Conclave - Electing a New Pope - Special Topics: Pope Francis & Papal Conclave

This daily timetable from OSV news is approximate; there is no official schedule for voting! Note that only one ballot is cast on the first day of conclave.

This graphic uses Rome time. The anticipated schedule in EST is as follows:

8:15 AM Rome / 2:15 AM EST: Mass together
9:30 AM Rome / 3:30 AM EST: First ballot cast
10:30 AM Rome / 4:30 AM EST: White smoke if successful; if not, another vote.
12:00 PM Rome / 6:00 AM EST: White or black smoke (2 ballots)
Lunch and Break
4:00 PM Rome / 10:00 AM EST: Next ballot cast
5:30 PM Rome / 11:30 AM EST: White smoke if successful; if not, another vote.
7:00 PM Rome / 1:00 PM EST: White or black smoke (2 ballots)
Dinner and sleep

How is a Pope elected?

What happens when a Pope is selected?

Once any one candidate receives a 2/3 majority, voting pauses. The individual will be asked whether he accepts the role of Supreme Pontiff; if he accepts, he will then be asked to choose a Papal name. There are no particular rules for this; while Popes since the 1500s have always selected a new name, they have the option of keeping their baptismal name. Many new popes choose the name of one of their predecessors, but others, like Pope Francis, choose a new name.

How is the new Pope announced?

The first news of a new Pope will come in the form of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney! In the last two elections, the election has also been marked by the ringing of bells at St. Peter's (to eliminate uncertainty; it can be hard to see smoke color correctly).

Afterwards, the most senior member of the College of Cardinals will appear on the main balcony of St. Peter's to announce the election, using a specific Latin formula:

“Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus papam! Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum [FIRST NAME] Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem [LAST NAME], qui sibi nomen imposuit [PAPAL NAME].”

Translation: "I announce to you a great joy: We have a Pope! The most eminent and most reverend Lord, Lord [FIRST NAME] Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church [LAST NAME], who has put upon himself the name [PAPAL NAME].

The Pope's baptismal name and surname, as well as his Papal name, are always read in their Latin version (in the accusative case), so you have to listen carefully -- although news media will usually identify the individual fairly quickly!

There is no 'official' list of the Cardinal Electors' Latin names, but journalists and other conclave-watchers have put together lists of how they think most names might be translated. Some of these lists, along with other information about the Cardinal Electors, have been compiled in the following spreadsheet:

Latin names of Cardinal Electors (2025)

After the official announcement, the new Pope will appear on the main balcony to greet the world and make his first address.

Conclave (from the Latin "with a key") is the process by which a new Pope is elected.

During Conclave, the Cardinal Electors (members of the College of Cardinals who are under 80 years old) are sequestered in the Vatican. Voting takes place four times daily in the Sistine Chapel; in between votes, the Cardinals stay in the Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican's guest house.

Everyone involved -- the Cardinals, and the staff who support them during this time -- takes an oath of secrecy. The Cardinals have no contact with the outside world during Conclave -- signal jammers are installed in the Sistine Chapel, and cellular service will even be disabled throughout Vatican City, with the exception of St. Peter's Square!

How does voting work?

Cardinal Electors cast one vote on the first day of conclave, and four times each successive day. Ballots are cast by writing a name on a pre-printed ballot that reads: Eligo in Summum Pontificem ____ ("I elect as Supreme Pontiff _____"). Any one candidate must receive a 2/3 majority to be elected as Pope.

If a 2/3 majority is not reached, the ballots are discarded and another round of voting begins.

How do we know when voting is concluded?

Since all external communication is blocked until conclave comes to an end, the voting results are shared the old-fashioned way: with smoke signals. After a failed vote, the ballots are burned using a special combination of chemicals which produces black smoke from the Sistine Chapel's chimney. The final, successful vote is burned with different chemicals which produce white smoke. The BBC has an interesting breakdown of the chemical procedures!

Although there are four votes daily, the ballots are usually only burned twice a day.

*Diagram from BBC news

How long does conclave take?

There is no set end point; voting continues until a 2/3 majority is reached! However, if the Cardinal Electors complete four days of votes without a majority, they will take the fifth day as a day of prayer and reflection, with no votes taken, before resuming the following day.

The longest conclave on record was the election of Pope Gregory X, which began in 1268 and lasted nearly 3 years! But most modern conclaves wrap up in only a few days. No conclave since the 1830s has lasted longer than a week.

"How the Conclave Works: It's Guided by a Rule Book and a Prayer Book." (USCCB)
Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis
The official document laying out the rules of Conclave, as last revised by Pope Benedict XVI in 2013.
Inside the Conclave infographic (USCCB)
"How the Next Pope Will Be Elected - What Goes On at the Conclave."
Mathew Schmalz, Prof. of Religious Studies, for The Conversation, April 21, 2025.
"Conclave: How a Pope is Elected" (Vatican News)

Who can be Pope?

Technically, any baptized, Catholic male is eligible to be elected as Pope, even if he is not yet ordained (he would be ordained as a bishop immediately upon his election). In practice, since the 1300s, the new Pope has always been a member of the College of Cardinals -- and typically one of the Cardinal Electors, who, since the 1970s, have been required to be under 80 years old.

So, the new Pope is usually a Cardinal who was under the age of 80 at the time of the former Pope's resignation or death.

Cardinals are high ranking officials in the Catholic Church (which can include Cardinal Deacons, Cardinal Priests, and Cardinal Bishops). Cardinals are appointed to their office by the Pope (and yes, as depicted in the movie Conclave, it is possible for cardinals to be appointed in pectore, secretly).

There are currently 252 cardinals in the Catholic Church. Since the 1970s, the 'official' rule was that no more than 120 cardinals should vote in the conclave; in the 2025 conclave, 135 cardinals are eligible, and 133 of them will vote.

Who are the Papabili?

Papabile (pl: papabili) is the Italian term for cardinals who are considered likely candidates to be the next Pope. This list is not official, so different sources will usually list different papabili. Ultimately, the informally-discussed list of papabili is not supposed to have any impact on the Papal election. In fact, Pope Francis was not frequently discussed as papabile in the 2013 conclave.

Who are the Cardinal Electors?

The current list of Cardinal Electors, the most likely candidates for the new Pope, is posted to the Vatican website: