logo
How does the Sistine Chapel prepare for conclave?

How does the Sistine Chapel prepare for conclave?

Sky News03-05-2025
Work to prepare the Sistine Chapel for the gathering of the cardinals to elect a new pope has begun.
The building in Vatican City is the second most visited museum in the world and will become the focus of the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church as it chooses a successor to Pope Francis.
Once the conclave to decide the new pope begins on 7 May, the cardinals will not emerge until someone has been chosen.
What work is being carried out?
The main task is the installation of the chimney that will signal the election of a new pope.
Vatican firefighters were on the roof of the Sistine Chapel on Friday to begin the installation, a key moment in the preparation.
It took place as cardinals arrived in the Vatican for another day of pre-conclave discussions about the needs of the Catholic Church and the type of pope needed to run it.
The cardinals will use smoke to signal to the world whether a round of voting has been decisive or not.
If the cardinals have not reached a majority, the cards and the tally sheets are placed in a stove and burned with an additive to produce black smoke, showing the outside world that a pope has not yet been chosen.
Once a two-thirds majority is reached, the ballots are burned as before, but with an additive to produce white smoke.
Catholics traditionally gather in St Peter's Square to watch for the smoke above the chapel.
What does it mean for tourists?
Many visitors to the surrounding city of Rome plan time to view the famous chapel at Vatican City - the world's smallest independent state - with a high number of trips scheduled well in advance.
But for those heading there now, they will be unable to visit.
"Notice is hereby given that the Sistine Chapel will be closed to the public from Monday 28 April 2025 for the requirements of the Conclave," reads a statement on the Vatican Museums' website.
Nearly seven million people are said to have visited the chapel in 2023, with many travelling across the world to view the paintings and structure.
But viewings will not be possible until after the election of a new pope.
Tours of the archaeological area, the Necropolis of the Via Triumphalis, and the Vatican Gardens have also been suspended.
When was the chapel first used for a conclave?
This was after the death of Pope Sixtus IV in 1484, who had been the pontiff since 1471 and after whom the building takes its name.
A number of conclaves have been held elsewhere, including several in the 19th century at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, which is formerly a summer palace for the popes and currently the official residence of the Italian president.
The Sistine Chapel has been the site of all conclaves since 1878.
What art and detail can be seen at the chapel?
The cardinals will be surrounded by the great beauty of the frescoes painted by Michelangelo and other renowned Renaissance artists.
The most recognisable is Michelangelo's Creation Of Adam, showing God's outstretched hand imparting the divine spark of life to the first man.
Pope Sixtus IV was an art patron who oversaw the construction and restoration of the main papal chapel - originally called the Cappella Magna - in the 15th century.
But it was a later pontiff, Julius II, who commissioned the works by Michelangelo.
The Italian sculptor and painter created the ceiling art depicting scenes from Genesis from 1508 and 1512, and then later returned to paint the Last Judgement on one of the walls before it was unveiled in 1541.
The side walls are decorated by other artists, including Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli and Domenico Ghirlandaio.
German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once remarked: "Without having seen the Sistine Chapel, one can form no appreciable idea of what one man is capable of achieving."
The chapel's dimensions and thick doors
The cardinals will spend time electing a new pope in a chapel which is 40m (131ft) long, 13m (43ft) wide and 21m (69ft) high.
It is lit on either side by high windows.
Built from 1473 to 1481, the chapel has thick double doors that will ensure the cardinals are not interrupted.
The surroundings are as much a key part of the secretive process aimed at shielding the vote from external interference.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Scottish Government panned for lack of Israel-linked arms firm checks
Scottish Government panned for lack of Israel-linked arms firm checks

