Workers at the Sistine chapel in Vatican on April 2, 2025/COURTESY With anticipation building across the Catholic world, the Vatican is putting the final touches on the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinal electors will gather to choose the 267th Pope.
The Holy See Press Office released new images and footage Saturday, offering a rare glimpse inside the chapel’s transformation.
On Friday, Vatican firefighters were seen atop the Chapel installing the chimney.
Black smoke will rise if no candidate secures the required two-thirds majority of at least 89 votes, while white smoke will signal that a new Pope has been elected.
The day will commence at 10am in St. Peter’s Basilica with the Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice votive Mass, where the Cardinals will pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
At 4:30pm, the electors will gather in the Pauline Chapel to recite the Litany of the Saints before solemnly processing into the Sistine Chapel.
Once inside, each Cardinal will swear an oath to faithfully fulfill the Munus Petrinum, the mission of the Pope as Pastor of the Universal Church, should he be elected.
The oath also commits them to absolute secrecy regarding the election and to resist any external interference.
The Master of Pontifical Liturgical Ceremonies will then declare 'extra omnes', ordering all non-participants to leave.
Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, Preacher Emeritus of the Papal Household, will deliver a final meditation to the electors.
Following this, he and the Master of Ceremonies will depart, leaving the Cardinals to begin voting under the leadership of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals.
The first ballot will be held on the evening of May 7, with up to four votes per day thereafter, two in the morning, two in the afternoon.
Each round of ballots will be burned in the chapel’s stove, sending smoke through the chimney to signal to the world whether the Church’s new leader has been chosen.
The conclave, rooted in centuries of tradition, follows strict protocols to ensure secrecy and independence.
Electronic devices are prohibited inside the Sistine Chapel, and a technical team has thoroughly swept the chapel to prevent any surveillance or unauthorized communication.
Security is said to have been heightened, with Swiss Guards and Vatican police closely monitoring access to key areas.
The 135 eligible electors come from 71 countries across all six inhabited continents, with the largest national groups hailing from Italy (17), the United States (10), and Brazil (7).
Two will, however, not participate due to health issues.
