Wednesday, May 7, 2025 will remain etched as the day when the Catholic Church once again retreated into the silence of the Sistine Chapel to entrust one of its heaviest responsibilities to the discernment of its cardinals: electing the successor of Peter. Two weeks after Pope Francis's death, 133 cardinal electors began the conclave in an atmosphere of spiritual gravity, popular fervor, and extreme confidentiality.
An Opening Mass Under the Sign of the Spirit
The day began at 10 AM with the Pro eligendo Romano Pontifice Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. Celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, this solemn liturgy placed the conclave's work under the sign of the Holy Spirit. The homily, filled with dignity, was a call to interiority, to abandonment of human interests, and to exclusive faithfulness to Jesus Christ and the good of the Church.
« Chiediamo allo Spirito Santo che i Cardinali, nella scelta del nuovo Papa, abbiano nella mente e nel cuore solo Gesù Cristo e il bene della Chiesa e dell'umanità in questo complesso tornante della storia. » — Cardinal Re, quoted by the official account @TerzaLoggia (see tweet)
Entering the Conclave: Silence, Oath and Prayer
At 4:30 PM, the cardinals left the Pauline Chapel in procession, singing the traditional Veni Creator Spiritus. Once arrived in the Sistine Chapel, under the gaze of Michelangelo's Christ the Judge, they took an oath of the strictest secrecy, then were invited to recollect themselves behind closed doors.
« Extra omnes ! » — The ritual formula was pronounced before the doors closed, officially marking the beginning of the conclave. « (…) con l'elezione del nuovo Papa, è sempre l'Apostolo Pietro che ritorna. » — @TerzaLoggia, in a second tweet (see tweet)
Electronic jamming devices and the prohibition of any connected device guarantee the absolute secrecy of this crucial phase. The integrity of this process remains a symbolic pillar in a world saturated with instant communication.
9:01 PM: Black Smoke, and a Mystery That Remains
As night fell on St. Peter's Square, eyes became fixed at 9:01 PM on the chimney of the Sistine Chapel: black smoke, dense and unequivocal, rose into the Roman sky. No pope was therefore elected at the end of this first ballot.
This late hour contrasts with that of the 2013 conclave, where the first black smoke appeared at 7:41 PM. The longer duration of deliberations suggests a more complex situation, without immediate consensus.
A Crowd Gathered in Silence and Prayer
Throughout the day, thousands of pilgrims had gathered in St. Peter's Square. Families, religious, young people from all over the world waited in collected fervor, singing, praying, hoping. In contrast to the cardinals' confined ritual, the outside vibrated with expectation and popular spirituality.
In the city, citizen initiatives also manifested: a group of Catholic women created symbolic pink smoke, advocating for a more inclusive Church.
An Unpredictable Ballot
Inside the Sistine Chapel, the deliberation is framed by meticulous rules and an ancestral protocol. But the outcome remains completely uncertain. The universal Church enters a suspended moment, where no one can say how many days it will take for the white smoke announcing a new pope to rise.
