Pope Francis

Mass ahead of the start of the conclave is over

By The Associated Press 1 min read
A chair is taken away at the end of a final Mass celebrated by cardinals inside St. Peter's Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

A morning Mass in St. Peter's Basilica has concluded, allowing the cardinals who will elect the next pope to return to their residences for a few hours ahead of the conclave.

Later in the afternoon, the Vatican has said that all communications around the Holy See will be jammed as they prepare to withdraw from the outside world for their secret and sacred task ahead.

The cardinals are likely to cast their first vote later on Wednesday. Assuming no one is elected, black smoke would be expected out of the Sistine Chapel chimney at around 7 p.m.

The cardinals will then retire for the night and return on Thursday morning. They can hold up to two ballots in the morning and two in the afternoon until a winner is found.

While cardinals this week said they expected a short conclave, it will likely take at least a few rounds of voting.

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