Concipherent Papal, the secret selection process to choose the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church, starting on Wednesday, brought cardinals from all over the world to choose the 267th Pope.
Since the death of Pope Francis on April 21, a total of 220 cardinal-clever-ranking in the church-after gathering in Rome to lament the disappearance of a former pope and start a secret conclave.
Overall, 133 Cardinals will vote during the Konklave, the most voters ever, with 108 of them were appointed by Pope Francis. All cardinals under the age of 80 meet the requirements to participate in the selection process.
Clouds Passing Basilica St. Peter in Vatican, May 6, 2025.
Gregory Borgia/AP
The majority of cardinals came from Europe, including 17 voters from Italy, five from Spain and five from France. There are 16 Cardinal voters From North America, including 10 from the United States. In addition, there are four from Central America, 17 from South America, 18 from Africa, 23 from Asia and four from Oceania. Argentina, a country of Francis, has four cardinal voters.
All 220 Cardinals are expected to attend Mass at Basilika St. Peter on Wednesday morning around 10 am local time. Cardinal voting will then proceed to Pauline’s chapel and then process to Sistine’s chapel at around 16:30 local time, where the voting will take place.
Cardinal voters of the nation of origin
Google Earth / Vatic.va
All cardinal voters will take an oath of confidentiality before starting to vote twice a day, twice in the morning and twice at night. Voting will begin when the Master of Ceremony says “Extra Omnes” – or “Everyone comes out” – around 5 pm local time. The voting will continue until two -thirds of Cardals have approved the Pope.
Ballot papers are burned after each vote and smoke will come from the chimney built on Sistine’s chapel. Black smoke indicates a decision has not been achieved and the voting will continue, while white smoke will mean the new holy leader of the church has been confirmed.
A whale can be chosen immediately after the first vote, or the process can continue for days. Since 1831, no conclave lasted for more than four days.
Up to four rounds of voting usually take place in a day. If there is no clear choice that has appeared after three days, the voting is suspended for 24 hours to provide cardinal voter time to reflect. Seven other voting rounds then occur, followed by rest again, and so on.
If no whales are chosen after 33 or 34 votes – generally around 13 days – then the new rule introduced by Pope Benedict XVI determines the two prominent candidates as determined by the previous ballot will be involved in the runoff sound. If the candidates are conclave members, they cannot choose in the runoff but are present for that. Any candidate who receives the two -thirds needed by the majority of votes is the new whale.
Sistine’s chapel on the Konklaf Night in the Vatican, May 6, 2025.
Simone Resoluti/Vatican Media/AFP via Getty Images
Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop Aljir, told ABC News that it would be “unexpected” if the conclave passed Friday.
Likewise, Cardinal Baghdad, Louis Raphael Sako, reportedly told reporters at the Vatican last week that he hoped for “short conclaves.”
“This will be a short, two, three -day conclave,” Sako said, as quoted by the Ansa Italian news agency.
When asked if he had an idea about who he would choose to become a new Pope, Sako answered, “I have a very clear idea but I can’t say it.”
The names of the Cardinals that seem to be the foremost runner because the papadays have been spinning since the death of Francis.
Every baptized Catholic man qualifies to take Francis’s place, but experts say Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Secretary of the State, and Luis Tagle, Archbishop of Manila in the Philippines, is the top competitor.
Officials and staff assigned to Konklave took an oath in Pauline’s chapel, the first Loggia of the Apostolic Palace, Vatican City, May 5, 2025.
Vatican Media/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
A Cardinal American, Robert Prevost, also began to emerge as the foremost runner, according to Father James Martin, a papal contributor for ABC.
Overall, Martin said Cardinals would look for “someone who was holy, someone who was a good evangelist who could express the gospel and someone who was a good manager.”
“These three things are difficult to find in one person,” Martin said on Monday at ABC News Live.
During the conclave, recording technology in any form is prohibited, with technicians checking to ensure no bugs are installed quietly or other similar devices in the sistine chapel or adjacent area. Cardinals cell phones will be taken at the beginning of the conclave and will be returned to them after the new whale election.
ABC News’ Christopher Watson and Phoebe Natanson contributed to this report.