The Vatican has closed the Sistine Chapel to tourists as preparations are underway for the papal conclave, where cardinals will elect a new pope following the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at the age of 88.
The Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals will gather, is being prepared for the selection of the new head of the Catholic Church. One of the key steps in the preparation is the installation of the chimney, where the ballots will be burned after the voting.
According to church law, the conclave can only begin after a nine-day mourning period, and it is expected to start between May 5 and 10. Upon entering the chapel, the cardinals will engage in a secret process that will lead to the election of the new pope. This decision is expected to determine the future of the Catholic Church, whether the new pope will continue the reforms of Francis or return to more conservative views, similar to those of his predecessors, such as Pope Benedict XVI.
The election will take place in an atmosphere of grandeur, surrounded by frescoes created by Michelangelo and other Renaissance masters. Against this backdrop, the cardinals will take an oath of secrecy, and the doors of the chapel will close to outsiders. The world will await the signal of the new pope: black smoke—no result, white smoke—the election of a successor.
Prayer and the Litany of the Saints will accompany the ceremony, emphasizing the significance of the moment that will shape the future of the Catholic Church and its 1.4 billion followers.
