Conclave live: Cardinals gather before start of vote for next pope - after hot mic moment
After a final prayer which has just been read out in the Pauline Chapel, the procession to the Sistine Chapel is now under way.
Conclave: Watch and follow full coverage across Sky News
As well as bringing you updates on this page, our team of presenters and correspondents is at the Vatican to bring you live television coverage of the conclave.
For as long as it takes, our chief presenter Mark Austin will guide you through all the key moments with commentator Alastair Bruce.
Siobhan Robbins, our Europe correspondent, is on the ground in Vatican City and speaking to those who are gathering as the conclave begins.
The scene inside Pauline Chapel
We can now bring you some more pictures of the scene inside the Pauline Chapel where 133 cardinals are seated.
They will soon be starting a procession over to the Sistine Chapel, where the conclave will be taking place.
Cardinals gather for prayer before start of conclave
We're starting to see the first of the 133 cardinals responsible for choosing the next pope gather ahead of the procession.
They're gathering at the Pauline Chapel to pray and will then form a procession over to the Sistine Chapel singing Veni Creator Spiritus (Come, Holy Spirit).
You can watch along in the stream at the top of this live page, and we'll be bringing you the latest updates here.
Watch: What happens during a conclave?
With cardinals set to gather in the next few moments, the start of the conclave is edging ever closer.
The meeting to elect the new pope is held in secrecy in the Sistine Chapel with phones handed over, windows covered and the building even swept for bugs.
We take you through exactly what happens in this video:
Coming up: Procession, oath of secrecy - then doors close
Our Europe correspondent Siobhan Robbins is in Vatican City, and says we'll see the line of cardinal electors walking from the Pauline Chapel into the Sistine Chapel in the next hour.
"They're going to take an oath of secrecy. They'll take it as a collective, and then individually," she says.
"When all that process is done, the doors are shut. We'll hear the words read out in Latin and that's when that top secret negotiation, the election begins.
"One by one they'll be called, we've seen the numbers that have been written on white balls."
Robbins says that the cardinals will be called to cast their votes in the election, and then "at some point this evening, we will hope to see the smoke".
Of course, black smoke means that no decision has been made, and white smoke means a new pope has been elected.
What are the chances of a British pope?
It's been 866 years since the papacy of Britain's only ever pontiff (Pope Adrian IV) ended in 1159, and the history of the Catholic Church in the UK since then has been turbulent.
It is not thought that any of the UK or Irish cardinals are among the favourites to succeed Pope Francis.
Cardinal Sean Brady, Ireland's only Catholic cardinal, will turn 86 this summer and so is also unable to vote because of his age, as is Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald, from Birmingham, who will turn 88 in August.
Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols, from Liverpool, and the leader of Catholics in England and Wales, is taking part in conclave, as is Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, who is from London.
Aged 75, Cardinal Arthur Roche, from West Yorkshire and based in Rome, is the youngest of the UK and Ireland's cardinals.
Both Cardinal Radcliffe and Cardinal Nichols appeared to rule themselves out of the running soon after Francis's death was announced.
Scotland has no Catholic cardinals.
There is also Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is Irish-born but is seen as an American cardinal having ministered mainly in the US.
He has been based in Rome for some years.
Cardinal Farrell was the one to announce the death of Pope Francis and, as camerlengo, has been the senior official ensuring the smooth running of the church until a new pontiff is chosen, including organising the meetings of cardinals preceding the conclave.
For profiles on each British cardinal, read on here...
Where do cardinals sleep during the conclave?
As cardinals prepare to gather ahead of their procession over to the Sistine Chapel, they're about to enter a period of secrecy.
The conclave will only end once two-thirds of the 133 cardinals have come to an agreement on the new pope.
For that reason, they will be staying at Casa Santa Marta - a guesthouse inside the Vatican's grounds.
That's because the process can go on for some time. The longest conclave lasted almost three years between 1268 and 1271.
Although, it's worth noting that several have lasted only one day.
The most recent conclaves - for Pope Francis in 2013, Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 and Pope John Paul II in 1978 - all lasted less than three days.
Media attention building as conclave nears
It's approaching 3pm, which is when we expect to start seeing cardinals before they make their way over to the Sistine Chapel.
The media attention has been building throughout the day, with camera crews setting up near St Peter's Basilica.
'Double best wishes': Dean of cardinals overheard giving message to papal frontrunner
We have a hot mic moment to bring you now, which could be significant in this week's conclave...
