US EditionWhat happens after the conclave white smoke? A look at the papal transition
- More than 130 cardinals convened in Rome on May 7, 2025, to elect Pope Francis's successor in a traditional, secretive conclave held at the Vatican.
- The conclave follows a centuries-old ritual designed to ensure a prayerful, deliberate, and unbiased choice without outside influence, with voting continuing until a candidate wins two-thirds majority.
- Cardinals cast ballots up to four times daily in the Sistine Chapel, signaling no decision by black smoke and a new pope by white smoke, which prompts his first blessing and name change symbolizing his pontificate’s tone.
- Rev. Carter emphasized the pope’s role as a unifying spiritual leader needing holiness, governance skills, and multilingualism, noting that the new pope will inevitably have flaws like all humans.
- The selected pope will face urgent issues including church trust, financial management, and global relations, while the conclave’s outcome will shape the direction of over a billion Catholics worldwide.
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Election process for next pope commences with papal conclave
Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images (VATICAN CITY) — The papal conclave, the secretive election process to elect the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church, commences on Wednesday, bringing cardinals from all over the world to select the 267th pope. Since the death of Pope Francis on April 21, a total of 220 cardinals — the church’s highest-ranking clergy — have gathered in Rome to mourn the loss of the former pontiff and begin the sec…
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