The College of Cardinals will begin a conclave on May 7 to elect the next pope, the Vatican announced Monday. The conclave comes after the death of Pope Francis on April 21, leaving the church to choose a new leader for its 1.4 billion followers.
Cardinals will meet in the Sistine Chapel, which will close to visitors during the event. Of the church’s 252 cardinals, 135 will vote in the election. Only cardinals under age 80 can vote.
The conclave will start with a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. Afterward, the cardinals will walk to the Sistine Chapel, where they will take an oath of secrecy and pledge to act free of outside influence. Once the oath is taken, no one outside the conclave can enter. The cardinals will then meditate on the responsibility they carry in selecting the next pope.
Voting begins the afternoon of May 7 with one ballot. Afterward, the cardinals will hold two ballots each in the morning and afternoon. Each cardinal will place his ballot in a chalice after praying in front of Michelangelo’s fresco of the Last Judgment. The cardinals will continue voting until one candidate earns a two-thirds majority.
If no candidate secures enough votes, they will burn the ballots, and the smoke will turn black, signaling that the vote has failed. The voting continues for as long as necessary, with cardinals casting four ballots a day.
Once a cardinal receives enough votes, the other cardinals will ask him if he accepts the election. If he agrees, the new pope will choose a papal name and wear the papal robes.
The cardinals will burn the final ballots with chemicals that produce white smoke, signaling the world that the Church has elected a new pope. Cardinal Dominique Mamberti will announce “Habemus Papam” — “We have a pope” — from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. The new pontiff will then appear on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to address the public and offer a blessing.
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