The Long-Awaited Process of Electing a New Pope Has Started in the Vatican

Chas Pravdy - 07 May 2025 19:21

On Wednesday, May 7, the official and long-anticipated process of electing a new spiritual leader of the Catholic Church—the conclave—began on the territory of the Holy See. This solemn event, which holds significant importance for the global religious community and international politics, is taking place behind closed doors, adhering to strict confidentiality and traditional rules. According to the news agency CNN, on the first day of the conclave, the cardinals took an oath of solemnity, after which the Master of Pontifical Liturgies, Father Ravelli, pronounced the traditional phrase "extra omnes"—meaning "everyone out." This indicates that at this moment, all individuals not directly involved in the voting process were exited from the hall. This procedure has long been mandatory and symbolizes the beginning of the secret part of the papal election. After leaving the premises, the secret voting phase among the cardinals was initiated in St. Peter's Square. According to tradition, the result of this process will be announced by the appearance of white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney. White smoke will signify that a new head of the Church has been elected. If black smoke appears, the voting will continue, and the process will go on for several more days until one candidate secures the necessary support. It is worth noting that historically, no pope has been elected on the first day of the conclave. Therefore, there is a high likelihood that the process of confirming the new pontiff will take several days, or even weeks. To become the 267th Pope, one of the cardinals must garner at least a two-thirds majority—this being the highest and most difficult level of support. The date of this year's conclave was agreed upon during a closed meeting of cardinals in the Vatican, which took place after the tragic death of the previous Pope Francis on April 26. This event is a response to the need to renew the spiritual leadership among the Catholic Church's leaders worldwide. We also recommend consulting analytical materials regarding the role of the new Pope in modern Ukraine. Specifically, whether the elected candidate will be able to strengthen friendly and partner relations between the Vatican and Ukraine, as well as who has the greatest chances of becoming the next Pontiff, considering the internal situation and global religious trends.

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