Election of New Pope to Begin May 7, 2025
Gathered in Rome for general congregations ahead of the conclave to elect the next pope, cardinals received their first meditation April 29, delivered by Benedictine Father Donato Ogliari. He offered a spiritual portrait of the next pope as Christ-centered, attentive to the poor, open to dialogue, and committed to synodality.
The individual elected pope, Benedictine Father Donato Ogliari said, “must courageously and gently bear the weight of the church, advance without fear in the challenges of the present time, and be for all a living sign of the Lord’s merciful closeness.”
During the general congregations, or “pre-conclave” meetings, cardinals receive meditations to help prepare them for their future decision. In his meditation on April 29, Father Ogliari outlined the spiritual qualities the next pope should embody, a portrait the cardinals will consider when they gather in conclave beginning Wednesday, May 7.
To guide the cardinals spiritually, Ogliari urged them to center their choice on Christ and be led by the Holy Spirit. He also reminded them of the crucial impact their decision would have on the future of the church, while emphasizing the need for the cardinals to remain open to the challenges of the contemporary world. “Even though the place of the ‘conclave‘—as the term itself indicates—is a place locked away, it will, in reality, be wide open to the entire world.”
The pope’s spiritual portrait
In his remarks, Father Ogliari emphasized the vision of the church the next pope will need to embrace: a church first and foremost centered on Christ, characterized by humility and the gentleness of Jesus. “The church rooted in Christ is a church capable of incarnating itself in history and moving through it with confidence alongside its Lord, not conforming to the worldly standards of power and domination, but shaped by the gentleness, humility, and merciful love that Jesus embodied in his earthly life.”
According to Ogliari’s meditation, the church led by the next pope will also be prophetic and courageous. “The church rooted in Christ is an open, courageous, and prophetic church that abhors violent words and actions, that knows how to be the voice of those who have no voice, and that, when necessary, knows how to be a discordant voice solely to stubbornly point out the paths of justice, fraternity, and peace.”
An open Church for Today’s World
Drawing on themes dear to Pope Francis, Ogliari also encouraged the cardinals to elect a pope capable of building bridges, being attentive to the poor and marginalized, and working for dialogue. “The church rooted in Christ is a church that avoids self-referentiality and knows how to transcend its own boundaries to reach out to those who are outside, to those experiencing the meaninglessness of life or marked by the stigma of marginalization and exclusion… I am confident, however, that the church will continue to keep its eyes and heart wide open to the last of the earth, the living flesh of Christ in the world, embracing ‘the joys and hopes, the sorrows and anxieties of the men of today, especially the poor, and all those who suffer.’”
Ogliari urged the cardinals to choose a successor to Peter ready to continue the synodal path begun by Pope Francis. “Deepening the synodal process—which aims to revitalize communion and participation within the church—can make the church’s mission more effective in various sectors of society, thanks to the virtuous circle created between communion, participation, and mission.”
Father Donato Ogliari, originally from Como and abbot of the Abbey of Mont Cassin in Lazio until 2024, is now abbot of the Abbey of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. President of the Italian Monastic Conference, he was appointed by Pope Francis to the Congregation for Bishops in 2022. He was chosen to spiritually prepare the cardinals for their decision by delivering the first of the meditations preached during the general congregations.
The death of Pope Francis, on April 21 at the age of 88, paves the way for the election of a new leader for the Catholic Church. It’s a highly codified process.
The cardinals already in Rome, joined by those arriving later, can discuss beforehand the church’s needs and mission in order to clarify the profile the church requires at its head. These discussions take place in what are known as the “general congregations.”
Who will elect the pope?
The pope will be elected by the cardinals. Since 1970, only cardinals under the age of 80 and present in Rome on the day the conclave begins are allowed to vote—the doors cannot be reopened for a latecomer. In fact, once the last cardinal has taken the oath to keep the vote secret after the Sistine Chapel doors are closed, the master of liturgical celebrations announces in Latin, “Extra omnes!” (“Everyone out!”).
How many voting cardinals are there?
For the election of Pope Francis’ successor, the College of Cardinals currently consists of 252 cardinals, of which 135 are eligible voters under the age of 80, well over the limit of 120 imposed by St. John Paul II. Following the December 2024 consistory, of the cardinal electors, 108 were appointed by Francis, 22 by Benedict XVI, and five by John Paul II.
How is the election conducted?
At the start of the conclave, the cardinals—accommodated at the Santa Marta residence—will gather in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, assisted by a few attendants.
They will take an oath not to reveal any details about the votes, to honor the result of the ballot, and to keep the election process strictly confidential. Moreover, they are not permitted to attempt any communication with the outside world. As a result, only the final outcome of the election will be known—not the specifics of the vote.
Who can be elected pope?
According to church law, it is not necessary to be a cardinal to be elected pope; one simply needs to be an adult baptized male. However, since the 14th century, only cardinals have been elected pope. It is, therefore, almost certain that Pope Francis’ successor will be one of the cardinals present in the Sistine Chapel.
How will the ballot be conducted?
On the first day of the conclave, the cardinals will be called upon to vote immediately for a first round, followed by a second vote if no pope is elected. In the days that follow, they will vote four times a day—two ballots in the morning and two in the afternoon.
Voting is conducted by secret ballot. For this purpose, the cardinals will receive ballots bearing the Latin phrase “Eligo in summum pontificem” (“I choose as Supreme Pontiff”) above a blank space. This is where they will write the name of the candidate they choose before placing their ballot in the urn.
What majority Is required for election?
For a candidate to be elected, his name must receive at least two-thirds of the votes. Recent conclaves have quickly reached the required majority and designated a new pope.
For example, Benedict XVI was elected on the second day of the conclave in 2005 after four rounds of voting, while in the election of Francis in 2013, the cardinals needed five rounds of voting to agree on the new pope.
The white smoke from the Sistine Chapel
The election of a new pope will be signaled by a plume of white smoke emerging from a chimney at the Vatican. As long as no decision has been reached, the smoke will be black.
In use since the 19th century, this method serves a dual purpose: it burns the cardinals’ ballots—preventing any leak of voting details—and directly communicates the outcome to the faithful gathered at the Vatican.
The ritual phrase “Habemus Papam!”
“Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: habemus papam!” (“I announce to you a great joy: we have a pope!”) Eagerly awaited by Catholics, this famous phrase will be proclaimed to the world by the Cardinal Protodeacon—the senior member of the order of cardinal deacons—announcing the election of the new pope.
The first public appearance
From the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, that same cardinal will reveal the identity of the new pope and the name he has chosen for his pontificate. Moments later, the new leader of the Catholic Church will appear and deliver his first apostolic blessing.
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