Conclave to Elect the Next Pope Will Commence on May 7

FILE - Italian Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, center, takes an oath at the beginning of the conclave to elect the next pope in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Monday, April 18, 2005.
FILE - Italian Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, center, takes an oath at the beginning of the conclave to elect the next pope in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Monday, April 18, 2005.
AP Photo/Osservatore Romano via AP, File
Share
FILE - Italian Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, center, takes an oath at the beginning of the conclave to elect the next pope in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Monday, April 18, 2005.
FILE - Italian Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, center, takes an oath at the beginning of the conclave to elect the next pope in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Monday, April 18, 2005.
AP Photo/Osservatore Romano via AP, File
Conclave to Elect the Next Pope Will Commence on May 7
Copy

The conclave to elect the next pope will commence on May 7, according to the Vatican.

The decision was made at the Fifth General Congregation, held on Monday morning in the Vatican’s Synod Hall. The conclave will take place in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, which will remain closed to visitors during those days.

According to the Vatican, there are currently 135 cardinal electors eligible to vote in the conclave, though the number who will attend and vote is not yet confirmed.

In order to be elected pope, a two-thirds majority of electors present is required.

Copyright NPR 2025.

As the federal government shutdown drags on, more than a million civilian workers are going without pay — forcing many middle-class families, from Maryland to Florida, to seek food aid and short-term loans just to get by
The second‐ranked Bulldogs (13-0-2) are coming off a scoreless draw at No. 1 Princeton Tigers and are gearing up for a crucial clash with defending champion Vermont Catamounts
Three Democrats and one Republican are now running to replace the term-limited AG in 2026 — with Ahern, a former prosecutor and Cannabis Control Commission chair, pledging to “fight for Rhode Islanders’ rights”
Latest earnings report offers little insight into costs associated with HQ relocation
Reed, Whitehouse, Magaziner and Amo say they’ll withhold their salaries until the government reopens, joining a growing bipartisan call for “no work, no pay” during shutdowns