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re went to greet Cardinal Pietro Parolin at the end of morning mass earlier.
It looks as though Re - the dean of the cardinals who led the mass - might not have been aware of the live feed showing pictures from Vatican City at the time.
Battista Re, 91, was overheard on the feed telling Parolin: "Best wishes. Double best wishes."
In the original Italian, this was "auguri... auguri doppi".
Watch the moment below...
Parolin, 70, is the current frontrunner in the contest to become the next pope.
However, let's not get ahead of ourselves.
The dean of cardinals usually presides over the vote. But in this conclave, the current dean - Re - is over the eligible voting age, and so the election will be led by Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state.
So, it's quite possible Re was simply wishing Parolin good luck for running the process.
But then Re did say "double best wishes"...
Read all about the man known as "deputy pope" since 2013 in our explainer below:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
11 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Starmer to speak with allies ahead of Zelenskiy-Trump meeting
Keir Starmer will speak to western allies on Sunday ahead of Volodymyr Zelenskiy's White House meeting with Donald Trump. The British Prime Minister, France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Friedrich Merz will host the meeting of the coalition of the willing on Sunday afternoon. Advertisement Mr Zelenskiy will fly to Washington DC on Monday, where he will meet the US president for the next stage of talks. The one-on-one in the Oval Office could pave the way for a three-way meeting alongside Russian leader Mr Putin, the US president has said. The coalition of the willing, made up of 30-plus nations, is prepared to deter Russian aggression by putting troops on the ground in Ukraine once the war is over. The meeting, which is expected to take place at approximately 2pm UK time, comes on the heels of Mr Trump's summit in Alaska with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Advertisement Donald Trump shakes hands with Vladimir Putin after their joint news conference on Friday (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Mr Trump hoped to secure a peace deal from the talks at a military base in Anchorage, but both he and Mr Putin walked away without agreement on how to end the war in Ukraine. The US leader, however, insisted 'some great progress' was made, with 'many points' agreed and 'very few' remaining. Several news outlets have cited sources which claimed that during the negotiations Mr Putin demanded full control of Donetsk and Luhansk – two occupied Ukrainian regions – as a condition for ending the war. In exchange he would give up other Ukrainian territories held by Russian troops. Advertisement Other outlets reported that Mr Trump is inclined to support the plan, and will speak to Mr Zelenskiy about it on Monday when they meet in the Oval Office. After the Alaska summit, the US president told Fox News it was now up to the Ukrainian to 'make a deal' to end the war. Starmer commended Mr Trump's 'pursuit of an end to the killing' following a phone call with the US president, Mr Zelenskiy and Nato allies on Saturday morning. But he insisted Ukraine's leader must not be excluded from future talks to broker a peace in Ukraine. Advertisement The British Prime Minister and European leaders appeared increasingly confident that Mr Trump will offer a 'security guarantee' of air support to back up allied troops on the ground in Ukraine. Mr Starmer welcomed 'the openness of the United States, alongside Europe, to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any deal'. 'This is important progress and will be crucial in deterring Putin from coming back for more,' he said. But Mr Trump also appeared to have a change of heart on what he wants to achieve from the talks, indicating that he wants a permanent peace settlement rather than a ceasefire. Advertisement Writing on his Truth Social platform, the US president said: 'It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere ceasefire agreement, which often times do not hold up.' Mr Putin described the meeting as 'timely' and 'useful' after leaving Alaska. Experts have warned the face-to-face summit has risked legitimising the Russian leader, after he has been made a pariah by the international community for years. Dr Neil Melvin, director of international security at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), said: 'Vladimir Putin came to the Alaska summit with the principal goal of stalling any pressure on Russia to end the war. 'He will consider the summit outcome as mission accomplished.' I received a report from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. The front, the defense of positions, and up-to-date information on the intentions and movements of the Russian army. We are defending our positions along the entire front line, and for the second day in a row, we have… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 16, 2025 Ukraine's president Mr Zelenskiy warned Russia may ramp up its strikes against his country in the coming days 'in order to create more favourable political circumstances for talks with global actors'. Kyiv's troops are 'defending our positions along the entire front line', he added on social media site X. Mr Zelenskiy had earlier insisted a ceasefire must include an end to fighting on land, in the sea and the air, as well as the return of all prisoners of war and captured civilians, including children. Sanctions on Moscow 'should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia tries to evade an honest end to the war', Mr Zelenskiy said.
