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2025 papal conclave

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Papal conclave
May 2025
Dates and location
May 2025
Sistine Chapel, Apostolic Palace,
Vatican City
Key officials
DeanGiovanni Battista Re
Sub-deanLeonardo Sandri
CamerlengoKevin Joseph Farrell
ProtopriestMichael Michai Kitbunchu
ProtodeaconDominique Mamberti
SecretaryIlson de Jesus Montanari
Election
CandidatesSee Papabili
← 2013

A papal conclave is expected to be convened in May 2025 to elect a new pope to succeed Francis, who died on 21 April 2025 at the age of 88.[1][2] The conclave is expected to begin sometime between 6 and 11 May 2025, which is between 15 and 20 days after Francis's death. It will be held in the Sistine Chapel.[3][4]

Papal election process

[edit]
Main article: Papal conclave

As in the 2013 papal conclave, both the dean and vice-dean of the College of Cardinals are over the age of 80 and not eligible to participate. Therefore, Pietro Parolin, the most senior cardinal bishop under the age of 80, is expected to preside over the conclave.[5]

Timing and procedures

[edit]

According to Pope John Paul II's 1996 apostolic constitution Universi Dominici gregis, as modified by Benedict XVI's motu proprio Normas nonnullas, electors generally have at least 15 days after the see becomes vacant to convene. The cardinals have the discretion to start the conclave earlier if all of those eligible to participate have arrived, or later if there are serious reasons for a deferral, but no later than 20 days after the seat becomes vacant.[6]

Cardinal electors

[edit]
Main article: Cardinal electors in the 2025 papal conclave
2025 papal conclave
Eligible electors by region as of 21 April 2025
  Italy
 		17
  Rest of Europe
 		36
  North America
 		20
  South America
 		17
  Africa
 		18
  Asia
 		23
  Oceania
 		4
Total electors 135
Deceased pope Francis
(2013–2025)
New pope TBD

Cardinals aged 80 years or older before the day the papacy fell vacant are ineligible to participate. As of 21 April 2025, there are 252 cardinals, of whom 136 are under 80; 108 (80 percent) of the potential electors were appointed as cardinals by Francis.[7][8] One cardinal under the age of 80, Angelo Becciu, resigned his voting rights in 2020 after a financial scandal. Becciu himself has claimed that his voting prerogative remains in force, as it was not explicitly renounced in writing, but in 2022, the Holy See had listed him as a non-elector.[9][10] Without Becciu, the total number of eligible electors is 135.[10]

Since the 1975 promulgation of Romano Pontifici eligendo and Universi Dominici gregis, the maximum number of cardinal electors has been 120. The 2025 conclave will be the first conclave since the introduction of the 120-limit, where there are more than 120 eligible cardinals as of the day the papacy became vacant.[11][a] However, any cardinal under the age of 80 who has not renounced his voting rights (or had them removed) has the right under canon law to vote in a conclave. Many canon lawyers think that the pope makes an exception to his own rules when he appoints more than 120 electors and that all 135 cardinals under 80 are eligible to enter the conclave, other than Becciu.[12][11]

Following the death of Pope Francis, it was reported that cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera would not be attending the conclave due to health reasons.[13]

Although the conclave cardinals may elect any baptized Catholic male,[14] they have not elected anyone who was not a fellow elector cardinal since the 1378 papal conclave.

Pre-conclave events

[edit]

General congregations

[edit]

Canon law anticipates that general congregations, which are daily meetings of all cardinals regardless of elector status, will begin before all of the cardinals arrive in Rome. The initial meetings are focused on the logistics of the papal funeral and conclave, including physical preparations at the Domus Sanctae Marthae and the Sistine Chapel.[15] The later ones, usually the eighth and following, shift to discussion concerning the needs of the church and the world, and the major issues facing the Roman Curia.[16][17][18] These later general congregations are guided by the reflections given by two "distinguished and morally authoritative" clerics who are selected by the cardinals.[15] The cardinals are also given the opportunity to make formal remarks regarding the issues facing the church.[19]

