The last papal conclave, held in March 2013 to elect Pope Francis, lasted two days. The cardinals conducted five rounds of voting over those two days before reaching a decision
. Similarly, the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI also lasted two days
. In recent times, conclaves typically last between two to three days on average, with most decisions reached quickly compared to historical conclaves which could extend for weeks or even years
. The longest conclave in modern history took 51 days in 1831 to elect Pope Gregory XVI
. Thus, the most recent conclave was relatively brief, concluding within two days.
