Meeting on April 29 in the 6th general congregation after the death of Pope Francis, the College of Cardinals continued to arrange details of the conclave that will begin on May 7.

The April 29 session also saw twenty cardinals speak about the needs of the universal Church—a topic that will dominate discussion as the conclave nears.

The camerlengo and his three assistants* presented a list of the people who will be required to swear an oath of secrecy before the conclave, including all the cardinal-electors and the support staff that will serve them during the length of the conclave. That staff will include priests who will be available to hear confessions in various languages, doctors and nurses, cooks and cleaning staff, and security personnel.

* Three cardinals serve as assistants to the camerlengo in handling details of preparation for the conclave. Contrary to some media reports, these cardinal-assistants are chosen by lot, rather than by vote; they serve only for three days, after which another trio of cardinal-assistants is chosen.

The College of Cardinals has issued a statement of thanks to the religious and political leaders who attended the funeral of Pope Francis.

“Their presence was particularly appreciated as participation in the suffering of the Church and the Holy See at the passing of the Pontiff, and as homage to his unceasing commitment to promote faith, peace and fraternity among all the peoples of the earth,” the cardinals said.

The College also thanked the public officials of Rome and Italy who cooperated in preparations for the funeral.

Finally, the statement acknowledged the large number of young people who participated in the Jubilee for Youth on April 27. Thousands of young people had scheduled trips to Rome for the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, which was postponed because of the papal funeral. Their attendance, the cardinals said, helped to show “the face of a Church alive with the life of her Risen Lord.”

After 20 years away from the Church, Ismael returned to the Catholic faith thanks to Pope Francis, and slept on the floor to attend his funeral.

“The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy."

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The 135 cardinals eligible to elect the next pope will enter the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave May 7, the Vatican announced. 

The cardinals will first celebrate the "Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff" in St. Peter's Basilica that morning before processing into the Sistine Chapel that evening.

The Vatican Museums announced that the Sistine Chapel would be closed to visitors beginning April 28 to allow preparations for the conclave to begin. The preparations include the installation of a stove to burn the cardinals' ballots and a chimney on the roof to signal the election results to the world.

The date for the conclave was set during the fifth general congregation meeting of cardinals April 28, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, told reporters at a briefing later that day. The general congregation meeting was the first after a two-day pause to allow cardinals to participate in the funeral rites for Pope Francis.

More than 180 cardinals attended the April 28 meeting, including over 100 cardinal electors. During the session, about 20 cardinals offered reflections on the state of the church, its mission in the world, the challenges it faces and the qualities needed in the next pope, Bruni said.

Topics addressed included evangelization, interfaith relations and the ongoing need to address clerical sexual abuse, he added.

The cardinals also discussed whether Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who relinquished the rights associated with being a cardinal after he was forced to resign in 2020, would be permitted to participate in the conclave. Bruni said no decision had yet been made, and Cardinal Becciu has been attending the general congregation meetings.

Looking ahead to the next session, Bruni said the general congregation meeting April 29 would open with a reflection by Benedictine Father Donato Ogliari, abbot of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome and a member of the Dicastery for Bishops.

As cardinals entered the Vatican for the morning's session, Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Stockholm was asked by reporters if he expected a long conclave. "I think it will be," he said, "because up to now we don't know each other."

Meanwhile, Cardinal Walter Kasper, former president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity who is past the age limit to vote in the conclave, told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that he hopes the cardinal-electors "come to a consensus on the next pope very soon, in the footsteps of Francis."

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A large crowd—estimated at 200,000 by Catholic News Service, and at 250,000 by the Vatican newspaper—attended the funeral Mass of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square on April 26 (booklet, video). The leaders of more than 80 countries, and representatives from some four dozen others, were in attendance.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, preached the homily.

“The outpouring of affection that we have witnessed in recent days following his passing from this earth into eternity tells us how much the profound pontificate of Pope Francis touched minds and hearts,” he preached. “With our prayers, we now entrust the soul of our beloved Pontiff to God, that he may grant him eternal happiness in the bright and glorious gaze of his immense love”

Cardinal Re concluded:

Pope Francis used to conclude his speeches and meetings by saying, “Do not forget to pray for me.” Dear Pope Francis, we now ask you to pray for us. May you bless the Church, bless Rome, and bless the whole world from heaven as you did last Sunday from the balcony of this Basilica in a final embrace with all the people of God, but also embrace humanity that seeks the truth with a sincere heart and holds high the torch of hope.

