2025 The papal conclave begins in the Vatican, with black smoke that indicates that there is no new pope chosen in the first vote

Six continent Catholic cardinal voters met on Wednesday within the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican for the 2025 conclave to select a new Pope. After the first voting round, black smoke was seen leaving the Sistine Chapel when the night fell in Rome, indicating that they have not yet agreed an option for the next pontiff.

The conclave began 16 days after the death of Pope Francis, 88, who led the 1,400 million Catholics in the world for 12 years.

Without anyone receiving the required vote of two thirds of more in the first round, the cardinals will resume the process on Thursday morning. The chimney will be sent a white smoke once a new Pope is chosen.

It is impossible to say How long will the conclavebut many observers expect the 133 cardinal voters to choose a new pontiff in a few days.

Earlier on Wednesday, the cardinals celebrated a final mass in the Basilica of San Pedro, led by the dean of the Cardinals College, Giovanni Battisa Re.

“We are here to invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, to implore his light and strength so that the chosen Pope can be to whom the Church and humanity need in this difficult and complex turning point in history,” Re to the cardinals told the cardinals. “This is also a strong call to maintain the unity of the Church … a unit that does not mean uniformity, but a firm and deep communion in diversity.”

• Who will be the next Pope? These are some of the candidates.

Re said that cardinals should pray for “a Pope who knows how to better awaken the consciences of all and moral and spiritual energies in today’s society, characterized by great technological progress but that tends to forget God. Today’s world today expects much of the Church with respect to the safeguarding of those fundamental human and spiritual values ​​without which human coexistence will not be better or will bring good to future generations.”

After a meeting at the Apostolic Palace, the most diverse group of voters in history, from at least 70 different countries, walked in procession from the Paulina chapel of the Palace to the adjacent Sistine Chapel, where the conceonym will take place.

He Process to select a new Pope He is wrapped in secret, and the cardinal voters presented one by one to make an oath inside the chapel just before the conclave began, promising to preserve that secret.

“In a particular way, we promise and swore with the greatest fidelity and with all people, clerical or secular, secret with respect to everything that somehow relates to the choice of the Roman pontiff and with respect to what happens in the place of the choice, directly or indirectly related to the results of the vote”, the cardinals that were in cans. “We promise and swear not to break this secret in any way, either during or after the election of the new Pontiff, unless the Pontiff himself grants explicit authorization.”

Cardinal voters are forced to give up their digital devices during the conclave.

Dozens of less senior staff and clergy who will play some role in the conclave had already made a similar vote of secret.

After the last of the cardinal voters lent the oath of the Secret, a statement of “extra omnes”, or “all outside”, by archbishop Diego Ravelli, the master of ceremonies of the Vatican, was the signal for all the others to leave the Sistine chapel so that the work of the conconcónimo could begin. The doors of the chapel were blocked from the inside.

The cardinals were expected to celebrate a single voting round before a night sentence on Wednesday, and since additional votes will be needed, they will return to the Sistine Chapel to continue the process on Thursday morning.

In:
• Pope Francis
• Vatican City
• papal conclave
• Dad
• Catholic church