The televised service is being presided over by Cardinal
Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old Dean of the College of Cardinals, who
also officiated Pope Francis' funeral.
Around 130 red-robed cardinals from around the world are attending the Mass before the start of the papal conclave—a centuries-old tradition through which a new head of the Catholic Church is chosen.
The Vatican has announced that this year’s conclave will be the largest in history, with 133 cardinal electors eligible to participate. Of these, 108 are “novices” who have never before taken part in the election of a new pontiff.
The next leader of the 1.4 billion-strong global Catholic Church will succeed Pope Francis, who died I office.
Only five cardinals present today also voted in the 2005 conclave: Philippe Barbarin of France, Josip Bozanić of Croatia, Péter Erdő of Hungary, Vinko Puljić of Bosnia, and Peter Turkson of Ghana.
On Wednesday evening, under the iconic domed ceiling of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, the cardinals will cast their first vote to elect the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church.
That afternoon, dressed in their choir attire of scarlet cassocks, white rochets, and scarlet mozettas (short capes), the cardinals will gather in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace.
They will invoke the Holy Spirit’s guidance before proceeding to the Sistine Chapel, which will have been swept for surveillance devices.
Once inside, the cardinal electors will take an oath, pledging to fulfil the role faithfully if elected and vowing complete secrecy regarding the proceedings.
The Master of Ceremonies will then declare "Extra omnes," Latin for "everyone out," signalling all non-electors to leave the Sistine Chapel.
Outside, crowds are beginning to gather in and around St. Peter’s Square, eagerly awaiting the symbolic smoke signals that will follow the first round of voting this afternoon.
Visitors walk carefully around the colonnades flanking the historic piazza, watching for any sign of white smoke that would indicate a decision has been reached.
Barred from leaving or communicating with the outside world, the cardinal electors must continue voting until they select the next spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
Once a new Pope is elected, white smoke will rise from the chimney above the Apostolic Palace. Shortly thereafter, the new Pontiff will emerge on the balcony to greet the faithful.
According to Italian state media, mobile signals within Vatican territory will be disabled early Wednesday afternoon to prevent any conclave participant from contacting the outside world.
The Vatican will also deploy signal jammers around the Sistine Chapel to block electronic surveillance or communication, Italian news agency ANSA reported.
Phone signals will be cut off at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday—an hour and a half before the cardinals are scheduled to enter the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave, according to Italian state broadcaster RAI.
According to the Vatican Media, after the final oath is taken, a period of meditation will follow. Then, the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, Diego Ravelli, will proclaim “Extra omnes”—Latin for “everyone out.”
This phrase signals the beginning of the cardinals' isolation and the formal start of the conclave.
Ravelli is one of only three ecclesiastical staff permitted to remain in the chapel during the initial stages, though all non-electors must exit during the actual vote counting.
The cardinals will not be locked in, but on Tuesday, Vatican officials sealed the entrances to the Apostolic Palace, which includes the Sistine Chapel, with lead seals, where they will remain until the conclave concludes.
Swiss Guards will stand watch at all entrances.
While it is technically possible for a pope to be elected in the first round, this has not occurred in centuries.
If the initial vote does not result in the required two-thirds majority, the cardinals will return to the Casa Santa Marta guesthouse for dinner.
It is often during these informal moments that critical discussions occur and consensus begins to form around potential candidates.
From Thursday, May 8, 2025, cardinals will take breakfast between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., followed by Mass at 8:15 a.m.
Two votes will take place in the morning, followed by lunch and a period of rest.
Notably, the last two conclaves concluded by the end of the second day.
At this stage, it is impossible to predict whether this conclave will be long or short.
