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The Sistine Chapel. / Credit: marcobrivio.photography/Shutterstock

Vatican City, May 6, 2025 / 11:12 am (CNA).

The Sistine Chapel has witnessed every papal election since 1492 with only five exceptions, and it is preparing to once again host the conclave.

The 133 cardinal electors, meeting behind closed doors, will have the task of electing Pope Francis’ successor starting Wednesday, surrounded by the beauty of frescoes by Michelangelo, Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, and Domenico Ghirlandaio.

Located in the heart of the Vatican and protected by the Leonine Wall, the Sistine Chapel was built on the site of the ancient Cappella Magna. From its origins, it served not only as a place of liturgy but also as a protected space for the crucial decisions that have marked the millennia-long life of the Church.

Its symbolic proximity to the site of St. Peter’s martyrdom also reinforces the spiritual dimension of the election that will take place there.

On Monday, April 28, the Sistine Chapel, named after Pope Sixtus IV, who commissioned its construction between 1475 and 1483, was freed from its usual tourist traffic to adapt to the strict regulations of the conclave and ensure the necessary conditions of hermetic isolation surrounding the cardinals’ votes.

The six-century tradition of holding papal elections here was ratified by St. John Paul II, who emphasized that the space contributes to the experience of divine presence.

From Genesis to Revelation, Michelangelo’s masterful hand will guide the cardinals present through the holy Scriptures from the beginning of the world to the final pages of history in a vibrant catechesis through art that will remind them of the threat of sin and death but also of the hope of eternal life.

As the cardinals gaze up at the ceiling, they will feel the power of the “Creation of Adam,” one of the most famous frescoes by the Italian Renaissance master, hovering over their heads.

Another witness to the historic election will be “The Last Judgment,” which will preside over the conclave from the altar wall. There will be placed the ballot box and the lectern with the Gospel, upon which the cardinals will take their solemn oath.

In this masterpiece, Christ is the universal judge of the living and the dead. Surrounding him are angels awakening the dead with trumpets, skeletons taking on new flesh as the resurrection of the dead progresses, and numerous saints and martyrs populating heaven.

Below, Charon, with his boat, facilitates the passage from death to hell, showing the damned their destiny. And, at the very top of the fresco, the symbols of Christ’s passion are clearly visible: the column where he was scourged, the dice with which his garments were divided, the crown of thorns, and above all, the cross, which emphasizes the path to heaven.

First-time cardinals are often overwhelmed by the visual grandeur that surrounds them. Painted by the greatest Renaissance artists, the works of the Sistine Chapel speak to consciences, as pointed out by Pope Benedict XVI, who, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo’s vault in 2012, invited people to interpret the works with the help of prayer in his address.

“Praying in the Sistine Chapel, enveloped in the story of God’s journey with humanity, admirably represented in the frescoes above and around us, is an invitation to praise, an invitation to raise to God, creator, redeemer, and judge of the living and the dead, with all the saints in heaven, the words of the Canticle of Revelation: ‘Amen! Alleluia!’” he asserted.

In fact, the artists Michelangelo, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, and Perugino did not work alone: ​​The iconographic themes were dictated by the most experienced theologians of Popes Sixtus IV and Julius II, who commissioned their decoration.

This is the only way to explain the coherence between the frescoes of Genesis, the scenes from the lives of Moses and Christ, and the Last Judgment that crowns the apse.

Measuring about 132 feet long, 44 feet wide, and over 65 feet high, the Sistine Chapel exudes a serene atmosphere. At the beginning of the conclave on Wednesday, the cardinals will enter in procession, intoning the “Veni Creator Spiritus.” Each will take their assigned place after solemnly swearing a commitment to secrecy.

The pope is a martyr

But before all this, the cardinals will pass through the Pauline Chapel, which houses the frescoes depicting the crucifixion of St. Peter, painted by Michelangelo between 1546 and 1550.

Known as the “capilla parva,” meaning “small chapel,” in contrast to its neighboring Sistine Chapel, this precious sacred space, inaccessible to the public, is reserved for the pope and the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

The powerful image of St. Peter crucified upside down, a symbol of his martyrdom, is above all a visual reminder that the pope is a martyr: a fundamental message for the cardinals when electing his successor.

Mozart was also moved by its beauty

The Sistine Chapel has not only been the scene of papal elections but also of great liturgical celebrations. According to tradition, in the mid-18th century, the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart traveled to Rome and was fascinated by Gregorio Allegri’s “Miserere.” This composition could only be performed here during Holy Week, as the score was closely guarded by the Vatican.

Today, the Mass of the Epiphany is regularly celebrated in the Sistine Chapel, where both Pope Francis and Benedict XVI have baptized some of the children of Vatican employees.