More generally these assemblies allow the cardinals to get to know each other—and exercise their spiritual discernment—as many of them have never met due to Francis choosing to not hold meetings of the cardinals before papal consistories.[20] Prior to leaving for Rome on April 24, elector cardinal Pablo Virgilio David stressed that a papal conclave is not a political campaign, but a religious retreat, where it is a duty of the College of Cardinals to discern each other via prayer, personal letters, and even research on a website with biographical and other information set up for that purpose.[21][22] Both the formal and informal discussions are expected to be very substantive in preparation for, and in the hope for, a speedy conclave.[23]

At the first general congregation, held on 22 April, the approximately sixty cardinals present listened to the will of Pope Francis be read by Cardinal Kevin Farrell. The canonization of Carlo Acutis, scheduled to take place in Rome on 27 April, was suspended, and the cardinals confirmed the date for the papal funeral. This meeting also dealt with the logistics of the funeral.[24][25] Notwithstanding the fact that general congregations are closed to non-cardinals, Sr. Simona Brambilla, a religious sister who is the first woman to head a Vatican department, was accidentally sent a standard email inviting her to participate.[26]

The second general congregation met on 23 April, with 103 cardinals present. The program for the novemdiales, or nine-day period of mourning for the deceased pope, was approved.[27] Norberto Rivera Carrera stated that the discussions were mostly procedural in nature, as many cardinals from around the world were still traveling.[28]

On 24 April, the third general congregation met, consisting of 113 cardinals. The two conclave preachers, Donato Ogliari and Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, were appointed and the cardinals began a conversation about the church and the world.[29]

149 cardinals were present for the fourth general congregation, which met on 25 April. The cardinals listened to a presentation on the funeral rite of Pope Francis.[30]

Logistical preparations

[edit]

On 22 April, members of the papal staff and household were asked to vacate their rooms at the Domus Sanctae Marthae following the death of Pope Francis in his suite on the second floor. This was to allow for conclave preparations in that building to begin. These include setting up barriers at the windows to prevent outside contact, as well as the construction of spaces for the celebration of the Sacrament of Penance, private prayer, and meals.[31][32] However, as the building only has 129 total bedrooms, housing the record-high 135 cardinal-electors may require utilizing other Vatican facilities.[33][34] This also does not include the other support personnel who are allowed to live in the Domus during a conclave, according to Universi Domininici Gregis.[32]

On 23 April, the Vatican Museums announced the closure of the Sistine Chapel beginning on 28 April, due to the needs of the conclave.[35][36]

Speculation

[edit]

There was early speculation in February and March 2025 about an impending conclave after Francis developed double pneumonia and was in intensive care at Gemelli Hospital.[37]

Due to the major international expansion of the membership of the College of Cardinals under Pope Francis to 252, with over 140 non-European cardinals being appointed during his pontificate, both the BBC and Time had suggested a non-European pope likely.[38][39] The 2025 conclave will have 135 electors from 71 countries; the 2013 conclave had 115 electors from 48 countries, and the 2005 conclave had 115 electors from 52 countries. Some of the cardinals do not speak Italian, the working language of the Curia.[40]

Following the principle of "fat pope, thin pope", some commentators predict that Francis's successor will be more conservative.[39][41][42]

Concerns were also raised about the possibility that disinformation campaigns and fake news might have an effect on the conclave, with social media hoaxes attempting to discredit certain papal candidates.[43]

Papabili

[edit]
Main article: Papabile

Observers of papal elections consider some cardinals to be more likely to become pope than others –these are the papabili, the plural for papabile, an Italian word which practically rendered into English means "pope-able". Given that the set of papabili is a matter of speculation by the media, the election of a non-papabile is not uncommon; recent cases are John XXIII in 1958, and both John Paul I and John Paul II in 1978.[44] This is in line with a popular saying among Vaticanologists: "He who enters the conclave as pope, leaves it as a cardinal."[45] Media worldwide released papabili analyses on the day of Pope Francis's death.[44][46][47][48][49][50]

