Cardinals enter Sistine Chapel for secret conclave to elect new pope

May 7, 2025 , 10:55 PM

By Crispian Balmer, Joshua McElwee and Philip Pullella

(May 7, 2025, REUTERS) — Catholic cardinals who will choose the next pope filed into the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, before locking themselves away from the world to elect the man they hope can unite a diverse but divided global Church.

In a ritual dating back to medieval times, 133 cardinal electors will take an oath of perpetual secrecy under the gaze of the stern Christ depicted in Michelangelo’s Last Judgement fresco, which adorns the chapel.

They will then hold their first ballot looking for a successor to Pope Francis, who died last month.

No pope has been elected on the first day of a conclave for centuries and voting could continue for several days before one man receives the necessary two-thirds majority to become the 267th pontiff.

There will be only one ballot on Wednesday. Thereafter, there can be as many as four votes a day.

The cardinals walked slowly into the chapel, taking part in a solemn Latin chant called the litany of the saints.

They beseeched nearly 100 men and women believed to reside in heaven to pray for them as they prepare to make what arguably will be the most momentous decision of their lives.

After the cardinals have pronounced their oath, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the Vatican’s master of ceremonies, will pronounce the Latin command “Extra omnes!” (Everyone out!), telling all those not involved in the gathering to leave.

The chapel’s heavy wooden doors will then slam shut.

The only expected signal from the cardinals during the conclave will come in the form of smoke from a chimney atop the chapel, as the clerics burn their ballots.

Black smoke will mark an inconclusive vote; white smoke and the pealing of bells will signal that the 1.4-billion-member Church has a new leader.

‘WATCHFUL CARE’ OVER THE WORLD

At a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday before entering the conclave, the cardinals prayed that God would help them find a pope who would exercise “watchful care” over the world.

In a sermon, Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re told his peers they must set aside “every personal consideration” in choosing the new pontiff and keep in mind “only … the good of the Church and of humanity”.

Cardinals in recent days have offered different assessments of what they are looking for in the next pope.

While some have called for continuity with Francis’ vision of greater openness and reform, others have said they want to turn the clock back and embrace traditions. Many have indicated they want a more predictable, measured pontificate.

A record 133 cardinals from 70 countries were expected to enter the Sistine Chapel, up from 115 from 48 nations in the last conclave in 2013 – growth that reflects Francis’ efforts to extend the reach of the Church.

No clear favourite has emerged, although Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are considered the front-runners.

However, if it quickly becomes obvious that neither can win, votes are likely to shift to other contenders, with the electors possibly coalescing around geography, doctrinal affinity or common languages.

Among other potential candidates are France’s Jean-Marc Aveline, Hungary’s Peter Erdo, American Robert Prevost and Italy’s Pierbattista Pizzaballa.

Re, who is 91 and cannot take part in the conclave, suggested the cardinals should look for a pope who respected the Church’s diversity. “Unity does not mean uniformity, but a firm and profound communion in diversity,” he said in his sermon.

The average length of the last 10 conclaves was just over three days and none went on for more than five days. The last conclave, in 2013, lasted just two days.

The cardinals will be looking to wrap things up quickly again this time to avoid giving the impression they are divided or that the Church is adrift.

Some 80% of the cardinal electors were appointed by Francis, increasing the possibility that his successor will in some way continue his progressive policies despite strong pushback from traditionalists.

Among their considerations will be whether they should seek a pope from the global south where congregations are growing, as they did in 2013 with Francis, from Argentina, hand back the reins to Europe or even pick a first U.S. pope.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer, Joshua McElwee and Philip Pullella; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Janet Lawrence)

Privacy Statement

Our Privacy Commitment

TV5 Network Inc. values and respects your privacy. We are committed to safeguarding your personal data in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules and regulations.

We have developed a Privacy Policy that adopts and observes appropriate standards for personal data protection. While our Privacy Policy sets out the general principles governing the collection, use, and disclosure of our users’ personal information, our Privacy Commitment seeks to inform you more about TV5’s privacy practices.

Why do we collect your personal information (as applicable)?

We may collect and maintain basic information about you as site user of TV5 sites for the following purposes:

To deliver news and updates on current events, sports, esports and entertainment;
To share livestreams of news and sports events;
To understand our viewers’ needs and preferences;
To meet legal and regulatory requirements; and
To perform other processes or disclosures that are required to comply with pertinent laws, rules, or regulations.

Where do we get your personal information?

There are several ways we collect your personal information.

Information that you personally provided.

Most of the personal information we have are those that you have provided us when you:
- Register to our programs or services;
- Inquired, filed a complaint or requested for our services;
- Took part in our research and surveys; and/or
- Became our Partner, Vendor, Contractor or Supplier.

Information we collect during your engagement with us

We also collect information as you use our products and services, like:
- Viewing our websites;
- Activities that are being tracked by our website cookies;
- Calling our hotline;
- Using our apps, websites, and self-service channels and portals; and/or
- Joining our promos, prize raffles, or rewards and loyalty programs.

Information we collect from other sources

Other means of collection of information may be through:
- Our market research initiatives;
- When you visit and use our websites and mobile application; and
- Subsidiaries, affiliates, and third-party business partners to whom you have given consent to share your information to us.

When do we disclose personal information?

There may be instances when we are required to share the information you provided us. In such cases, we ensure that your personal information will be disclosed on a confidential manner, through secure channels and in compliance with the Data Privacy Act and other privacy laws.

We will never share, rent, or sell your personal information to third parties outside of TV5 except in special cases where you have given consent, and in cases described in our privacy policy.

In some instances, we may be required to disclose your personal information to our agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, business partners and other third-party agencies and service providers as part of our regular business operations and for the provision of our programs and services. This means we might share your information with our service providers, contractors, and professional advisers who help us provide our services.

How we protect your personal information

The integrity, confidentiality, and security of your information is important to us. We have implemented technical, organizational, and physical security measures that are designed to protect your information from unauthorized or fraudulent access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, and other unlawful activities.

We also put in effect the following safeguards:

We keep and protect your information using a secured server behind a firewall, encryption and security controls;
We keep your information only for as long as it is necessary for us to (a) provide the products and services that you avail from us, (b) for our legitimate business purposes, (c) to comply with pertinent laws, and (d) for special cases that will require the exercise or defense of legal claims;
We limit the access to your information only to qualified and authorized personnel who are trained to handle your information with strict confidentiality;
We undergo regular audits and rigorous testing of our infrastructure’s security protocols to ensure your data is always protected;
We promptly notify you and the National Privacy Commission when sensitive personal information that may, under the circumstances, be used to enable identity fraud are reasonably believed to have been acquired by an unauthorized person; and
We let you update your information securely to keep our records accurate.

TV5 will not collect, use, or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than the purpose that you may have given your consent for.

What are your choices?

We make sure that we have your consent to continue to collect, use, and disclose your personal information for the purposes that we have identified. We want you to know that you may object or withdraw your consent and/or edit your consent preferences at any time.

If you wish to have access to the personal information in our custody or if you think that the personal information you provided is incomplete, or otherwise inaccurate, you may get in touch with our Data Protection Officer through the contact details provided below. In some instances, we may request for supporting documents or proof before we effect requested changes.

Data Protection Officer
TV5 Network Inc.
Reliance corner Sheridan Streets
Mandaluyong City
tv5dataprivacy@tv5.com.ph

What happens when there are changes in our Policy?

From time to time, we may update our privacy policy and practices to comply with changes in applicable laws and regulatory requirements, adapt to new technologies and protocols, and align with the best practices of the industry.

You will be provided notices if the changes are significant and, if we are required by law, we will obtain your updated consent.