By Bronte Gossling
On May 7, 135 cardinals, all under the age of 80 and from across the globe, will walk into the Sistine Chapel. There is no way of knowing who will emerge from the Vatican’s renowned Renaissance chapel as the new leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church, or when, until it’s happening.
The 267th (though that number is disputed) Catholic Pope will join a storied list of past heads of the Holy See, with records going as far back as the first century. Peter the Apostle was appointed as the first bishop of Rome – or pope – in 30 AD, and held that post for between 34 and 38 years.
Cardinals, pictured here at Pope Francis’ funeral on April 26, will enter the Sistine Chapel on May 7 to start the process of electing a new pope.Credit: Getty Images
The Roman Catholic popes of the past 147 years
- Francis – March 13, 2013 to April 21, 2025: Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina in 1936, Francis, who battled entrenched interests to lift his church, will be a tough act to follow.
- Benedict XVI – April 19, 2005 to February 28, 2013: Born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger in Germany, Benedict XVI’s papacy came to an end with a resignation due to health issues. He died aged 95 on December 31, 2022.
- John Paul II – October 16, 1978 to April 2, 2005: Born Karol Józef Wojtyła in Poland, John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years.
- John Paul I – August 26, 1978 to September 28, 1978: Born Albino Luciani in Italy, John Paul I’s reign is among the shortest in papal history. He died aged 65 only 33 days after being named pope, ushering in the first year of the three popes since 1605.
- Paul VI – June 21, 1963 to August 6, 1978: Born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini in Italy, Paul VI notably continued the Second Vatican Council, implementing its numerous reforms before closing it in 1965. In 1970, he was the first Pope to visit Australia.
- John XXIII – October 28, 1958 to June 3, 1963: Born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli in Italy, he is best known for convening the Second Vatican Council.
- Pius XII – March 2, 1939 to October 9, 1958: Born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli in Italy, he was the second pontiff to use the radio, delivering almost 200 broadcast speeches in different languages to promote peace and decry violence.
- Pius XI – February 6, 1922 to February 10, 1939: Born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti in Italy, Pius XI was the first pontiff to become sovereign of the Vatican City State, which was created as an independent state in February 1929. He also despised Prime Minister Benito Mussolini, and the feeling was mutual.
- Benedict XV – September 3, 1914 - January 22, 1922: Born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa in Italy, Benedict XV’s time as pontiff was largely overshadowed by World War I. He dedicated his papacy to achieving peace in Europe, and could only turn his attention to matters within the Church once the conflict ended.
- Pius X – August 4, 1903 - August 20, 1914: Born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto in Italy’s Riese when it was part of the Austrian Empire, Pius X was staunchly conservative both politically and religiously. He turned his attention to the defence of the Catholic Church, particularly any movement to reinterpret traditional Catholic teachings. He was canonised on May 29, 1954.
- Leo XIII – February 20, 1878 - July 20, 1903: Born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci in Italy, he directed the Catholic Church for 25 years, dying at 93 in Rome. He was regarded as, somewhat, an advocate for modern thinking, governments, science and the social needs of the time.
What happens next?
Pope Francis died aged 88 on April 21, with cardinals from all over the world being given less than five days to get to Vatican City in Rome, Italy, for his funeral on April 26.
Two days later, on Monday, April 28, the Vatican announced the secret conclave to elect the new pope would begin on May 7. The past two conclaves held in the Sistine Chapel, one in 2005 and the other in 2013, from which Pope Francis emerged as a victor, lasted two days each.
It’s anticipated this conclave will last longer than those in the recent past as many of the cardinals appointed by Pope Francis – 108 of the 135 – have never met before. At noon and 7pm each day of the conclave, smoke will billow out of the chimney. If the smoke is black, it means a new pope has not been elected. If it’s white, that means a new pope has been chosen.
Once a new pope has been elected, they are formally asked in the Sistine Chapel if they accept their election and, should they accept, to choose their papal name. They are allowed to keep their baptismal name, however, each pope for the last 470 years, including Pope Francis, instead chose to change their name. Usually, a name change is done to honour a predecessor, and signal their intention to follow their example. Then comes the blessing of the crowd at St. Peter’s Basilica, and later, a formal papal inauguration.
Who will be the next pope?
If there’s one thing we learnt from Oscar-winning film Conclave, it’s that even the shoo-ins aren’t guaranteed to walk out of the plethora of secret ballots with the papacy, or unscathed. In fact, the Romans have an expression that hints at this: “Chi entra ner conclave papa, ne risorte cardinale.”
Translated to English, that means: “Whoever enters the conclave as a pope, emerges as a cardinal.” Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who became Pope Francis and notably shirked all luxuries afforded to someone with his status, was not a front-runner in 2013 following Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation that February. It was only after five rounds of voting that he blessed the gathered crowd in St. Peter’s Square after the senior cardinal deacon introduced him with a traditional, “Habemus papum.” (“We have a pope” in Latin).
Nevertheless, bookmakers have set their odds on some top contenders, which don’t include Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who withdrew from the conclave on April 30 at the posthumous request of Pope Francis. Australia’s lone Cardinal Mykola Bychok, whom Pope Francis made a Cardinal in late 2024 and, at 45, is the youngest elector in the 2025 conclave, is also not among top contenders.
Top contenders do include 70-year-old Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was one of Pope Francis’ closest collaborators and is the current Secretary of State of Vatican City. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who is aged 60 and the current Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, is another one to watch, as is the Philippines’ 67-year-old Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, and Ghana’s 76-year-old Cardinal Peter Turkson, among others. Hungary’s 71-year-old Cardinal Péter Erdő was mentioned in 2013, and may emerge again as a candidate among the Church’s conservative faction.