Election of the new Pope: what is happening today at the conclave in the Vatican and when to expect smoke from the chimney

135 cardinals from different corners of the planet gathered on Wednesday in Rome to participate in the conclave, where a new head of the Roman Catholic Church will be elected. This is happening after the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, Easter Monday.

Throughout history, the duration of conclaves has varied greatly - from several days to months, depending on disagreements among cardinals regarding candidates for the Holy See. In recent decades, the process has become faster, and although theoretically a new pontiff could be chosen today, experts consider such an outcome unlikely.

The current conclave is the largest in the history of the Church: it involves 135 cardinals. Although the College of Cardinals consists of 252 people, only those who have not yet turned 80 years old have the right to vote. The youngest participant is 45-year-old Bishop Mykola Bychok from Melbourne, who comes from a Ukrainian family.

In the morning, the cardinals celebrated a solemn Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, after which they walked in procession to the Sistine Chapel, where secret voting will take place. From this moment, any connection with the outside world will be cut off. The result of the vote will be announced by smoke from the chapel's chimney: white - if a pope is elected, black - if no agreement is reached and the process will continue the next day.

📅 Schedule for the first day of the conclave:

• 16:30 - cardinals will head to the Sistine Chapel. Only attendants responsible for preparing the space for a possible multi-day stay will enter with them.

• 17:30 - the chapel will be completely closed to outsiders. The famous phrase "extra omnes" (everyone else - out) will mark the official beginning of isolation and the start of the conclave.

• 19:00 - the first round of voting will end, after which the first smoke will rise from the chimney.

If the pontiff is not elected on the first day, the cardinals will go to dinner at Domus Santa Marta - a residence next to St. Peter's Basilica. According to many observers, informal communication at the table often plays a decisive role in forming coalitions and selecting a candidate.