Cardinals gather for pivotal 2025 conclave to elect new pope
The Vatican has announced the start time for the conclave. The event will commence on 7th May with a prayer in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace at 4:30 PM local time, followed by a procession to the Sistine Chapel.
Pope Francis passed away on 21st April 2025, which according to canon law, means that the conclave must begin no sooner than 15 days after his death. The cardinal-electors will assemble in the Sistine Chapel on 7th May 2025 to elect a new pope.
At 10:00 AM, a mass for the election of the pope will be held in St. Peter's Basilica, led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista. The conclave will commence with a prayer in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace at 4:30 PM, followed by a procession to the Sistine Chapel.
Initially, 135 cardinals from 71 countries were eligible to participate. However, Cardinals Antonio Cañizares Llovera from Spain and Vinko Puljić from Bosnia and Herzegovina announced that they would not participate in the conclave due to health reasons.
As reported on Tuesday by Vatican News, Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu will not participate in the conclave, which will elect a new pope and begins on 7th May. The Sardinian cleric announced this in a public statement. The Vatican tribunal sentenced Becciu to five and a half years in prison for embezzlement and abuse of authority, although the cardinal has appealed, claiming he is innocent.
A new favourite in the conclave?
According to Vatican expert Francesco Antonio Grana, Cardinal Pietro Parolin is the favourite in the upcoming conclave. The expert believes that he can rely on 40 sure votes of support right from the start.
Besides Parolin, other favourites include Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference. The 60-year-old Pizzaballa could ensure a long pontificate, while Zuppi is seen as a continuator of Pope Francis's policies.
Also mentioned are Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Willem Jacobus Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht, and Robert Francis Prevost, former prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