The National

time5 hours ago

  • The National

Scottish Government panned for lack of Israel-linked arms firm checks

A Freedom of Information request has revealed that two major arms companies in receipt of Scottish Enterprise grants – Italian arms giant Leonardo and American multinational Raytheon Systems – haven't received a human right due diligence check since October 2019 This funding comes despite both firms continue to supply Israel with weapons amid its genocide in Gaza. In that timeframe, both firms have also been in receipt of Scottish public money – Leonardo received £786,125 in 2023 while Raytheon Systems, which has a factory in Glenrothes, was given £500k in the first half of 2024. Leonardo produces laser targeting systems for Lockheed Martin, which sells the F-35 jets Israel, and Raytheon makes Paveway II guided missiles which are also used by Israel. READ MORE: JD Vance panned for 'lies about Scotland' ahead of luxury Ayrshire holiday The last time a check was performed on French arms firm Thales was July 2021, while Babcock was last checked in March 2022 and Chemring Energetics in December 2021. Bae Systems received a check in February 2024. In response, human rights charity Amnesty International told The National that the 'more we learn' about the checks 'the more concerning it becomes' that Scottish Enterprise and Scottish ministers are defending the process. Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater, meanwhile, said it was 'shocking', adding: 'There is no point in having human rights checks at all if they are never carried out.' In total, Scottish Enterprise has given £8 million to 13 companies involved in weapons manufacturing since 2019. The Scottish Government has repeatedly insisted that no public funding goes towards the manufacturing of munitions specifically but other areas these companies operate in, including research, training and apprenticeships. Scottish Enterprise, meanwhile, has strongly denied its human rights checks are not adequate. However, that has been called into question given that, of the 199 human rights checks between 2021 and 2023, no firm has ever failed. When pressed on the issue in an exclusive interview with The National last weekend, First Minister John Swinney defended the grants. 'We won't support the production of munitions. That's our hard line. And we get criticised for taking that hard line, and I'm very confident that hard line is applied,' he said. The First Minister was then pressed on the argument that any funding – even if ring-fenced by the Scottish Government – will directly help a company's cash flow and could, hypothetically, free up money to be used elsewhere, including in the building of munitions. 'I understand that point. But there are also defence requirements of Scotland. Scotland is part of an island nation. We require, for example, shipbuilding resources to support the maritime defense of the United Kingdom because nobody wants to see us vulnerable to an attack from Russia. I certainly don't want to,' he responded. An Amnesty International spokesperson said: "Amnesty is aware from our own research that payments were made to companies known to supply Israel without a new check being triggered by the unfolding genocide in Gaza. 'Alarmingly, that is the process Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government attempted to characterise as robust and well aligned to international standards. The recent in-house review of the human rights checks recommended some improvements, but unsurprisingly they don't go far enough. We will be meeting with Scottish Enterprise in the coming weeks to take these concerns forward." Slater, meanwhile, said it 'flies in the face of any kind of due diligence'. "These are some of the biggest arms companies in the world. They have armed human rights abusers and dictatorships and some have directly enabled and profited from the genocide in Gaza,' she said. "They should not be receiving public money in the first place, and the Scottish Government absolutely should not be setting up tests to win favourable headlines while refusing to actually implement them. "How can we trust a word they say on ensuring they are applying human rights standards when they are refusing to even ask the right questions of those they are giving public money to?" Scottish Enterprise has been approached for comment.

Another huge US star reveals exit plans from US after Donald Trump's warning
Another huge US star reveals exit plans from US after Donald Trump's warning

