Papal conclave live updates: Cardinals gather at Vatican to elect next pope
Catholic cardinals are gathering at the Vatican to elect the successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21. Voting will take place in the Sistine Chapel, with ballots continuing in succession until any candidate secures two-thirds of the available votes.
If no clear choice has emerged after three days, balloting is suspended for 24 hours to allow cardinal electors time to reflect. Since 1831, no conclave has lasted more than four days.
The end of each round of balloting will be signaled by smoke emanating from a stovepipe chimney atop the Sistine Chapel. Black smoke -- fumata nera in Italian -- indicates an inconclusive vote, while white smoke -- fumata bianca -- will signify that a new pope has been elected, as will the ringing of the bells of St. Peter's Basilica.
Latest Developments
May 7, 3:00 AM
What to expect as cardinals gather for conclave
Hundreds of Catholic cardinals -- of whom 133 will be voting -- have gathered at the Vatican to begin the process of electing the next pope on Wednesday.
The cardinals will first attend a mass at St. Peter's Basilica at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET).
PHOTO: Nuns walk near St. Peter's Basilica on the first day of the conclave to elect the next pope near the Vatican, in Rome, Italy, on May 7, 2025. (Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)
The 133 voting cardinals will then enter the Pauline Chapel at around 4:15 p.m., from which they will proceed to the Sistine Chapel to take their oaths at approximately 4:30 p.m.
The master of ceremony will then oversee the official start of the conclave at approximately 5 p.m.
-ABC News' Phoebe Natanson and Joe Simonetti
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