New pope will face ‘difficult and complex’ moment in history, but need to show love to appeal to consciences of societies, senior cardinal says
Jakub Krupa
In his homily – seen as a guiding message for the 133 cardinals set to take part in the conclave – Battista Re called for the help of the Holy Spirit to guide cardinals in choosing the pope “whom the church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history.”
He urged them to put aside “all personal considerations” and demonstrate love, “the only force capable of changing the world.”
He also issued a strong call to “maintain the unity of the church,” not through “uniformity,” but their “communion in diversity.”
He reminded cardinals that the election of a new pope is not just about “a simple change of people,” but a symbolic return of St Peter, the apostle, as he prayed for a pope “for the good of the church and of humanity.”
He also recalled John Paul II’s description of the conclave as “a joint concern for the legacy of the keys of the Kingdom,” recalling his wishes that standing before Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel, the electors will be reminded of the “great responsibility of placing the great keys in the right hands.”
Battista Re said he hoped the new pope would “know best how to awaken the consciences of all,” and mobilise “the moral and spiritual energies” in societies, which occasionally forget God amid rapid technological progress.
Key events
‘Diverse, but divided’ college to choose the next pope
Angela Giuffrida
One of the legacies of Pope Francis, who died last month aged 88, was to leave behind a widely diverse but divided college of cardinals, with some in harmony with the progressive church he promoted and others wanting to overthrow his changes and turn back the clock.
The 133 cardinals with the power to vote have been getting to know each other and sharing visions for the future of the church during daily pre-conclave meetings since 28 April.
However, the challenge of the task in hand appeared to be summed up by Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo, the archbishop of Jakarta, who was the last cardinal to arrive in Rome and was playing catch-up on Monday.
“There’s a lot of confusion,” he told journalists after hearing addresses from 50 cardinals. “We have heard many voices, it’s not easy to draw conclusions.”
The cardinals swear an oath to secrecy, as do all Vatican staff assisting them, from cooks and cleaners to drivers and medics.
‘Sea of red and purple’ in St Peter’s Basilica as top cardinal urges electors to be guided by love
Angela Giuffrida
A sea of red and purple has filled St Peter’s basilica as the world’s cardinals and bishops gather for mass before conclave begins later on Wednesday.
The 133 cardinals tasked with voting for a successor to the late Pope Francis are seated around the main altar of the packed basilica while the bishops are in the rows in front.
The mass is being led by Giovanni Battista Re, the same Italian cardinal who led the funeral mass of Pope Francis. His homily was equally as passionate and direct.
“We are here to invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, to implore his light and strength so that the pope elected may be he whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history,” he said.
In a passage about love, he said Jesus’ love knew no limits and that love must characterise “the thoughts and actions” of all his disciples in order to “build a new civilisation”.
“Love is the only force capable of changing the world,” said Battista Re.
New pope will face ‘difficult and complex’ moment in history, but need to show love to appeal to consciences of societies, senior cardinal says
Jakub Krupa
In his homily – seen as a guiding message for the 133 cardinals set to take part in the conclave – Battista Re called for the help of the Holy Spirit to guide cardinals in choosing the pope “whom the church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history.”
He urged them to put aside “all personal considerations” and demonstrate love, “the only force capable of changing the world.”
He also issued a strong call to “maintain the unity of the church,” not through “uniformity,” but their “communion in diversity.”
He reminded cardinals that the election of a new pope is not just about “a simple change of people,” but a symbolic return of St Peter, the apostle, as he prayed for a pope “for the good of the church and of humanity.”
He also recalled John Paul II’s description of the conclave as “a joint concern for the legacy of the keys of the Kingdom,” recalling his wishes that standing before Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel, the electors will be reminded of the “great responsibility of placing the great keys in the right hands.”
Battista Re said he hoped the new pope would “know best how to awaken the consciences of all,” and mobilise “the moral and spiritual energies” in societies, which occasionally forget God amid rapid technological progress.
Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, is delivering his homily now; the last message to cardinals before they go into the process to elect the new pope.
I will bring you the key quotes here.
You can follow the mass live here:
And you can follow the texts here.
Pre-conclave mass starting in the Vatican
As the conclave day begins, the special mass – Mass for the election of a Roman Pontiff – is now starting in St. Peter’s Basilica, presided by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re.
He is not an elector himself – he is 91 years old so above the limit of 80 to take part in the vote – but will lead this morning’s prayers.
You can follow all the texts from the mass here, in Latin, Italian and English.
After the mass, the cardinals will return to Santa Marta, have lunch, and then start their proceedings in the Sistine Chapel.
What to expect today – timeline
As it’s the first day of the conclave, the timing is slightly different than we will see in the following days (if, as anticipated, they are needed).
So, here’s what to expect:
At 10am Rome time, the cardinals will gather at St. Peter’s Basilica to take part in a mass Pro eligendo Romano Pontifice, the Mass for the election of a Roman Pontiff.
At 3pm, mobile signal across the Vatican will be deactivated, with all devices taken away from the cardinals, as they are sequestered for the duration of the electoral process.
At 4.15, they will start a procession to the Sistine Chapel, where they will start their proceedings approximately fifteen minutes later, at 4.30pm.
Due to a late start, we expect only a single round of voting today, with the result to be announced with black or white smoke from the chapel’s chimney around 7pm.
If they fail to elect the new pope today, they will return tomorrow morning, switching to four rounds of voting a day: two in the morning (10.30am, midday), and two in the evening (5.30pm and 7pm), for as long as needed.
Morning opening: Extra omnes
Jakub Krupa
133 Catholic cardinals will meet behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel for the first time today to decide who should be the 267th successor of Saint Peter, following the death of Pope Francis last month.
One of the most fascinating electoral processes in the world, the conclave always attracts global attention – not just because of its global significance in choosing the next head of the Catholic church leading 1.4 billion faithful, but also because of its centuries-old traditions and mysteries.
At around 4.30pm local time, the famous phrase “extra omnes” – all out – will be heard inside the Sistine Chapel telling everyone but the cardinals to leave the plenary, formally starting the secretive election process.
We will bring you all the latest here.
It’s Wednesday, 7 May 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