Over the centuries, this space, overflowing with beauty, has been restored several times. For example, between 1980 and 1999, an exhaustive cleaning was carried out to remove the dirt caused by the dust, soot, and wax accumulated over the centuries.

The Sistine Chapel continues to dazzle the millions of people who visit it each year — an aesthetic ecstasy that will also be experienced by the cardinals who, for many the first time, will sit beneath its dome to discern the future of the Church.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron speaks to EWTN News Vatican Correspondent Colm Flynn in Rome on Monday, May 5, 2025. / Credit: EWTN News

CNA Staff, May 6, 2025 / 10:27 am (CNA).

Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, this week said the next pope should be a disciple of Christ first and foremost, one who places “the declaration of Jesus” at the center of his papacy. 

Barron spoke to EWTN News Vatican Correspondent Colm Flynn on May 5 in Rome. The U.S. prelate noted that the Church is on “pins and needles” during the interregnum before the election of the next pope, though he admitted it’s “an exciting time.”

Asked by Flynn about the commentary that has proliferated around the papacy since Pope Francis’ death on April 21, Barron said the “politicization” of the papal selection process reflects a “lack of proper prioritization.” 

The bishop pointed to Australian priest and theologian Father Gerald Glynn O’Collins, SJ, who when  asked what he was looking for in the next pope after John Paul II’s death, responded, as Barron put it: “I want someone who declares the resurrection of Jesus in a compelling way.”

“Because that was Peter’s job,” Barron said, “and this is the successor of Peter. I think to put the stress on the spiritual, on the evangelical, on the declaration of Jesus — that’s what matters.” 

The prelate admitted that there are “further implications” to a pope’s job. He told Flynn that there are “political strategies” that help advance the “moral principles” espoused by the Church.

“[T]he preoccupation with — oh, is he left-wing? Is he right-wing? Climate change, immigration — OK, we can get to all that,” Barron said. 

“But the first thing I’d look for is a disciple, a believer in Jesus, and who has the capacity to proclaim the Resurrection in a compelling way,” he said. “That’s the pope’s job, [and] to be a source of unity for the Church.”

The politicization of the papacy is “seeing [the role] through a relentlessly secular political lens,” Barron said. “And you know, again, I get it. But I’m annoyed at the way it gets the priorities off.” 

Asked about the cardinals who are considered top contenders for the papal election this week, Barron pointed out that, during the last conclave, “nobody” suspected then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio would become Pope Francis. 

“I always put that forward as a caution whenever we’re talking about candidates,” the bishop said. “There is certainly a good chance it won’t be any of these people.”

The papal fisherman’s ring and lead seal are nulled during the 12th general congregation of the College of Cardinals on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, May 6, 2025 / 09:46 am (CNA).

The papal fisherman’s ring and lead seal were nulled during the 12th general congregation of the College of Cardinals on Tuesday.

The ring and seal are destroyed or nulled after a pope’s death to prevent their future misuse to seal official documents.

Vatican Media shared photos and videos of the cancellation of the ring and seal on May 6, and the X account of the Vatican secretary of state said the procedure was carried out in the presence of camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell and the College of Cardinals in the New Synod Hall.

According to Universi Dominici Gregis, the apostolic constitution regulating the “sede vacante,” the College of Cardinals must “arrange for the destruction of the fisherman’s ring and of the lead seal with which apostolic letters are despatched” after the pope’s death.

The fisherman’s ring is one of several rings typically worn by the Roman pontiff. The ring takes its name from its image of St. Peter as a fisherman, which became the standard design around the mid-15th century.

The first record of the ring’s use was on two letters of Clement IV in 1265 and 1266. It was used as a wax seal in private letters in place of the official lead seal used for solemn papal documents.

In 1842, use of the ring and wax seal were replaced by a stamp, but each pope still receives a unique ring of the fisherman at the start of his papacy. Outside of papal ceremonies, Pope Francis typically wore only his episcopal ring.

The destruction of the ring and seal is part of a number of security measures overseen by the camerlengo after the pope’s death, including the sealing of the papal apartments, until the election of a new pontiff.

A woman pays tribute to victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks at a cemetery in Negombo, Sri Lanka, on April 21, 2022, marking three years since the tragic attacks. / Credit: Ruwan Walpola/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 6, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The archbishop of Colombo, Sri Lanka, announced this week that the 167 Catholics killed in the Sri Lanka Easter Sunday bombings in 2019 will be included on the list of “Witnesses of Faith” established by Pope Francis.

Inspired by an apostolic letter by Pope John Paul II, who wanted to ensure the legacy of the “unknown soldiers of God’s great cause” was not lost, Pope Francis created the Commission of the New Martyrs - Witnesses of the Faith in 2023. Francis sought to acknowledge Catholics who have lost their lives while professing their faith in the first quarter of the 21st century. Compiled by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year, the list is an ongoing catalogue of Christian martyrs who, the Holy Father said, “are witnesses of the hope that comes from faith in Christ.”

