The Vatican Prepares for the Conclave to Elect the 267th Pope
Excitement is in the air at the Vatican as preparations are underway for the upcoming conclave to elect the 267th Pope. The Sistine Chapel has been set up to host the 133 Cardinal electors who will gather to make this important decision.
The Vatican’s fire brigade was spotted on the roof of the Sistine Chapel installing the chimney that will emit black smoke in case a decision is not reached by the required number of Cardinals. White smoke, on the other hand, will signal that a new Pope has been elected by the 133 Cardinal electors.
The conclave will kick off on May 7 with a pre-conclave votive Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, where the Cardinal electors will pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in choosing the next leader of the Catholic Church.
Following the Mass, the Cardinal electors will move to the Pauline Chapel to pray the Litany of the Saints before processing into the iconic Sistine Chapel. Inside, they will swear an oath of secrecy and commitment to their duty as electors.
Once the oath is taken, the Sistine Chapel will be cleared of all non-essential personnel, and the voting process will begin under the supervision of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals.
The first ballot is scheduled for the evening of May 7, with subsequent rounds of voting taking place four times a day. Each ballot will be burned, and the smoke rising from the chimney will inform the world of the outcome of the election.
Stay tuned as the Vatican embarks on this historic moment in the Church’s history!
