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Friday, Feb 20, 2026
Outside the box.
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
133 Cardinals from 71 Countries to Elect the Next Pope in a Secretive Voting Process
The largest and most geographically diverse papal conclave in history is scheduled to begin on May 7 in Rome, where at least 133 cardinals will cast their ballots to select the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
The conclave will take place in the Sistine Chapel, where a two-thirds majority vote is required to elect a new pope.
The process is expected to be secretive, with cardinals taking an oath of secrecy and the chapel being swept for electronic bugging devices daily.The cardinals will meet inside the historic chapel to vote between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. in near total silence, with no discussion or politicking allowed within the Sistine Chapel.
To maintain secrecy, some cardinals will obscure their handwriting before folding up their paper ballot, which will then be placed in a lidded bronze and silver urn and mixed up before being tallied one by one.If a new pope is not chosen on the first day, the cardinals will meet for a Mass at 8:15 a.m. in the Pauline Chapel, followed by a mid-morning prayer at 9:30 a.m. before returning to the Sistine Chapel.
The voting process will continue until a two-thirds majority is reached, with ballots being burned with a chemical agent that produces black smoke if no candidate reaches the threshold.
When a new pope is chosen, the ballots will be burned with a different additive that creates white smoke.The cardinals participating in the conclave hail from 71 countries, making it the most geographically diverse in history.
The countries with the most electors are Italy, United States, Brazil, France, and Spain.
By continent, the elector breakdown is as follows: Europe (53), Asia (52), Africa (18), South America (17), North America (16), Central America (4), and Oceania (4).Several cardinals are considered top contenders to become the next pope, including Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle of the Philippines, Fridolin Ambongo of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Anders Arborelius of Sweden, and Jean-Marc Aveline of France.
The conclave is expected to last no more than five days, with the past 10 conclaves averaging just 3.2 days.
The conclave will take place in the Sistine Chapel, where a two-thirds majority vote is required to elect a new pope.
The process is expected to be secretive, with cardinals taking an oath of secrecy and the chapel being swept for electronic bugging devices daily.The cardinals will meet inside the historic chapel to vote between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. in near total silence, with no discussion or politicking allowed within the Sistine Chapel.
To maintain secrecy, some cardinals will obscure their handwriting before folding up their paper ballot, which will then be placed in a lidded bronze and silver urn and mixed up before being tallied one by one.If a new pope is not chosen on the first day, the cardinals will meet for a Mass at 8:15 a.m. in the Pauline Chapel, followed by a mid-morning prayer at 9:30 a.m. before returning to the Sistine Chapel.
The voting process will continue until a two-thirds majority is reached, with ballots being burned with a chemical agent that produces black smoke if no candidate reaches the threshold.
When a new pope is chosen, the ballots will be burned with a different additive that creates white smoke.The cardinals participating in the conclave hail from 71 countries, making it the most geographically diverse in history.
The countries with the most electors are Italy, United States, Brazil, France, and Spain.
By continent, the elector breakdown is as follows: Europe (53), Asia (52), Africa (18), South America (17), North America (16), Central America (4), and Oceania (4).Several cardinals are considered top contenders to become the next pope, including Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle of the Philippines, Fridolin Ambongo of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Anders Arborelius of Sweden, and Jean-Marc Aveline of France.
The conclave is expected to last no more than five days, with the past 10 conclaves averaging just 3.2 days.