Metro

timea day ago

  • Metro

Another huge US star reveals exit plans from US after Donald Trump's warning

Jimmy Kimmel has joined a string of celebrities who have obtained citizenship to other countries over growing fears concerning President Donald Trump's leadership. Comedians Rosie O'Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres were among those fleeing the US after the 79-year-old returned to the White House for a second term at the beginning of the year. In a new interview, the Jimmy Kimmel Live presenter explained things are 'so much worse' in the country than people initially thought they would be, and revealed that he sought citizenship in Europe. During an appearance on the Sarah Silverman Podcast, the host said: 'A lot of people I know are thinking about where they can get citizenship.' 'I did get Italian citizenship,' he replied. 'What's going on [with Trump] is as bad as you thought it was going to be.' 'It's so much worse. It's just unbelievable. I feel like it's probably even worse than he would like it to be.' Kimmel's comments come after Trump suggested he could lose his job in a gloating post on social media, following the news that TV legend Stephen Colbert's show was coming to an end. 'I absolutely love that Colbert got fired,' he posted on Truth Social last month. 'His talent was even less than his ratings. 'I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!' In a press conference last week, he doubled down on the claims, warning: 'Fallon has no talent. Kimmel has no talent. They're next. 'They're going to be going. I hear they're going to be going.' Kimmel has been a staple of our screens for decades, having helmed his own late night show since 2003 – he also hosted the Oscars and Emmy Awards multiple times, and voices characters in the Paw Patrol movie and Boss Baby over the years. Despite Trump's recent comments, he insisted that he has no ill will to any supporters who may now be regretting their vote. 'I think the door needs to stay open,' he demanded. 'If you want to change your mind, that's so hard to do. 'If you want to admit you were wrong, that's so hard and so rare to do. You are welcome.' A number of stars have decided to leave America following the recent election, after Trump beat Kamala Harris to return to power for a second time. Ellen and her wife, Portia de Rossi, swapped the US for a quieter life in the Cotswolds while Rosie – who has had a long-running feud with the politician – headed to Ireland. More Trending She was joined by her child, who is non-binary and goes by Clay, and shared that she needed to make the move for her family, and her 'own sanity'. Shedding light on the move while appearing on the Late Late Show, she said: 'The President of the United States has it out for me and has for 20 years, when I told the truth about him on a program called The View – where it was my job to talk about pop culture, politics… 'I mentioned his bankruptcies, I mentioned all of the sexual assault charges and I mentioned that he was not, in fact, the businessman that everyone thinks he is because of the show, The Apprentice, where they sold a bunch of lies to America for over 10 years, and half of America believed it. View More » 'He was very angry to say the least, and he hasn't let it go. And he uses me as a punchline whenever he feels the need.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Trump should give Putin a gift in Alaska – then an order MORE: Trump 'only wants to secure Nobel Peace Prize with Russia-Ukraine negotiations' MORE: Rap icon cancels gig one hour before performance after 'unforeseen illness'

Madonna urges Pope Leo to go to Gaza ‘before it is too late'
Madonna urges Pope Leo to go to Gaza ‘before it is too late'

South Wales Guardian

timea day ago

  • South Wales Guardian

Madonna urges Pope Leo to go to Gaza ‘before it is too late'

In a plea shared on her social media, the Like A Prayer singer, 66, said the pontiff is 'the only one of us who cannot be denied entry'. It comes following a recent strike which killed a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent and four of his colleagues, who were sheltering outside al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on Sunday night. A post shared by Madonna (@madonna) The incident marked the first time during the war that Israel's military has swiftly claimed responsibility after a journalist was killed in a strike. Madonna said: 'Most Holy Father, please go to Gaza and bring your light to the children before it's too late. As a mother, I cannot bear to watch their suffering. 'The children of the world belong to everyone. 'You are the only one of us who cannot be denied entry. 'We need the humanitarian gates to be fully opened to save these innocent children. 'There is no more time. Please say you will go. Love, Madonna.' In the caption of her post she said it was her son Rocco's birthday and that 'the best gift I can give to him as a Mother – is to ask everyone to do what they can to help save the innocent children caught in the crossfire in Gaza.' She added: 'I am not pointing fingers, placing blame or taking sides. Everyone is suffering. Including the mothers of the hostages. I pray that they are released as well.' The singer also asked for donations to three different organisations. In July, Pope Leo, who became the first US head of the Catholic Church in May, renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, asking the international community to respect international laws and the obligation to protect civilians. 'I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations,' he said. In July, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to meet certain conditions, including addressing the humanitarian crisis, implementing a ceasefire and reviving the prospect of a two-state solution. Earlier in the month he told Channel 5 that people have seen the 'images of starvation' in Gaza and added that 'the British public can see it and there's a sense of revulsion of what they're seeing'. At the weekend, hundreds of people were arrested for supporting banned group Palestine Action at a protest in central London. The Met confirmed on Sunday that 522 people were held for displaying an item in support of a proscribed organisation, out of 532 total arrests made during the policing operation. The move to ban the organisation was announced after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on June 20, an incident claimed by Palestine Action, which police said caused around £7 million worth of damage.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store