What Is a Conclave to Elect a New Pope
A conclave to elect a new pope is the formal process by which cardinal electors gather in the Vatican to choose the next Bishop of Rome. The term conclave refers to the locked-door meeting that follows the vacancy of the papal throne, known as sede vacante. According to current Vatican procedures, only cardinals under the age of 80 may enter the Sistine Chapel to vote. The process is governed by the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis and any subsequent updates issued by the reigning pope before his death or resignation.
The conclave to elect a new pope typically begins between 15 and 20 days after the papal vacancy is confirmed. Cardinal electors are housed in the Domus Sanctae Marthae within Vatican City, while voting takes place in the Sistine Chapel. Security and media access are tightly controlled by Vatican authorities and Italian law enforcement. The entire process is designed to balance secrecy with transparency in the final announcement of the elected pope.
How Voting Works in the Conclave to Elect a New Pope
In each ballot of the conclave to elect a new pope, every cardinal elector writes a name on a rectangular paper card and places it into a large chalice or urn on the altar. The ballots are then counted by designated tellers, and a two-thirds supermajority is required for election. If no candidate reaches the threshold after a full round of voting, the ballots from that day are burned in the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. Chemical compounds are added to the smoke to produce black or white signals visible from St. Peter's Square.
After approximately 12 to 13 days of voting, the cardinals may shift to a simple majority vote, but only after prolonged deadlock and with the agreement of at least two-thirds of the electors. Historically, some conclaves have lasted only a few hours, while others have extended over multiple weeks. The longest modern conclave before the 2025 process was the 1958 conclave, which took three days to elect Pope John XXIII. Detailed statistics on past conclaves are tracked by Vatican historians and reported by outlets such as Vatican News.
Key Facts and Historical Data on Conclaves to Elect a New Pope
The most recent conclave to elect a new pope concluded on May 8, 2025, when Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected and took the name Pope Leo XIV. He became the first American pope and the first pope from the Order of Augustinian Recollects. The conclave was held following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. The Vatican announced the result via white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney at 6:07 PM local time, and the new pope appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica shortly afterward.
Globally, there are approximately 135 cardinal electors eligible to participate in a conclave to elect a new pope as of mid-2025. The largest group of electors comes from Europe, followed by Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The Vatican Bank, formally known as the Institute for the Works of Religion, continues to operate under tighter financial oversight frameworks that were strengthened in the years following Pope Francis