On April 21, 2019, terrorists bombed two Catholic churches, St. Sebastian’s and St. Anthony’s; an evangelical church; three hotels; and a private residence in Sri Lanka, killing more than 260 people.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, who has been the archbishop of Colombo since 2009, said that Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, has included the names of the 167 Catholics who died on the Witnesses of the Faith list, “considering the context of their heroism.”

Ranjith said they are being included to “honor their sacrifice.” 

This past weekend, St. Anthony Church in Colombo held a vigil to honor the lives lost during the fatal bombings. Hundreds of people, including Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic religious leaders, attended the gathering.

Following his attendance at the vigil, Ranjith traveled to the Vatican to take part in the conclave.

Six years after the attacks, Ranjith and the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka are still demanding further investigations into the bomings to examine potential involvement of state officials.

Hundreds of thousands of mourners attend the funeral of Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square, Saturday, April 26, 2025 / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

CNA Staff, May 6, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

All eyes have turned to Vatican City as the conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor is set to begin May 7.

Several famous and well-visited locations within Vatican City have been transformed for the conclave. Here’s a map of the key locations within Vatican City you should know about as the conclave begins. 

St. Peter’s Basilica

The largest and arguably the grandest Catholic church in the world, St. Peter’s Basilica has already hosted a number of important events in the papal transition, including Pope Francis’ three days of lying in state and the late pope’s funeral.

On the morning of May 7 the conclave will commence — with all the cardinals present — with the Holy Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff in St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Pauline Chapel

Located in the Apostolic Palace, the cardinal electors typically assemble here at a suitable hour in the afternoon following the Mass at St. Peter’s before solemnly processing to the nearby Sistine Chapel for the election. (For the 2005 conclave, the cardinals instead processed from the Hall of Benediction because the Pauline Chapel was undergoing renovations.)

The Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is, by law, the principal location where the election of the pope takes place, having been used for this purpose for nearly 600 years. 

The chapel derives its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who commissioned the restoration of a chapel that stood where the Sistine Chapel stands today. Sixtus IV consecrated the chapel in 1483, and a later pope, Julius II, entrusted the work of decorating the chapel ceiling to Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. Michelangelo’s work on the chapel, particularly its ceiling, is considered by many to be one of the greatest artistic achievements of all time. 

When the cardinals make their entrance into the Sistine Chapel, they chant the “Veni Creator Spiritus,” invoking the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Once inside, each cardinal will take an oath to observe the procedures, maintain secrecy, and vote freely for the candidate he believes most worthy.

When the last of the cardinal electors has taken the oath, the master of papal liturgical celebrations, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, will give the order “Extra omnes” (“Everyone out”), indicating that all those not taking part in the conclave must leave the Sistine Chapel.

The chapel will be totally sealed to anyone not involved in the conclave until a new pope is chosen, a stark contrast to the usual hoards of visitors — over 5 million each year — who constantly come through each day to experience the famous room. 

Whenever the cardinals leave the chapel — such as for meals and to sleep — they are not allowed to discuss anything about what took place inside.

Domus Sanctae Marthae

Opened under Pope John Paul II in 1996, this building, the Vatican guesthouse, is where the cardinal electors and those legitimately called to cooperate in the election process are fed and lodged during the conclave. Pope Francis lived here his entire papacy, eschewing the traditional apartment at the Apostolic Palace, and died in his room there.

Arrangements have been made to ensure the Domus (also called the Casa Santa Marta in Italian) is ready for suitable lodging. The infirmarii — three randomly selected cardinals tapped to help sick cardinals vote — will go to this location to collect votes from any sick cardinals confined to their rooms.

St. Peter’s Square

Traditionally, Catholics from all around the world pack into St. Peter’s Square during the conclave, praying and watching for the signature white smoke to rise from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. 

When a voting session concludes without a man reaching the required majority, the ballots are burned with wet straw, causing black smoke to emanate from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. However, if a pope is elected, the ballots are burned with the addition of a chemical agent, producing the famous white smoke.

The Loggia of the Blessings

The central balcony, or loggia, of St. Peter’s Basilica is called the Loggia of the Blessings and is the traditional place where the new pope is introduced to the world after his election. 

The senior cardinal deacon announces from the loggia to those gathered in St. Peter’s Square: “Habemus papam!” (“We have a pope!”) and what name he has taken. The newly elected pope then comes out to address and bless the city and the world (“urbi et orbi”).

ROME (CNS) -- In a full church on a Monday evening in Rome, just two days before the conclave to elect a new pope was set to begin, Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington shared a confidence: "I have no guess" who will be chosen.

