Preparations Underway for the Conclave
Starting at 3:00 PM (7:00 AM Central Mexico time) on Wednesday, telephone signals within the Vatican will be cut off to isolate the cardinals from external influences as they prepare to elect Pope Francisco’s successor.
The cardinals who will choose the next pope began moving into the Vatican on Tuesday, where the long tables and chairs have been set up in the magnificent Sistine Chapel, the setting for this highly anticipated and crucial conclave.
Who Will Be the Next Pope?
The identity of the future pontiff remains a mystery, with experts predicting an open conclave without clear frontrunners. This follows Pope Francisco’s reformist Jesuit Argentinian papacy, which has sparked popular fervor and internal division within the Church.
Verónica de García, a tourism worker at the Vatican from Mexico, expressed her hopes to AFP: “Let it not be too closed; instead, support our youth who come with different values than ours.”
Cardinal and Archbishop of Argel, Jean-Paul Vesco, mentioned in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that there are “at least five or six” potential candidates. However, he emphasized, “None of them dominates the others; none can be definitively said to be ‘the one’.”
Two Days of Seclusion
The conclave officially begins on Wednesday.
The Vatican released images of the Sistine Chapel showcasing its grandeur: rows of cardinals’ stalls adorned with brown and red fabrics, displaying their names.
At 3:00 PM (7:00 AM Central Mexico time) on Wednesday, telephone signals within the Vatican will be cut off to isolate the cardinals from external influences. During the conclave, the “princes of the Church” must remain without phones, internet access, or media exposure and maintain secrecy about the new pope’s selection.
In St. Peter’s Square, thousands of people will watch the chimney installed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, hoping to see white smoke—the first sign of a new pope’s election.
The elections for Benedict XVI in 2005 and Francisco in 2013 took two days. However, some anticipate a longer process now, especially since this conclave is the most international in history with cardinals from 70 countries.
Maintaining Secrecy
The large number of electors has led to the Santa Marta residence, where cardinals usually stay since the 2005 conclave, becoming too small. A neighboring building was thus adapted to accommodate the cardinals, offering hotel-like amenities.
Before 2005, cardinals stayed in makeshift rooms at the Apostolic Palace, which were less comfortable and had limited bathrooms. Pope John Paul II then decided to build the current residence.
Santa Marta, where Pope Francisco also resides, features rooms with private bathrooms and similar services to a hotel. The allocation of rooms for the cardinals was determined by lottery.
Cardinals can move to Santa Marta until the Wednesday mass at St. Peter’s Basilica preceding the conclave, by which time they must have safely stored their phones.
The personnel providing support during the election—doctors, elevator operators, dining and cleaning staff—also took an oath to maintain secrecy about the proceedings, facing excommunication for breaches.
Conclave Priorities
On Tuesday, the cardinals participated in their final preparatory meeting, held almost daily since Pope Francisco’s death on April 21. These meetings address various topics concerning the Church.
They concluded with a call for peace “in Ukraine, the Middle East, and many other parts of the world,” as stated in a written declaration. Before his death, Francisco had repeatedly called for an end to conflicts.
During these meetings, the cardinals also discussed Vatican finances, sexual abuse scandals, Church unity, and the ideal profile of the next pope. Many cardinals used this opportunity to get acquainted.
“The discussions have outlined the profile of a pastoral pope, a teacher of humanity, capable of embodying the face of a Church that is attentive to human needs and wounds,” reported the Vatican press office.
These discussions thus fuel reflection leading up to the final vote in the Sistine Chapel, before Michelangelo’s 16th-century fresco of the Last Judgment.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is a conclave? A conclave is an exclusive meeting of cardinals in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope.
- Why are telephone signals cut off? Telephone signals are cut off to isolate the cardinals from external influences during the voting process.
- Who are the potential candidates? There are at least five or six cardinals considered potential candidates, with no clear frontrunner.
- How long will the conclave last? The 2025 conclave is expected to be a lengthy process, possibly lasting more than two days due to its international nature.
- Where do the cardinals stay? Cardinals stay at the Santa Marta residence, featuring hotel-like amenities and private bathrooms.
- What topics are discussed during the meetings? The cardinals discuss various Church matters, including finances, abuse scandals, unity, and the desired profile of the next pope.
