Cardinal’s to elect new Pope through Conclave

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – Pope Francis sadly passed away on April 21, 2025.

Now many people have questions on who the next Pope will be.

Between 15 and 20 days after the pope’s death the college of Cardinals will meet in the Sistine Chapel for a conclave to elect the new pope. Frank Lacopo is an Assistant History Professor at Southeast Missouri State University, he explains what this means.

“They’ll be cut off from the outside world. They’re not going to have access to the outside world, they aren’t going to have access to their phones, no newspapers or social media or really anything and the whole idea with the conclave is that it sort of seals the cardinals off and makes them sort of focus on electing the pope.” 

Lacopo shares that there is no deadline or time period of how long a conclave can last but in modern history times a conclave usually is over within a few days.

Lacopo says the next pope could be anyone.

“Is there a chance that we’ll get sort of Francis 2.0 because the majority of the cardinals is made up of people who are nominated and named by him?” “That’s definently a possibility” says Lacopo. It’s also possible that the college of cardinals will see that there’s a conservative way really watching across the whole world at the time or this time rather and they may feel the need to elect someone who’s more moderate or conservative.” 

A pope is selected through a majority vote of the cardinals and any baptized catholic male can be elected as pope.

Although Lacopo says a member of the church is typically selected there are no requirements stated that they have to be.  

“Sometimes you’re not surprised at all, sometimes you’re really surprised. It’s a group of cardinals, older guys who have specific views on things and they all talk, and they all play politics to a certain extent while they’re in the conclave cut off from the rest of society which is a bizarre idea in the first place right?” “They aren’t going to have smart phones whereas most of them are probably used to interacting with them like we are right and their going to make a decision” says Lacopo.

The conclave is conducted in complete secrecy with ballots burned after each voting round. Black smoke indicating no decision has been reached while white smoke indicates a successful election.

“We’re going to know when white smoke comes out of the Sistine Chapel and when the new guy comes out onto the balcony on St. Petersburg Square and it’s going to be really a phenomenal experience whether your catholic or not” says Lacopo.