Like many cardinals did the previous day, Cardinal McElroy celebrated Mass May 5 at his titular church in Rome, the Parish of St. Frumentius. Having the "title" to the parish made the cardinal a member of the clergy of Rome in a symbolic sense and connected him to ancient times when the cardinals who elected popes were pastors of the city's parishes.

In the cardinal's brief homily in Italian, he referred to the first reading, Acts 6:8-15, which recounts the accusations made against St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

In two days, the cardinal said, "the other cardinals and I will enter the conclave to elect a new bishop for this city that knew thousands and thousands of martyrs."

"We pray that the new pope will lead people to a more profound faith and a closer relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit," he said. 

Father Marco Vianello, pastor of St. Frumentius, spoke at the end of Mass and, to applause, told Cardinal McElroy, "We cannot vote in the conclave. But if we could, we would vote for you."

After 10 general congregation meetings of the College of Cardinals, when members discuss the needs of the church and the qualities the next pope should have, Cardinal McElroy said "it has become ever clearer to me how profound and mysterious this process is, to find a successor to Peter who meets the needs of the present."

"I can give you no insights into who is ahead," the cardinal continued. "Not because I cannot do so because of my promise, although I can't, but because I have no guess."

Cardinal McElroy told parishioners that entering the conclave to elect a new pope "is a tremendous responsibility and also a great mystery," however, he guaranteed them that all the cardinals are committed to choosing the best new bishop of the Diocese of Rome and pastor of the universal church.

Turning to the three dozen teenagers seated in the last rows of the choir loft adjacent to the sanctuary, the cardinal said that love and concern for young people has been at the center of the cardinals' prayers and "they are wrestling with what the church needs" to help them and all people feel at home in the church.
 

Let us all follow Mary’s example. Allowing the Word of God to find a space to live in our humble, jumbled hearts changes everything. He makes all things new. He does … really. When we meet Mary for the first time in Scripture, it is in the context of her encounter with Gabriel, an Archangel […]

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A Daily Quote to Inspire Your Catholic Faith “Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.” – Saint Maximilian Kolbe The Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr (1894 – 1941) is August 14. Image credit: “The Annunciation” (detail) | Paolo de Matteis, […]

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A member of the Papal Foundation greets Pope Francis with a personalized New Orleans Saints jersey, Friday, April 12, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 5, 2025 / 20:11 pm (CNA).

Following the death of Pope Francis last month, the Papal Foundation’s annual distribution of humanitarian aid will be in memory of the Holy Father’s legacy, the organization said in a press release. 

This year, the Papal Foundation — a nonprofit dedicated to serving the Holy Father’s wishes through donations to charitable initiatives of his choosing around the world — will channel $14 million in funding toward 116 projects across more than 60 countries. Projects include developing access to clean drinking water and housing, providing educational resources, restoring churches and seminaries, and constructing health care facilities in war-torn and impoverished areas. 

Customarily, representatives for the organization travel to Rome on the Friday after Divine Mercy Sunday to deliver the funding via check to the Holy Father, the president of the foundation’s board of trustees, Ward Fitzgerald, told CNA. This year, because their meeting was set to take place exactly one week after Pope Francis’ passing, they attended his funeral instead.

Fitzgerald said this year felt especially significant. “With [Pope Francis’] passing, we have a chance to be a voice for the poor — something he so powerfully embodied,” he said.

The average grant, according to Fitzgerald, is somewhere between $100,000 and $150,000. 

“We give them to schools, we give them to hospitals, we give them also to programs to help child trafficking issues or drug smuggling using children and abandoned children. We also are doing humanitarian aid relative to refugee situations and war situations in some of the poorest countries with some of the poorest people,” he said, noting that a portion of the grants often also go to clergy or religious communities whose buildings are in need of repair.

“It is well documented that [Francis] was a very loving, caring … sensitive Holy Father, and he had a heart for the poor,” Fitzgerald reflected. “He implored the laity to try to grow in their hearts to be more Christ-like, and specifically in their show of care for the poor. I think that that’s a big part of his papacy.”

“As we are all in anticipation of the next Holy Father,” he continued, “we don’t get to be Peter, but we can all be Paul … and hopefully, we are spreading the Gospel as well as spreading charity and caring for the poor around the globe as the early apostles and disciples did.” 

Grants have grown in steady increments for the past 20 years, Fitzgerald said. Since its inception in 1988, the Papal Foundation has distributed more than $250 million to over 2,800 projects designated by Pope Francis, Benedict XVI, and St. John Paul II. 

The foundation also announced this week its election of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, as chairman, and Edward Fitzgerald III, CEO and founder of the Catholic private equity firm ExCorde Capital, as president of its board of trustees. 

“The Gospel of Matthew teaches us: ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,’” Dolan stated in a press release on Monday. “In a world where the distance between wealth and need continues to widen, the Stewards of St. Peter of the Papal Foundation take seriously their responsibility to serve the poor and vulnerable with compassion and faith.”