Live updates: The conclave to elect the next pope is set to begin

Associated Press

07-05-2025

Gathering behind the Vatican's medieval walls, 133 cardinals will attend a Mass on Wednesday morning and in the afternoon sequester themselves for the start of a conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis.
Update:
Date: 2025-05-07 06:49:00
Title:
What the cardinals have been discussing before the conclave
Content: Cardinals wrapped up their final pre-conclave meeting Tuesday morning, trying to identify a possible new pope who could follow Pope Francis and make the 2,000-year-old Catholic Church credible and relevant today, especially to young people.
The cardinals say the primary task facing them is finding a pope who can be both a pastor and a teacher, a bridge who can unite the church and preach peace.
'We need a superman!' said Cardinal William Seng Chye Goh, the 67-year-old archbishop of Singapore.
It is indeed a tall task, given the sexual abuse and financial scandals that have harmed the church's reputation as well as the secularizing trends in many parts of the world that are turning people away from organized religion. Add to that the Holy See's dire financial state and often dysfunctional bureaucracy, and the job of being pope in the 21st century seems almost impossible.
There is an element of uncertainty about the election since many of the cardinals didn't know one another before last week.
Update:
Date: 2025-05-07 06:32:00
Title:
How exactly does the voting process work?
Content: The electors cast paper ballots, and voting continues until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority, or 89 votes. After two rounds of voting, ballots are burned in a special stove — black smoke signals no decision, while white smoke means a new pope has been chosen.
The last few popes have been elected within a few days, but there is no formal deadline. Electors must be under 80, and are more geographically diverse than ever.
They represent Catholicism's growing presence in Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as its traditional power base in Europe.
Update:
Date: 2025-05-07 06:16:00
Title:
Today's schedule
Content:
Update:
Date: 2025-05-07 06:11:00
Title:
Ask AP reporters your conclave-related questions
Content:
Update:
Date: 2025-05-07 06:01:00
Title:
Cardinals to begin the solemn and secret voting ritual to elect a new pope
Content: With all the pomp, drama and solemnity that the Catholic Church can muster, 133 cardinals on Wednesday begin the secretive, centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis, opening the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith's 2,000-year history.
The cardinals, from 70 countries, will be sequestered from the outside world, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican jammed to prevent them from all communications until they find a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member church.