when is the conclave starting

The conclave to elect the next pope is starting on May 7, 2025. This date was decided by the cardinals during a general congregation at the Vatican. The conclave will take place in the Sistine Chapel and will be closed to visitors throughout the event. On the first day, cardinals will participate in a solemn mass followed by a procession into the chapel where they will take an oath of secrecy and commence voting. The conclave is expected to last several days until a new pope is chosen by a two-thirds majority vote of the cardinal electors under the age of 80. The specifics of the voting process involve multiple secret ballots each day after the first day, accompanied by smoke signals indicating the voting outcome.