The activities for Conclave 2025, and some things you need to know.
CONCLAVE 2025 – The election of the new pope will start on May 7 to elect the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines is among the emerging front-runners to be the next pope. Starting May 7, the election for the new pope will be held, and whoever is chosen will be the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Apart from Tagle, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Peter Erdo, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Cardinal Peter Turkson, Cardinal Sergio da Rocha, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonca, Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, and Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu are the other potential successors to the pope.
Here’s a schedule of activities
On Wednesday, May 7
- 10:00 a.m. (4:00 p.m., PH time): The cardinals will attend a traditional Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff to seek divine guidance ahead of the conclave. It will take place in St. Peter’s Basilica and presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals.
- At 3:45 p.m. (9:45 p.m., PH time): The cardinals—dressed in choir robes—will be transported from Casa Santa Marta to the Apostolic Palace for the official proceedings of the event.
On Wednesday, May 8
- 7:45 a.m. (1:45 p.m., PH time): The cardinals will go to the Apostolic Palace to begin the day’s proceedings.
- 8:15 a.m. (2:15 p.m., PH time): There will be a Mass and Lauds in the Pauline Chapel, which is situated within the Vatican City’s Apostolic Palace.
- 9:15 a.m. (3:15 p.m., PH time): There will be a mid-morning prayer in the Sistine Chapel, which will be followed by the first round of voting.
- Roughly after 10:30 a.m. (4:30 p.m., PH time): White smoke may appear from the Sistine Chapel chimney if a pope is elected during this vote. If no pope is elected, black smoke is expected.
- 12:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m., PH time): The cardinals will return to Santa Marta for lunch.
- 3:45 p.m. (9:45 p.m., PH time): They will go back to the Apostolic Palace.
- 4:30 p.m. (10:30 p.m., PH time): Voting will resume in the Sistine Chapel.
- After 5:30 p.m. (11:30 p.m., PH time): There could possibly be another smoke signal. If none, it could be around 7:00 p.m. (1:00 a.m., PH time).
- Conclusion of votes: Vespers, a specific liturgical service, particularly the evening prayer, will be held in the Sistine Chapel.
- 7:30 p.m. (1:30 a.m., PH time): The cardinals will return to Santa Marta.
There will be over 133 electors, and two rounds of voting every day from the second day onwards will happen if no pope is elected. There will be one voting session in the morning and one in the afternoon.
After three days with no pope still chosen by the two-thirds majority, a pause will be set, and this time will be used by the cardinals to pray and deliberate on their options.
What does the smoke signify?
Black smoke means inconclusive votes, while white smoke means a new pope has been chosen. Moreover, the great bell of Saint Peter’s Basilica will ring if the church has already a new pope.
Apart from Tagle, Filipino cardinals Jose Advincula and Pablo Virgilio David are among the 133 eligible cardinal electors.
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