Mumbai, May 5: The Papal Conclave to elect the next pope, head of the Roman Catholic Church and successor of Pope Francis, will begin on Wednesday, May 7. Ahead of the conclave, the College of Cardinals on Friday, April 30, recognised that all 133 cardinal electors have the right to vote in the upcoming conclave. The 2025 papal conclave will take place at the Vatican's Sistine Chapel, which will remain closed to visitors during that time. Ahead of the conclave's opening to choose a new pope, let's know what transpired at the last papal conclave held in 2013.

Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013

The last conclave to elect a pope or head of the Roman Catholic Church was held in 2013, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned on February 28. Back then, there were 207 members in the College of Cardinals; however, only 117 cardinal electors were eligible to participate in the conclave to choose the next pope. Two cardinals did not participate in the conclave, thereby reducing the number to 115. What Is Papal Conclave? Who Will Elect New Pope? All You Need To Know About Papal Conclave Set To Begin on May 7 To Choose Pope Francis’ Successor.

How Long Was the 2013 Papal Conclave

In the 2013 papal conclave, the number of votes required to be elected as the new pope with a two-thirds majority was 77. The 2013 conclave to elect a new pope was held on March 12 and 13 and took place at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Held over two days, the 2013 papal conclave lasted for over 24 hours, with five ballots taking place to elect the new pope. On the fifth ballot, the cardinal electors who took part in the conclave elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, as the new pope.

After accepting his election, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio took the name Francis and went on to become Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Notably, five cardinals from India were part of the 2013 Papal Conclave, which elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the new pope. The five cardinals from India were Ivan Dias, Telesphore Placidus Toppo, Oswald Gracias, George Alencherry and Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal. Who Are 4 Indian Cardinals Set To Vote for the Next Pope in Papal Conclave After Pope Francis’ Death?

Ahead of the 2025 papal conclave, workers in the Vatican installed the simple stove in the Sistine Chapel, where ballots will be burned during the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope. Preparations to elect a successor to Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, April 21, at age 88, are underway, with the papal conclave set to begin on May 7.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 05, 2025 06:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).