From Khatami’s surprise greeting to how to pick a new Pope

On the first day of the papal conclave, the cardinal electors will shut themselves off from the outside world and begin the momentous task of choosing — likely from among their own ranks — the man who will become the 267th Bishop of Rome, better known as the pope. On Day One, the cardinals celebrate a morning Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. In the afternoon, they walk in a solemn procession into the Sistine Chapel, which will have undergone a security sweep to check for any illicit recording devices before their arrival.

For centuries, the cardinal electors were physically locked inside the Sistine Chapel until they elected a new pontiff, left to eat and sleep beneath Michelangelo’s vivid Renaissance masterpiece. These days, they do leave to rest and share meals at Santa Marta House — a hotel-like residence inside Vatican City where Francis had his own personal apartment during his pontificate — for however many days it takes them to come to a decision.

April 26, 2025 | 6:02 am