Papal conclave has started. Here's how it works
Pope Francis died April 21 of this year, leaving the position of pope, the sovereign of Vatican City and leader of the Catholic Church, vacant.
As such, a papal conclave was scheduled to begin May 7, 2025, for 133 elector cardinals from around the world to convene inside the Apostolic Palace and vote for who among them should be the new pope.
The process usually lasts multiple days and is very secretive. Cardinals are not supposed to give any information as to who they believe the new pope should be, and they vote inside the Sistine Chapel, secluded from the outside world.
According to the latest Religious Landscape Study from Pew Research Center, 63% of adults in Rhode Island identify as Christians as of 2024 — the most popular religion in the state. Of the 63% of Rhode Island adults in the study who identify as Christians, 39% of them are Catholic. That's higher than the nationwide total of 19% of adults.
Here's what you need to know about the papal conclave and how you can keep up with live updates of this historic conclave.
Cardinals attend a mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff, prior to the start of the conclave, at St Peter's Basilica in The Vatican, on May 7, 2025.
What time does the conclave start
The papal conclave has already begun, according to USA Today reporting.
A first round of voting is set to take place today. Up to four rounds of voting can take place each subsequent day. There is no set time limit for the conclave, but recent conclaves have lasted only a few days. Since 1846, cardinals have taken two to five days to make decisions on the past 12 popes.
When will the cardinals elect a new pope
Multiple rounds of voting are almost always needed before a candidate emerges with the two-thirds majority required to become pope. The cardinals likely will need to reconvene Thursday morning, when a Mass would be celebrated in the Pauline Chapel before they return to the Sistine Chapel for midmorning prayer and that day's rounds of voting. Up to four rounds of voting are permitted each day.
At the conclusion of Thursday's voting, there will an evening prayer before they return to Santa Marta. If the votes failed to result in someone receiving a two-thirds majority, they will return for more voting Friday − and as many days as is required to elect a pontiff.
After a cardinal receives the required number of votes and agrees to take on the monumental task, white smoke will signal his selection.
How does conclave voting work?
Here are the specifics of the voting process, according to the Vatican:
Each cardinal writes the name of their chosen candidate on a ballot, folds it, holds it aloft and carries it to the altar in order of rank. The cardinal places the ballot on a plate covering a chalice and says, in Italian: 'I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one whom I believe should be elected according to God."
The cardinal then uses the plate to drop the vote into the chalice, bows to the altar and returns to his seat. Cardinals who are unable to walk give their folded ballot to a "scrutineer," who follows the same procedure without reciting the oath again.
Any cardinals who are too ill to be in the chapel are given ballots and a sealed box with a slit where the folded ballots can be inserted. Once the votes are cast, the "infirmarii" bring the box back to the chapel, where it is opened in front of the electors. The votes are counted and added to those already in the main chalice.
How does a real conclave compare to the popular movie 'The Conclave'
Former archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, said that the movie is not a good representation of what really happens.
O'Malley participated in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis.
'My experience of being in at least one conclave was not that it was some sort of scene of political backroom plotting of how to get your candidate elected,' O'Malley wrote in his blog. He said that each cardinal votes for the person that they believe is God's will for the Church. 'It was an experience of a very intense retreat where there was much prayer and silence and listening to conferences on spiritual themes.'
Is there a way to watch the papal conclave
Yes, you can watch to see the Vatican chimney and possibly white smoke in the next few days via the USA Today livestream.
The voting part of the conclave, where cardinals cast their ballots, is not allowed to be recorded, as it is a secret process. The church has started using jamming devices to prevent such indiscretions.
You can also check for live updates here.
Has there ever been an American pope
There has never been a pope from the United States.
More than 200 of the 266 popes were natives of Italy, although it's been 47 years since an Italian served as pontiff. Francis was the first from Latin America. Numerous cardinals from Italy and other nations are considered contenders.
Melina Khan contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Papal conclave 2025 is underway. Here's how the process works
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