We continue in our Easter joy in the Second Week of Easter, as in the Preface I of Easter "overcome with paschal joy, every land, every people exults in your praise."

The conclave that will elect a successor to Pope Francis will open on Wednesday, May 7.

The opening of the conclave—following the traditional nine days of mourning for a deceased Pontiff—was officially set by the College of Cardinals, meeting in a general congregation on April 28. Almost 200 cardinals have now gathered in Rome to participate in the daily meetings leading up to the conclave.

The conclave will open on May 7 with the celebration of a Mass Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice, followed by a procession into the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinal-electors will hear two meditations and take an oath to preserve the secrecy of the proceedings.

If time allows, the cardinals may take their first vote on Wednesday afternoon. On any following days of the conclave, the schedule will allow for two votes in the morning, then two more in the afternoon session, until a candidate receives the two-thirds support required for election.

Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025, at 7:35 a.m. local time. Here are 10 videos from the life and death of the late Pope.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Mercy -- the cornerstone of Pope Francis' teaching and ministry -- must guide the Catholic Church through its period of mourning and the uncertainty that lies ahead, the Vatican's second-ranking official said.

Celebrating Mass April 27 for the second day of the "novendiali" -- nine days of mourning for the late pope marked by Masses -- Cardinal Pietro Parolin, former Vatican secretary of state, told some 200,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Divine Mercy Sunday that Pope Francis had made the message of God's limitless mercy the heart of his pontificate.

"Our affection for him must not remain a mere emotion of the moment," Cardinal Parolin said. "We must welcome his legacy and make it part of our lives, opening ourselves to God’s mercy and also being merciful to one another."

Although the Mass was officially one of mourning, jubilant crowds of young people who traveled to Rome for the Jubilee of Teenagers April 25-27 filed into the square early Sunday morning while cheering, singing songs and breaking out in chant.

"With the death of the pope all of our plans changed, but the kids are excited to be here for this important moment, it's incredible for them," said Jesús Serrano, who was accompanying a group of 185 young people from the Archdiocese of Madrid.

Like so many teenagers in St. Peter's Square, the group from Spain thought they were traveling to Rome to attend the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis -- an Italian teen who was set to be declared the church's first millennial saint by Pope Francis.

Instead, they participated in the late pope's funeral Mass April 26 and returned to the Vatican the following day for his second memorial Mass. The brightly colored t-shirts, hats, flags and banners from each of the groups created a lively tapestry on the sun-soaked square.

Seated on stage in St. Peter's Square on either side of Cardinal Parolin were the cardinals gathered in Rome for Pope Francis' funeral and Vatican employees dressed in mourning attire.

In his homily, the cardinal recognized the bittersweet atmosphere in the square, telling the young people that their presence was a visible sign of Easter joy even amid the church’s grief, adding that Pope Francis "would have liked to meet you, to look into your eyes, and to pass among you to greet you."

The cardinal encouraged the teenagers to hold fast to the hope that comes from Christ, even as they confront the challenges of the modern world, including rapid technological change and the rise of artificial intelligence.

"Never forget to nourish your lives with the true hope that has the face of Jesus Christ," he said. "With him, you will never be alone or abandoned, not even in the worst of times."

Highlighting the day's liturgical celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday, Cardinal Parolin said it was fitting to remember Pope Francis, who had made mercy a hallmark of his pontificate.

"Pope Francis reminded us that 'mercy' is the very name of God, and, therefore, no one can put a limit on his merciful love with which he wants to raise us up and make us new people," he said.

The church, Cardinal Parolin noted, must continue to be a place where mercy heals wounds, fosters reconciliation and overcomes hatred and division. "Only mercy heals and creates a new world, putting out the fires of distrust, hatred and violence," he said. "This is the teaching of Pope Francis."

As the tomb of Pope Francis in the Basilica of St. Mary Major was opened to the public for the first time the morning of April 27, Cardinal Parolin recalled the late pope’s deep devotion to Mary, having chosen to be buried in the Marian basilica outside the Vatican, and entrusted the church to her care.

Standing alongside the icon of Mary that Pope Francis often visited in that basilica during his pontificate, the cardinal prayed that she would "protect us, intercede for us, watch over the church and support the journey of humanity in peace and fraternity."

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Reporting by CNS Rome is made possible by the Catholic Communication Campaign. Give to the CCC special collection in your diocese May 10-11 or any time at: https://bit.ly/CCC-give