conclave

As tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square and throughout Vatican City, watch parties popped up on the campuses of Saint John’s University, the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary.

On the eve of the conclave that will decide the next pontiff, the ring and lead seal of the late Pope Francis were destroyed in the presence of members of the College of Cardinals in the Vatican’s New Synod Hall.

Answers to commonly asked questions about the process on electing a pope as the world waits for the day the white smoke appears.

While members of the College of Cardinals famously take an oath, so do Vatican staff members, including the elevator operator, doctors and attendants, who will be assisting with the everyday tasks and needs of the cardinals during the conclave which begins May 7.

Abbot Donato Ogliari of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome was invited by the cardinals to offer a spiritual meditation April 29 at their general congregation meeting before the conclave begins May 7. The rules for preparing a conclave require the cardinals to invite a cleric known for his “sound doctrine, wisdom and moral authority” to offer meditation.

The conclave is set to begin May 7, but the public only knows its end by iconic white smoke billowing out of the Sistine Chapel’s chimney.
The best place to watch for the smoke is in St. Peter’s Square itself, but the Vatican will also livestream the smoke on its YouTube channel, Vatican Media Live.

Cardinals already present in Rome and those who were able to get to the city after Pope Francis’ death April 21 held their first meeting at the Vatican April 22.

Today there are more than 90 countries represented in the entire college and 71 countries among the electors. That’s a notable increase from 2005, when all 117 eligible cardinal electors came from 53 countries.