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Papal Interregnum 2025 (Archive)

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Habemus papam!

(We have a pope!)

Pope Leo XIV

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost
Fmr. Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops

Elected on 4th ballot

Pope Leo XIV

This is an archive of Off on a Tangent coverage of the 2025 papal interregnum and conclave.

Updates

Thursday, May 8, 2025

  • 1:37 p.m. EDT: Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States. He is 69 years old.
    • He is a member of the Augustinian order who was ordained a priest in 1982. He has served in the Chicago area and on missions in Peru.
    • He was made Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2015. Pope Francis made him Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in January 2023 and elevated him to cardinal in September 2023.
  • 1:17 p.m. EDT:
    • The new pope is Leo XIV
    • Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, former Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. He is the first American pope.
  • 12:53 p.m. EDT: The white smoke and bells at about 12:09 p.m. indicate that a pope was successfully elected by the College of Cardinals in conclave by at least a two-thirds majority on the fourth ballot.
    • After election, the pope is taken to the “room of tears” where he puts on his papal vestments for the first time.
    • The new pope will soon be introduced to the people at Saint Peter’s Square. The announcement will be in Latin: “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus papam. Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum [prænomen] Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem [nomen], qui sibi nomen imposuit [nomen pontificale].”
    • Translated into English, this means: “I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope! The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord, Don [given name], cardinal of the Holy Roman Church [surname], who has imposed on himself the name of [papal name].”
  • 12:09 p.m. EDT:
    • White smoke: Habemus papam! We have a pope!
  • 11:43 a.m. EDT: Live coverage is back on; watching for possible smoke over the coming hours.
  • 6:27 a.m. EDT: I am pausing live coverage until the afternoon session voting. I plan to resume coverage around 11:00 a.m. EDT.
  • 5:52 a.m. EDT:
    • Black smoke: No pope has been elected.
  • 5:43 a.m. EDT (time estimates revised 6:08 a.m. EDT): The second day of the conclave is underway and we are awaiting results of the morning votes. Here’s how we expect things to proceed:
    • There will be four votes per-day until a new pope is elected (by a two-thirds supermajority), with specified breaks if the process continues for more than three days.
    • The first vote of the day is held around 10:30 a.m. CEST (4:30 a.m. EDT); it is likely underway right now. If the election is successful, it will be announced with white smoke from a temporary chimney above the Sistine Chapel and bells in Saint Peter’s Square.
    • If the first vote of the morning session is unsuccessful, there will be no smoke signal. The second vote will be held around 11:00 a.m. CEST (6:00 a.m. EDT), and the result will be announced either with black smoke, which indicates that no pope was elected in the two morning votes, or white smoke and ringing bells, indicating that a pope was elected on the second vote.
    • This process will repeat for two ballots in the afternoon session, which will be held at about 5:30 p.m. CEST (11:30 a.m. EDT) and 7:00 p.m. CEST (1:00 p.m. EDT). There will be no smoke after the first afternoon vote unless a pope has been elected.

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

  • 3:23 p.m. EDT: I will be pausing my live coverage until the next expected vote results.
    • I am also revising my estimates about when we should expect smoke from the Sistine Chapel. Beginning tomorrow, smoke may be seen around 11:00 a.m. CEST (5:00 a.m. EDT), 12:30 p.m. CEST (6:30 a.m. EDT), 6:00 p.m. CEST (12:00 p.m. EDT), and 7:30 p.m. CEST (1:30 p.m. EDT). (See updates on May 8.)
  • 3:01 p.m. EDT:
    • Black smoke: No pope has been elected.
  • 2:50 p.m. EDT: I have fixed the bug I mentioned earlier; you will need to reload the page once to get the updates, but from then on things will update automatically like they should.
  • 2:26 p.m. EDT: The expected first vote result has not yet been reported; no smoke has risen from the Sistine Chapel roof.
    • Because the conclave is held under strict secrecy, there is no way to know when results may be reported, or even if a vote has been held.
    • It is not required to hold a vote on the first day of the conclave; it is possible that the cardinals will wait until tomorrow morning to begin voting. However, it is also possible that a vote is simply occurring later than expected, or that there have been technical delays.
    • Off on a Tangent will continue live coverage until a result is reported, or until it becomes clear that there will be no vote today.
  • 1:31 p.m. EDT: I am aware of a bug on this page that causes the main part of the page to not update live; you must refresh the page to see updates. I will fix this before the next vote result is expected.
  • 12:49 p.m. EDT: The conclave began earlier today with the liturgy of the “Entrance into Conclave and Oath.” The results of the first vote are expected around 7:00 p.m. CEST (1:00 p.m. EDT).

