On Wednesday evening, the Sistine Chapel will serve as the backdrop for a momentous event in the Catholic Church as 133 cardinals gather to elect the Church’s 267th pope. The proceedings will commence at 10:00 AM local time with a mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, led by Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old Cardinal Dean, who presided over the funeral of Pope Francis.
Preparation for the conclave
As the afternoon unfolds, mobile signals within Vatican City will be disabled to ensure that the cardinal electors remain incommunicado, thereby safeguarding the secrecy of the conclave. At approximately 4:15 PM, the electors will assemble in the Pauline Chapel before processing to the Sistine Chapel, all while singing a litany and the hymn Veni Creator, invoking the guidance of the Holy Spirit in their deliberations.
Upon entering the Sistine Chapel, the cardinals will place one hand on a copy of the Gospel and take an oath of secrecy, pledging to withhold any details about the election process. Once all have sworn the oath, a meditation will take place, followed by the announcement of
“extra omnes”
, which translates to