Name Nationality Position at time of conclave Created cardinal Birth date Ref.
Fridolin Ambongo Besungu Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo Archbishop of Kinshasa 5 October 2019
(Francis) 		(1960-01-24) 24 January 1960 (age 65) [51][52][53][47][50]
Anders Arborelius  Sweden Bishop of Stockholm 28 June 2017
(Francis) 		(1949-09-24) 24 September 1949 (age 75) [54][52][47][53]
Jean-Marc Aveline  France Archbishop of Marseille 27 August 2022
(Francis) 		(1958-12-26) 26 December 1958 (age 66) [55][56][57][48][52][47][58]
Charles Maung Bo  Myanmar Archbishop of Yangon 14 February 2015
(Francis) 		(1948-10-29) 29 October 1948 (age 76) [52][47][59][43]
Wim Eijk  Netherlands Archbishop of Utrecht, Primate of the Netherlands 18 February 2012
(Benedict XVI) 		(1953-06-22) 22 June 1953 (age 71) [60][61][58][62]
Péter Erdő  Hungary Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Primate of Hungary 21 October 2003
(John Paul II) 		(1952-06-25) 25 June 1952 (age 72) [63][64][44][47][50][53]
Mario Grech  Malta Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops 28 November 2020
(Francis) 		(1957-02-20) 20 February 1957 (age 68) [63][65][47][49][50][66]
Jean-Claude Hollerich  Luxembourg Archbishop of Luxembourg 5 October 2019
(Francis) 		(1958-08-09) 9 August 1958 (age 66) [54][67][59][47]
Gérald Lacroix Canada Canada Archbishop of Quebec, Primate of Canada 22 February 2014
(Francis) 		(1957-07-27) 27 July 1957 (age 67) [8][68][69]
José Tolentino de Mendonça  Portugal Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education 5 October 2019
(Francis) 		(1965-12-15) 15 December 1965 (age 59) [46][70][66]
Pietro Parolin  Italy Cardinal Secretary of State 22 February 2014
(Francis) 		(1955-01-17) 17 January 1955 (age 70) [64][44][50][53]
Pierbattista Pizzaballa  Italy Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem 30 September 2023
(Francis) 		(1965-04-21) 21 April 1965 (age 60) [64][46][47][50][53]
Robert Prevost  United States President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, Cardinal-Bishop of Suburbicarian Diocese of Albano 30 September 2023
(Francis) 		(1955-09-14) 14 September 1955 (age 69) [71][44][47]
Malcolm Ranjith  Sri Lanka Archbishop of Colombo 20 November 2010
(Benedict XVI) 		(1947-11-15) 15 November 1947 (age 77) [54][60][66]
Robert Sarah Guinea Guinea Cardinal-Priest pro hac vice of San Giovanni Bosco in Via Tuscolana 20 November 2010
(Benedict XVI) 		(1945-06-15) 15 June 1945 (age 79) [72][73][74][46][66]
Luis Antonio Tagle  Philippines Pro-Prefect for the Section of First Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization 24 November 2012
(Benedict XVI) 		(1957-06-21) 21 June 1957 (age 67) [64][63][44][47][49][50][53]
Joseph W. Tobin  United States Archbishop of Newark 7 November 2016 (Francis) (1952-05-03) 3 May 1952 (age 72) [48][50][67]
Peter Turkson  Ghana Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences 21 October 2003
(John Paul II) 		(1948-10-11) 11 October 1948 (age 76) [64][75][47][49][50]
Matteo Zuppi  Italy Archbishop of Bologna 5 October 2019
(Francis) 		(1955-10-11) 11 October 1955 (age 69) [63][44][47][49][53]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ There have been more than 120 cardinal electors at several other points since 1975, but not at the time of a conclave.

References

[edit]
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  2. ^ Asaf, Seher; Davies, Maia (21 April 2025). "Vatican announces death of Pope Francis aged 88". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  3. ^ Burack, Emily (21 April 2025). "When Does the Papal Conclave Begin?". Town & Country. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
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