Cardinal Nichols takes solemn oath of secrecy before first conclave vote
The Catholic Herald• May 7, 2025
The head of Catholics in England and Wales has taken the solemn oath of secrecy inside the Sistine Chapel as the conclave to select the successor to Pope Francis begins.
Cardinal Vincent Nicholas, Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, is one of three English cardinals among the total of 133-cardinal electors who will choose the next head of the Roman Catholic Church and its 267th pope.
The cardinal electors all recite the oath, promising that if elected pope, they would faithfully fulfill the ministry of universal pastor of the Church, that they will follow the rules of the conclave scrupulously and keep secret the results of the votes.
Only one round of voting will take place on Wednesday night, with four ballots on each subsequent day, two in the morning and two in the afternoon, until a new pope is selected. If the cardinals have not elected a new pope after 12-13 ballots, they will take a break for a day of prayer and reflection before continuing.
The past two conclaves, in 2005 and 2013, were short, with a pope elected on the fourth and fifth ballots, resulting in a new pope within two and a half days.
A nun in St Peter’s Square as cardinals begin their conclave to elect a new pope, Vatican, 7 May 2025. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images.)
Though most cardinals have insisted that they believe this year’s conclave will also be short, many observers have speculated that it could also last longer, given that there are more cardinals, and many do not know each other.
In this regard, the pre-conclave general congregation meetings have been essential, allowing the cardinals a chance to get to know one another and jointly discuss their vision for the Church, and the profile of the new pope.
Once the doors to the Sistine Chapel close, cardinals will effectively be entirely shutoff from the rest of the world, with phone jamming systems and Wi-Fi blockers in place.
They will also have no newspapers or television news available while they remain closed in together in the Santa Marta residence, to allow for complete privacy and to prevent the interference of any external factors that might sway the voting process.
Cardinals’ deliberations end as conclave and discernment begins
Photo: Faithful watch a giant screen displaying cardinals taking oath of secrecy inside the Sistine chapel, at St Peter’s Square on the first day of the conclave to elect the next pope, Vatican, 7 May 2025. (Photo by STEFANO RELLANDINI/AFP via Getty Images.)