal experts have said the conclave could determine whether the Catholic Church continues down the path laid by Francis to become more progressive, or whether a more conservative successor could be chosen and potentially roll back some of Francis’s reforms. Francis was notable, and divisive, for his stances striking a more welcoming tone toward LGBTQ Catholics and women in church leadership roles, which won some global praise but angered conservative critics. Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Sweden said some cardinals want to elect a successor “who can follow in the footsteps of Francis. Some others said, ‘No, no. Not at all,’” the New York Times reported, while Italian conservative Cardinal Camillo Ruini said there is a “need to return the church to Catholics.” Dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, said in a homily Wednesday the new pope will face a “difficult and complex turning point in history,” stating he prayed for a pope who leads “for the good of the church and of humanity.”

Surprising Fact

Some cardinals have watched the movie “Conclave,” the papal drama that won an Oscar just two months ago, while prepping for the real thing, Politico reported, citing a cleric involved in the conclave who said some cardinals found the film “remarkably accurate.” Viewership of “Conclave” spiked 283% within a day of Francis’s death, according to Luminate.

Key Background

Francis died at age 88 on Easter Monday, April 21, following a bout of health issues, which led to his longest hospital stay while pope. Francis was hospitalized earlier this year for bilateral pneumonia and bronchitis, and Vatican doctors said he died of cerebral stroke and irreversible heart failure.