The previous Pope Francis had passed away on April 21, 2025, at 7:35 AM at the age of 88. This meant a new pope had to be elected to take over the role that was once Pope Francis’s. The process of electing a new pope is a deeply structured and sacred procedure. The official 2025 papal conclave started on Wednesday, May 7, and concluded on Thursday, May 8, making it one of the shortest papal elections in recent history. This brief duration aligns with a nearly two-century tradition of swift conclaves, none lasting more than four days.
On May 7th the conclave began with a mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. The cardinals also have general congregations and meeting to discuss the needs and challenges facing the church globally and prepare for the upcoming election. Later in the day the cardinals went to the Sistine Chapel to take an oath of secrecy showing their commitment to the election process. After the oath, voting began. Only Cardinals under the age of 80 were eligible to vote. 135 out of the 252 members of the College of Cardinals were eligible to participate in the papal conclave. 108 of the electors were appointed by Pope Francis himself. The Cardinals then cast their votes in secret ballots. A candidate has to receive two-thirds majority in order to be elected pope. Additional rounds of voting is added if no one achieves this majority vote. After every round the ballots are burned if a new pope has been elected the smoke is white, if not then the smoke is black showing that the election is still in process. At 9 pm on Wednesday black smoke was displayed from the Sistine Chapel showing that no pope had been elected.
On Thursday, May 8, the second day of the election there was a morning voting session. At 11:51 a.m. black smoke was displayed again. Later on in the afternoon the cardinals had reconvened for another session. This time white smoke had emerged from the Chapel indicating a new pope had finally been selected. A crowd of people waited anxiously to see who the new pope would be. The new pope stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica revealing himself to the crowd. The new pope is 69 years old Cardinal Robert Prevost. He will be known as Pope Leo XIV making him the first ever American pope which he was born and raised in Chicago. His election marks a significant moment in the churches history. According to CNN on Thursday evening he addressed thousands of cheering Catholics with the words: “Peace be with you all.”