Daily Mail
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
British horse racing to go on STRIKE for the first time ever - with four events scrapped in backlash to Rachel Reeves' proposed betting tax rise
British racing has taken the astonishing decision to go on strike with all four meetings set to be staged on September 10 being cancelled. The unprecedented action has been taken as the sport protests at the proposed rise to betting tax. Chancellor Rachel Reeves declined to rule out the possibility of raising tax on gambling after a thinktank said £3.2billion could be raised. Such a move, however, has been met with widespread dismay in racing. To take a stand, the fixtures at Uttoxeter, Lingfield, Kempton and Carlisle have been cancelled. It is expected to cost the industry, which provides jobs for 85,000 people, £700,000. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has campaigned vociferously against the Treasury's intention to raise tax paid by bookmakers on gambling profits from racing and other sports 15 to 21 per cent – the same as slot machines and casinos. Jim Mullen, Chief Executive of The Jockey Club which owns Kempton and Carlisle, has said tax rises would cause 'irreparable damage' to a sport that continues to be second only to football in terms of drawing in crowds. Mullen told The Sunday Times: 'Our sport has to come together. By cancelling racing fixtures, we hope the government will take a moment to reflect on the harm this tax will cause.'
The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
Ukraine will be forced to surrender eastern territory & forget about joining Nato under Trump and Putin's peace terms
STRICKEN Ukraine will be forced to surrender large swathes of its eastern territory and forget about ever joining Nato under peace terms haggled by Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The war-torn country's desire to join the European Union is also in doubt after the two superpower presidents held controversial talks in Alaska on Friday. 8 8 8 Ukraine would be outlawed fro m joining the Western defence alliance, but have its redrawn borders underwritten by its US and European allies in the terms suggested by the White House. Allies have offered 'ironclad' security assurances to protect Ukraine from future Russian aggression if a peace deal can be forged. But it would stop short of Nato Article 5 status, which sees members of the alliance leap to the aid of any member that is attacked. Ukraine's desire to join Nato has been blamed as a root cause of President Putin's invasion. He has insisted 'Nyet' — Russian for 'No' — over the proposal. But the future security of Ukraine is the number one condition of its president, Volodymyr Zelensky. British and other European troops could be committed to police the peace, with President Trump finally conceding the Americans would play a vital role in the future defence of Ukraine. Last night, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly stated: 'The good news is that America is ready to participate in such security guarantees and is not leaving it to the Europeans alone.' And PM Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Trump's 'leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing' should be commended. Calls for an immediate ceasefire were dropped by world leaders yesterday, after Mr Trump announced he was instead pursuing a more stable and lasting 'peace deal'. Trump-Putin latest- Don says 'no deal' on Ukraine war & holds call with Zelensky after saying it's now 'up to him' Plans haggled at Friday's face-to-face summit are being circulated by the Americans after the US President and the Kremlin tyrant met each other in Anchorage, Alaska, for more than three hours. The Sun has been told a surrender deal would see Ukraine forced to reject Nato membership and other 'multinational deals'. Negotiations would also begin about ceding control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Eastern Ukraine which are, in part, heavily occupied by Russian troops. There was confusion last night over whether the talks would focus on territory currently held by the Kremlin invaders, or whether the wider regions were on the table. Yesterday, EU leaders insisted: 'Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to EU and Nato.' However, that does not rule out Mr Zelensky deciding to withdraw Ukraine's stated aim to join both alliances as part of the wider deal. He will fly to Washington DC on Monday to meet with President Trump at the White House — six months after their disastrous Oval Office bust up, which saw the leader of the free world savage Mr Zelensky live on TV. 8 Russia has long claimed Donetsk and Luhansk are more loyal to Moscow than Kyiv, while Mr Zelensky has publicly ruled out giving up the land. However, he is under massive pressure to concede and end the bloody three-and-a-half year conflict, which has seen more than a million deaths. European leaders were locked in talks with the White House this weekend, as the world scrambled to catch up with what Mr Trump had offered Mr Putin to end the war. Last night, UK government sources said the PM was playing a key role in selling the terms of the deal to wider Western allies in a series of calls following the talks between the Americans and Russians. I welcome the openness of the United States, alongside Europe, to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any deal. This is important progress and will be crucial in deterring Putin from coming back for more Sir Keir Starmer's statement President Trump yesterday insisted it is time for Mr Zelensky to choose whether to agree with the terms of the deal — as the pair prepared to meet tomorrow. The White House has also offered to play host to a trilateral summit between the Russians and Ukrainians if the deal is within reach. Speaking following Friday's talks, where he met with his Russian counterpart for the first time in six years, President Trump insisted it was 'a great and very successful day in Alaska!' He wrote on his Truth Social website: 'The meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia went very well, as did a late night phone call with President Zelensky of Ukraine, and various European Leaders, including the highly respected Secretary General of Nato. 8 8 'It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up. President Zelensky will be coming to D.C., the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. 