London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 24, 2025

Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome

133 Cardinals from 71 Countries to Elect the Next Pope in a Secretive Voting Process
The largest and most geographically diverse papal conclave in history is scheduled to begin on May 7 in Rome, where at least 133 cardinals will cast their ballots to select the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

The conclave will take place in the Sistine Chapel, where a two-thirds majority vote is required to elect a new pope.

The process is expected to be secretive, with cardinals taking an oath of secrecy and the chapel being swept for electronic bugging devices daily.The cardinals will meet inside the historic chapel to vote between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. in near total silence, with no discussion or politicking allowed within the Sistine Chapel.

To maintain secrecy, some cardinals will obscure their handwriting before folding up their paper ballot, which will then be placed in a lidded bronze and silver urn and mixed up before being tallied one by one.If a new pope is not chosen on the first day, the cardinals will meet for a Mass at 8:15 a.m. in the Pauline Chapel, followed by a mid-morning prayer at 9:30 a.m. before returning to the Sistine Chapel.

The voting process will continue until a two-thirds majority is reached, with ballots being burned with a chemical agent that produces black smoke if no candidate reaches the threshold.

When a new pope is chosen, the ballots will be burned with a different additive that creates white smoke.The cardinals participating in the conclave hail from 71 countries, making it the most geographically diverse in history.

The countries with the most electors are Italy, United States, Brazil, France, and Spain.

By continent, the elector breakdown is as follows: Europe (53), Asia (52), Africa (18), South America (17), North America (16), Central America (4), and Oceania (4).Several cardinals are considered top contenders to become the next pope, including Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle of the Philippines, Fridolin Ambongo of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Anders Arborelius of Sweden, and Jean-Marc Aveline of France.

The conclave is expected to last no more than five days, with the past 10 conclaves averaging just 3.2 days.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Various Developments in UK Sports, Health, and Security
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Multiple Injuries Reported Following Stabbing Attack in Germany
Escalating Trade Tensions and Market Reactions
Major Global Events: Ukraine-Russia Prisoner Exchange, Nuclear Talks, and Other Developments
US President Threatens Apple with 25% Tariff on iPhones Not Made in America
Escaped Psychiatric Patient Sentenced for Killing Church Warden with Golf Umbrella
Police Scotland 'At Breaking Point' Amid Soaring Mental Health Absences
Asylum Seeker Jailed for Spreading Islamic State Propaganda Online
Billy Joel Cancels All Upcoming Concerts Due to Brain Disorder
British Taxpayers Face £31 Billion Loss from 2008 RBS Bailout
Tottenham Hotspur Clinch European Title Amid Manager's Defiant Message
Starmer's Winter Fuel Cut U-Turn Claim Deemed 'Not Credible'
Keir Starmer's NHS Boast Faces Scrutiny Over Comparisons During Strike Periods
UK Scientists Launch Urgent Study to Save Declining Bee Populations
Gary Neville Banned from Nottingham Forest's Stadium for Premier League Finale
Greenland Awards Mining Rights to Danish-French Consortium
Majority of Germans Want to Leave the Country, Poll Finds
Stabbing Attack in Germany Leaves Multiple Injured
OnlyFans Reportedly in Talks for $8 Billion Sale
Booz Allen Hamilton to Cut 2,500 Jobs Amid Federal Spending Reductions
JBS Gains Shareholder Approval for U.S. Stock Listing
Trump Signs Executive Orders to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Development
Harvard Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration's International Student Ban
Nippon Steel Forms Partnership with U.S. Steel, Headquarters to Remain in Pittsburgh
Trump Expands Tariff Threats to Apple and Samsung Devices
Oracle and OpenAI Plan $40 Billion Nvidia Chip Purchase for AI Data Center
Trump Threatens 50% Tariff on EU Goods, Markets React
Americans Seek British Citizenship in Record Numbers Post-Trump Re-election
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
UK Justice Secretary Advocates for Good Conduct Release Policies to Alleviate Prison Overcrowding
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
UK Transfers Chagos Islands Sovereignty to Mauritius in Strategic Agreement
Bitcoin Surpasses $111,000 Mark for the First Time
Key Developments in UK Business and Economy
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Leaked Secret Report: How the Muslim Brotherhood Is Expanding in France—With Qatari Funding
BYD Surpasses Tesla in European Electric Vehicle Sales
West Nile Virus Detected in UK Mosquitoes for First Time
UK Exposes Russian Cyber Campaign Targeting Ukraine Aid Networks
UK Inflation Rises to 3.5% in April Amid Household Bill Increases
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Taiwan claims China is using cash to win over developing nations
European Parliament Suspends Huawei Lobbyists Amid Corruption Probe
Industry Leaders Express Skepticism Over EU's New Single Market Strategy
European Parliament Considers Lifting Immunity of Five MEPs in Huawei Investigation
‘Plane Full of English Animals’: Footage Documents EasyJet Flight Chaos to Ibiza
Trump and Ramaphosa Hold Contentious White House Meeting Amid Diplomatic Strains
US Billionaires' Wealth Surges by $365 Billion Amid Tax Cut Debate
×