Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church

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 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.

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.”

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, spoke to EWTN News Vatican Correspondent Colm Flynn on May 5 in Rome.

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, spoke to EWTN News Vatican Correspondent Colm Flynn on May 5 in Rome.

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

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

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”).