'Potentially, millions of people's lives will be saved. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Last night, President Putin also welcomed progress made at the talks, after leaving the summit without taking questions from hundreds of assembled journalists. In a televised address released by the Kremlin, he said: 'The conversation was very frank, substantive, and, in my opinion, brings us closer to the necessary decisions.' He added: 'We have not had direct negotiations of this kind at this level for a long time. We had the opportunity to calmly and in detail reiterate our position.' We are clear that Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. No limitations should be placed on Ukraine's armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries. Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to EU and NATO European statement In a long statement, President Zelensky welcomed the offer of security guarantees outlined by Mr Trump, in a tentative sign he may be willing to sign up to the terms. He wrote: 'A real peace must be achieved, one that will be lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions. Killings must stop as soon as possible, the fire must cease both on the battlefield and in the sky, as well as against our port infrastructure. 'All Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians must be released, and the children abducted by Russia must be returned. 'Thousands of our people remain in captivity — they all must be brought home. Pressure on Russia must be maintained while the aggression and occupation continue.' He went on: 'In my conversation with President Trump, I said that sanctions should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia tries to evade an honest end to the war. Sanctions are an effective tool. 'Security must be guaranteed reliably and in the long term, with involvement of Europe and the US. 'All issues important to Ukraine must be discussed with Ukraine's participation, and no issue, particularly territorial ones, can be decided without Ukraine. I thank our partners who are helping.' Yesterday the PM was taking part in a round of behind the scenes diplomacy, speaking to the White House and European capitals. He heaped praise on Mr Trump, saying his 'efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia's illegal war in Ukraine'. He went on: 'His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended.' But the PM warned: 'While progress has been made, the next step must be further talks involving President Zelensky. 8 The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him. I spoke to President Zelensky, President Trump and other European partners, and we all stand ready to support this next phase. 'I welcome the openness of the United States, alongside Europe, to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any deal. 'This is important progress and will be crucial in deterring Putin from coming back for more. 'In the meantime, until he stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions, which have already had a punishing impact on the Russian economy and its people. Our unwavering support for Ukraine will continue as long as it takes.' In a joint statement, Sir Keir and European leaders including France's Emmanuel Macron and Italy's Giorgia Meloni, said: 'We are clear Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. 'No limitations should be placed on Ukraine's armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries. Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to EU and Nato. 8 By Sophia Sleigh DONALD Trump was right to bring Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table on Friday, says Dame Priti Patel. The Shadow Foreign Secretary gave her support to the US President's efforts — while adding that Britain must keep up 'tightening the screws' on the Russian tyrant's regime. The Tory grandee told The Sun on Sunday: 'It is right President Trump has brought Putin to the negotiating table. 'And we support his efforts in ending Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. 'Now is the time for the Euro-Atlantic partnership to be stronger than ever in supporting Ukraine, and forcing Putin to end his barbaric war. 'The British government must lead the charge, as we have done, in keeping pressure on Putin through sanctions — and demonstrate we can lead efforts to support Ukraine, and tighten the screws on Russia.' But others had concerns that no ceasefire had been reached yesterday — even with Mr Trump having warned Putin of 'severe consequences" if fighting did not stop. Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'Trump has to tell him to agree to a ceasefire or he will up the ante on sanctions, secondary sanctions and weapons to Ukraine. Putin has to fear what Trump can do — more than his own generals and politicians who would come after him.' He added that Trump 'must understand who Putin is, a KGB man who has one purpose in life — to recreate the Soviet Union'. Former PM Boris Johnson also said that Trump was right to make a move as Putin was weaker than he seemed owing to the war's damage to Russia's economy. Most Labour MPs remained quiet on the talks. Crossbench peer and intelligence expert Lord Peter Ricketts said they were a 'clear win' for Putin.
