Pope Francis passes away: How a new pope will be chosen

Pope Francis died on Monday morning, Vatican officials confirmed. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo responsible for overseeing Church matters between papacies, made the announcement, saying: “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church.” He added that Francis had taught the world to live the Gospel with courage and compassion, especially for the poor and marginalised.

'Pope Francis has returned to the home of the Father': Vatican in video statement - follow live updates

With the papacy now vacant, the Catholic Church enters a solemn and historic transition period. The election of a new pope is overseen by the College of Cardinals , who will gather in Rome for a secretive meeting known as the conclave. The conclave has long been the formal mechanism by which a pope is selected.

Who can vote?

Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in the papal conclave . As of April 2025, there are 137 cardinals who can take part in the next election. The ideal cap is 120, but popes can exceed this number at their discretion.

The conclave, which takes place in the Sistine Chapel, is conducted under strict secrecy. Each cardinal swears an oath not to reveal anything discussed or decided during the voting process. Breaching this oath results in automatic excommunication.

How the voting works

The election follows a highly structured and symbolic procedure:

• Secrecy Oath: All eligible cardinals swear to uphold total secrecy.
• Balloting: Each cardinal writes the name of their preferred candidate on a slip of paper and places it into a chalice.
• Counting: Votes are read aloud and tallied. A two-thirds majority is required for a candidate to be elected pope.
• Smoke Signals: If no candidate wins, the ballots are burned with chemicals to produce black smoke—signalling an unsuccessful vote. White smoke indicates a new pope has been chosen.
• Multiple Rounds: Two rounds of voting take place each morning and afternoon. If prolonged deadlock occurs, the rules may be adjusted to allow for a simple majority.

How long does it take?

Conclave duration varies. Some last just a day; others take longer. The shortest on record was in 1503 when Pope Julius II was elected within hours. The longest took nearly three years (1268–1271). More recent conclaves—such as those of Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 and Pope Francis in 2013—concluded in just one or two days.