Conclave - 2025 - Overview

The Cardinals

Voting & Non-Voting Cardinals
1 Cardinal Elector has indicated that he will be unable to attend the conclave:
- Antonio Cañizares Cardinal Llovera, Archbishop Emeritus of Valencia, Spain
Vinko Cardinal Puljić, Archbishop Emeritus of Vrhbosna {Sarajevo}, Bosnia and Herzegovina had previously indicated that he would not be able to attend, but after consulting with his medical team, now intends to participate.
The status of Giovanni Angelo Cardinal Becciu, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints is not entirely clear.
Of the 135 Voting Cardinals, 108 were named by Pope Francis. 22 were named by Pope Benedict XVI. The remaining 5 were named by Pope John Paul II.
Of the living Cardinals, only 1 was a Council Father at the Second Vatican Council
- Francis Arinze
- He is over 80 and thus will not be in the Conclave
Of the Cardinals alive today, xx participated as Electors in the 2013 Conclave.
- Of those, xx are now over 80 and thus will not be in the new Conclave.
Average Age of the 134 Participating Cardinal Electors: 70.3
Average Years of Service as a Cardinal of the xx Participating Cardinal Electors:
Average Age of all 252 Living Cardinals:
Consistories: All | 1983 | 1985 | 1988 | 1991 | 1994 | 1998 | 2001 | 2003 | 2006 | 2007 | 2010 | Feb 2012 | Nov 2012 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Highly Recommended: Cardinal Website by Prof. Salvador Miranda (no longer maintained)
Voting Cardinals | Non-Voting Cardinals | Cardinals by Rank
Oldest and Youngest Cardinals | Seniority, by Priestly Ordination | Seniority, by Bishop Ordination
Structured View of Cardinals | Structured View of the Roman Curia, before Sede Vacante
When does a Cardinal become ineligible to Vote in a Conclave?
Cardinals per Pope
Notes, Statistics, etc. from the Last Consistory to Create Cardinals

Offices

College of Cardinals
- Dean: Giovanni Battista Cardinal Re
- Vice-Dean: Leonardo Cardinal Sandri
- Secretary: Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari
Camerlengo (Chamberlain): Kevin Joseph Cardinal Farrell
Vice Camerlengo (Chamberlain): Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari
Senior Cardinal-Deacon: Dominique François Joseph Cardinal Mamberti
Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome: Baldassare Cardinal Reina
Major Penitentiary: Angelo Cardinal De Donatis

General Congregations

General Congregations are preparatory meetings held before the conclave begins. (UDG #7-13)

1st: Tuesday 22 April, 9a to 11.3a
Roughly 60 Cardinals were present
Particular Congregation established with the drawing of lots. The three assistants are: Cardinals Pietro Parolin (Cardinal Bishop), Stanisław Ryłko (Cardinal Priest), and Fabio Baggio, C.S. (Cardinal Deacon). (They will serve for 3 days and then be replaced.)
2nd: Wednesday 23 April, 5p to 6.3p
103 Cardinals were present
3rd: Thursday 24 April, 9a to 12n
113 Cardinals were present
4th: Friday 25 April, 9.1a to 12.2n
149 Cardinals were present.
It was decided that on Sunday at 4p, the Cardinals will visit Santa Maria Maggiore: pass through the Holy Door, visit the tomb of Pope Francis, and celebrate Vespers together.
5th: Monday 28 April, 9a
TBD

Dates, Times, and Details

Pope Francis died at 7:35am, Monday 21 April 2025, Domus Sanctæ Marthæ, Vatican City
Start of Conclave: Afternoon, TBD (somewhere from 6 to 9 May), Sistine Chapel
Voting Cardinals in the Conclave: 134 (1 unable to attend, see above)
2/3 Required for election: 89
4 votes daily (2 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon)
After 3 full days (i.e. TBD), voting is suspended for up to a full day ("to allow a pause for prayer, informal discussion among the voters, and a brief spiritual exhortation" - UDG #74)
then 7 more ballots and another break of up to a full day
then 7 more ballots and another break of up to a full day
then 7 more ballots and then a break to consider how to proceed
TBD
- 7a: Cardinal electors move into Domus Sanctae Marthae
- 10a: Mass for the election of the Supreme Pontiff (St. Peter's Basilica)
- 3.45p: Domus Sanctae Marthae to Pauline Chapel
- 4.3p: Procession of Cardinal electors from Pauline Chapel to Sistine Chapel
- 5.3p*: Extra Omnes!
- Meditation by Raniero Cardinal Cantalamessa, O.F.M. Cap., Preacher Emeritus of the Prefecture of the Papal Household
- One round of voting
- 8p*: Smoke
- Vespers
- Cardinal electors return to Domus Sanctae Marthae
TBD (regular schedule for a day in the conclave)
- 6.3a: Breakfast at Domus Sanctae Marthae
- 7.45a: Transfer to Pauline Chapel
- 8.15a: Mass in Pauline Chapel
- 9.3a: Lauds in the Sistine Chapel, followed by two rounds of voting
- 12n*: ballots from the morning votes burned, Cardinal electors return to Domus Sanctae Marthae
- 1p: Lunch
- 4p: Cardinal electors to Sistine Chapel
- 4.5p: two rounds of voting
- 7p*: ballots from the afternoon votes burned, Vespers
- 7.3p: Cardinal electors return to Domus Sanctae Marthae
* Rough Estimate
Note: only one "smoke signal" each morning and afternoon. If the first round of voting on a given morning or afternoon is successful (i.e., a pope is elected) then the white smoke will appear earlier.
White Smoke: a pope has been chosen (main bells at St. Peter's Basilica will also be rung)
Black Smoke: no pope chosen
Once white smoke appears, it will be another 30 minutes to an hour until the new pope is named by the senior Cardinal-Deacon at St. Peter's Square. Shortly after that (5 to 15 minutes), the new Pope will appear to give an "Urbi et Orbi" blessing
Both the US and Vatican City are on Daylight Saving Time.
All times given are local time in Vatican City. For the US, subtract 6 hours for EDT, 7 for CDT, 8 for MDT, and 9 for PDT. See the table below for rough times of the "smoke signals".

Rome Vatican City	EDT East Coast	CDT Central	MDT Mountain	PDT West Coast
12n	6a	5a	4a	3a
7p	1p	12n	11a	10a

Hint: If the smoke is substantially early (an hour or more), it is very likely to be White.

Background Information

Terminology/Glossary
Popes: In Sequence | by Papal Name | by Age at Election | by Age at Death | by Length of Reign
Pope John Paul II, the Great | Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI | Pope Francis
Average Length of a Papacy: roughly 7.5 years
Diocese of Rome
Conclave - 2013 - Overview
Conclave - 2005 - Overview
When does a Cardinal become ineligible to Vote in a Conclave?
Who can be elected Pope?
The Papacy: Some Statistics

Results / The New Pope

Pope xx (xx)
is the 267th pope. (266th successor to St. Peter)

Smoke Signals

Date	Time	Result
TBD	TBD	TBD

For clarity, 12n and 12m are used to indicated 12 noon and 12 midnight, respectively.

UDG = Universi Dominici Gregis, issued on 22 Feb 1996 by Pope John Paul II. Modified twice by Pope Benedict XVI: 11 Jun 2007 (unnamed Motu Proprio) and 22 Feb 2013 (Motu Proprio Normas Nonnullas). The document on the Vatican website.

About Catholic-Hierarchy

Terminology/Site Help