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

  • 10:56 p.m. EDT: Off on a Tangent is preparing for live coverage of the 2025 papal conclave, which is expected to elect the 267th supreme pontiff in the coming days.
    • Times are notated in local time at the Vatican, which is currently Central European Summer Time (CEST; UTC+2), and Off on a Tangent time, which is currently Eastern Daylight Time (EDT; UTC-4).
    • Conclave activities will begin on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. CEST (10:30 a.m. EDT) with cardinal electors participating in the liturgy of the “Entrance into Conclave and Oath.”
    • Cardinal electors are expected to take one vote on the first day of the conclave. The results of this vote will likely be announced with smoke from the Sistine Chapel around 7:00 p.m. CEST (1:00 p.m. EDT).
    • Beginning on the second day, there will be four votes per-day (with defined breaks if voting continues more than three days). Smoke from the Sistine Chapel is expected around 10:30 a.m. CEST (4:30 a.m. EDT), 12:00 p.m. CEST (6:00 a.m. EDT), 5:30 p.m. CEST (11:30 a.m. EDT), and 7:00 p.m. CEST (1:00 p.m. EDT). (See update on May 7.)
    • The traditional smoke signals are made from the burning of the ballots and other materials, along with additives to make the color more clear to observers. Black smoke indicates that no pope has been elected. White smoke, which will be accompanied by bells ringing in Saint Peter’s Square, indicates “habemus papam,” or “we have a pope.”
    • Once a pope is elected, he will be introduced to the faithful. This will likely occur about one hour after the white smoke and bells announce the end of the conclave.
    • Pope Francis was elected on the fifth ballot—the fourth ballot on the second day of the conclave. Pope Benedict XVI was elected on the fourth ballot—the third ballot on the second day. Pope John Paul II was elected on the eighth ballot—the third ballot on the third day.
    • Most observers expect that the next pontiff will not be elected on the first ballot, but will be elected before the tenth. In other words, the next pope will probably be elected on Thursday, May 8 or Friday, May 9.
    • Stay tuned!

Monday, April 28, 2025

  • 8:51 a.m. EDT: The College of Cardinals today announced this morning that the conclave to select the 267th supreme pontiff will begin on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

Saturday, April 26, 2025

  • 12:45 p.m. EDT: The funeral Mass for His Holiness Pope Francis, the 266th supreme pontiff, was celebrated this morning beginning at 10:00 a.m. CEST (4:00 a.m. EDT; 08:00 UTC). Following the Mass, Pope Francis’s coffin was moved to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major where his remains were interred.

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

  • 10:21 a.m. EDT: Morning updates:
    • Pope Francis’s coffin was moved in ceremonial procession this morning from the Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the guest house where he resided, to the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter. He will now lie in state at the basilica until his funeral Mass on Saturday.
    • The Vatican has issued two new updates relating to funeral arrangements:
      • The rite of the closing of the coffin will be held on Friday, April 25, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. CEST (2:00 p.m. EDT; 18:00 UTC). Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, will preside over the ceremony.
      • The interment of the coffin will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, following the funeral Mass. A procession will move the coffin from Saint Peter’s Basilica to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where Cardinal Kevin Farrell will preside over the interment.

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

  • 6:12 p.m. EDT: Schedules for key events were announced today:
    • Pope Francis’s coffin will be moved to Saint Peter’s Basilica in a ceremonial procession that will begin on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. CEST (3:00 a.m. EDT; 07:00 UTC). He will lie in state at Saint Peter’s until his funeral—official announcement
    • A funeral Mass for Pope Francis will be held at Saint Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. CEST (4:00 a.m. EDT; 08:00 UTC)—official announcement
    • The nine-day “novemdiales” mourning period begins on the day of a deceased pope’s funeral Mass, not on the day of his death as I had reported earlier. Thus, it has not yet begun, and will start on April 26.

Monday, April 21, 2025

  • 6:38 p.m. EDT:
    • His Holiness Pope Francis, the 266th supreme pontiff, died at 7:35 a.m. CEST (1:35 a.m. EDT; 05:35 UTC)—official announcement
    • Francis’s cause of death is listed as stroke, coma, and irreversible cardiovascular collapse—official announcement
    • Upon the death or resignation of a pope, the Catholic Church enters an interregnum period known as sede vacante (vacant seat), which continues until a new pope is elected.
    • When a pope dies, the church enters a nine-day period of mourning called the “novemdiales.” A funeral Mass for the deceased pope is held during this period. (see update on April 22)
    • A conclave to elect a new pope must be convened within twenty days of a pope’s death or resignation. There are 135 cardinals eligible to vote in the upcoming conclave.
    • This page will be updated with newsworthy events throughout the interregnum.

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Scott Bradford is a writer and technologist who has been putting his opinions online since 1995. He believes in three inviolable human rights: life, liberty, and property. He is a Catholic Christian who worships the trinitarian God described in the Nicene Creed. Scott is a husband, nerd, pet lover, and AMC/Jeep enthusiast with a B.S. degree in public administration from George Mason University.