“Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!” —Pope Francis, on Easter Sunday, April 20, from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, to the crowds in St. Peter’s Square, and to the world, his last public words…
By Dr. Robert Moynihan
Monday, April 28, 2025, Rome — In Rome on the Vigil of Easter, Holy Saturday, I was in St. Peter’s Basilica with a group of pilgrims, including five children, to attend the Easter Vigil Mass. It was about 5:30 p.m. (the Mass was to begin at 7:30 p.m.). Unexpectedly, we heard applause from the nave. Pope Francis was in the basilica, in his wheelchair, moving down the right side of the basilica, from the Pietà toward the front. Francis asked his aides to turn in toward the altar and to leave him there, in front of a statue of the Blessed Virgin. Alone, he prayed silently for several minutes. Then he asked his aides to push him again, and he came directly toward us. He saw the children and stopped. He asked his aides to give lemon candies to our three youngest children. They smiled in happiness. Then Francis left the basilica.
So on Holy Saturday, Francis prayed for several minutes, then gave gifts to children. On Easter Sunday, he met with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife and children. At noon on Easter, Francis went out to St. Peter’s Square and, in his Popemobile, said goodbye to the crowds. He spoke just a few words, painfully, from the loggia, for his Easter Urbi et Orbi message. That evening, he fell into a coma. He was declared dead at 7:35 a.m. on Monday morning, April 21. So the last hours of Pope Francis were marked by minutes of silent prayer, gifts to children, and a public farewell “to the city and to the world.”
Conclave to elect new Pope to begin on May 7th
The conclave to elect the 267th Pope will begin on May 7th, following the conclusion of the Novemdiales Masses to pray for the eternal repose of the late Pope Francis.
The date was set this morning by the approximately 180 cardinals present in Rome (just over a hundred of whom are electors) gathered for the fifth General Congregation in the Vatican.
The conclave will take place in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, which will remain closed to visitors during those days.
What happens during the conclave?
The conclave will be preceded by a solemn Eucharistic celebration with the votive Mass Pro Eligendo Papa, attended by the Cardinal electors. In the afternoon, the Cardinal electors proceed in a solemn procession to the Sistine Chapel, where the Conclave begins to elect the new Pope. At the end of the procession inside the Sistine Chapel, each Cardinal elector takes the oath as prescribed in paragraph 53 of Universi Dominici Gregis. Through this oath, they commit, if elected, to faithfully fulfill the Munus Petrinum as Pastor of the Universal Church. They also pledge to maintain absolute secrecy regarding everything related to the election of the Roman Pontiff and to refrain from supporting any attempts of external interference in the election.
At this point, the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations proclaims extra omnes, meaning that all individuals who are not part of the Conclave must leave the Sistine Chapel. Only the Master himself and the ecclesiastic designated to deliver the second meditation remain. This meditation focuses on the grave responsibility that rests upon the electors and the necessity of acting with pure intentions for the good of the Universal Church, keeping only God before their eyes. Once the meditation is delivered, both the ecclesiastic and the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations leave. The Cardinal electors then recite prayers according to the Ordo Sacrorum Rituum Conclavis and listen to the Cardinal Dean, who asks whether they are ready to proceed with voting or if any clarifications regarding the rules and procedures.
All election procedures take place exclusively in the Sistine Chapel within the Vatican Apostolic Palace, which remains completely sealed off until the election is concluded.
Throughout the election process, the Cardinal electors must refrain from sending letters or engaging in conversations, including phone calls, except in cases of extreme urgency.
They are not allowed to send or receive messages of any kind, receive newspapers or magazines of any nature, or follow radio or television broadcasts.
How many votes are required to elect a Pope?
To validly elect a new Pope, a two-thirds majority of the electors present is required. If the total number of electors is not evenly divisible by three, an additional vote is necessary.
If voting begins on the afternoon of the first day, there will be only one ballot. On subsequent days, two ballots are held in the morning and two in the afternoon. After the votes are counted, all ballots are burned. If the ballot was inconclusive, a chimney positioned over the Sistine Chapel emits black smoke. If a Pope is elected, white smoke will billow out of the chimney.
If the electors fail to reach an agreement on a candidate after three days of inconclusive voting, a break of up to one day is allowed for prayer, free discussion among voters, and a brief spiritual exhortation by the Cardinal Proto-Deacon (Cardinal Dominique Mamberti).
What happens immediately after a new Pope is elected?
Once the Cardinals have elected a new Pope, the last of the Cardinal Deacons calls the Secretary of the College of Cardinals and the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations into the Sistine Chapel. The Dean of the College, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, speaking on behalf of all the electors, asks for the elected candidate’s consent with the following words: “Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?” Upon receiving consent, he then asks: “What name do you wish to be called?”
The functions of a notary, with two Ceremonial Officers as witnesses, are carried out by the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, who drafts the document of acceptance and records the chosen name. From this moment, the newly-elected Pope acquires full and supreme authority over the universal Church. The Conclave ends immediately at this point. The Cardinal electors then pay homage and pledge obedience to the new Pope, and thanks are given to God. The Cardinal Proto-Deacon then announces to the faithful the election and the name of the new Pontiff with the famous line: “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; Habemus Papam.” (“I announce to you a great joy; we have a Pope”) Immediately afterward, the new Pope gives the Apostolic Blessing Urbi et Orbi from the Loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.
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