Conclave: Inside the Sistine Chapel
(NewsNation) — 'Extra omnes.' With these words in Latin, which mean 'everybody out,' the highest-ranking officials of the Catholic Church will be locked inside the Sistine Chapel for a secret vote to elect a new pope.
After Pope Francis died April 21 at age 88, cardinals from all over the world gathered in St. Peter's Square for his funeral. Kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers and hundreds of thousands of others attended as well.
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Now, after nine days of mourning and complex preparations, including installing a chimney where the cardinals' ballots will be burned, the secret conclave will begin May 7.
After a Mass to begin the historic meeting, the cardinals will enter, and a massive Renaissance-era door will be shut. The Church leaders will vote once on the first afternoon, and four times a day — twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon — on the following days. Two-thirds are required to elect a new pope.
If the smoke coming from the chimney is black, it signals to the world outside that a pope has not been elected, but when the smoke is white, 'habemus papam' (Latin for 'We have a pope').
The backdrop of the conclave is the Sistine Chapel, and the site could not be more dramatic.
Decorated with frescoes by Michelangelo and other renowned Renaissance artists, it is named after Pope Sixtus IV della Rovere, a patron of the arts who oversaw the construction of the main chapel in the 15th century.
Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling with scenes from Genesis, and he later returned to paint 'The Last Judgment' on one of the walls.
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'The Last Judgment' depicts Christ's second coming and the final judgment. The dead rise up to heaven or descend to hell as they are judged by Christ. Several prominent saints such as St. Peter, John the Baptist, St. Catherine and St. Bartholomew are depicted.
Perhaps most shocking are the souls that are damned. Michelangelo painted some naked, others ensnared in snakes, still others as ghouls. Those images could influence the cardinals who will be choosing the next leader of the Catholic Church.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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