The conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor began Wednesday with 133 cardinals locked in the Sistine Chapel, isolated from the outside world. The process started with the “extra omnes” prayer, signaling the closure of the chapel doors. The cardinals, sworn to secrecy, will vote until a new pope is chosen by a two-thirds majority (89 votes). The first vote would be voting in the afternoon, with smoke -black or white- expected any minute.
Add your comment!Vatican firefighters installed a chimney on the Sistine Chapel roof for the upcoming conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor. The chimney, connected to two stoves—one from 1939 for burning ballots and a 2005 model for chemical additives—will emit black smoke for no election, white smoke for a new pope, and yellow smoke for pre-conclave testing.
Add your comment!Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, and who would become the first Latin American to rule the Catholic Church, was laid to rest Saturday at 1.30pm local time at Rome's Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore -not far from the Argentine Embassy- at his own request. The first papal burial outside the Vatican since 1903 was an almost private ceremony attended by Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Farrell and family members of the Argentine Jesuit.
St. Peter's Square opened early Saturday to the public for Pope Francis' funeral, expecting over 200,000 attendees and delegations from 130 countries, including 50 top-ranking world leaders. Notable attendees included Argentina’s President Javier Milei, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella, and US President Donald Trump.
Argentine President Javier Milei will be departing Thursday for Rome to attend Pope Francis' funeral at the Vatican. No bilateral meetings have been confirmed with other attending world leaders, such as US President Donald Trump. Milei is due back in Buenos Aires on Sunday.
Uruguayan bishops held a solemn mass on Wednesday at Montevideo’s Cathedral to honor the life and legacy of Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88. The ceremony drew around a thousand attendees, filling every seat and standing space in the historic church.
Falklands’ Government House published King Charles III message on the death of Pope Francis. “His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith.
Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciu, convicted of financial corruption and stripped of his privileges by Pope Francis, insists on participating in the upcoming conclave to elect the next pope, despite being officially listed as a non-elector.
The Vatican announced Monday that Pope Francis' death was caused by a stroke, leading to a coma and irreversible cardiovascular collapse. He had a history of health issues, including a recent 38-day hospitalization for double pneumonia, alongside conditions like hypertension and type II diabetes. His death was confirmed by electrocardiogram, as stated by Andrea Arcangeli, head of the Vatican’s Health Directorate.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, born in Buenos Aires on Dec. 17, 1936, who would later become known worldwide as Pope Francis since March 13, 2013, died Monday, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, announced from the Casa Santa Marta.