Cardinals gather in St. Peter’s Basilica for final Mass before conclave to choose new pope

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WATCH LIVE: Cardinals from across the world gather to elect new pope

Voting-eligible cardinals will be sequestered inside the Vatican to pray, discern and vote.

Cardinals entered St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday for a final Mass before the conclave to elect the successor to Pope Francis after his death last month.

The Mass comes before the private process to select a new leader of the Catholic Church.

The dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, prayed that the 133 cardinals find wisdom, good counsel and understanding before entering the Sistine Chapel to begin making their choices for the next pope.

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People walk near St. Peter’s Basilica, background, in Rome, on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, the day before of the upcoming conclave starting on May 7, to elect the 267th Roman pontiff. (AP)

The cardinals from 70 countries will be isolated from the outside world, with their cellphones surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican jammed to prevent all communications until a new pontiff is elected.

Francis named 108 of the 133 cardinals, selecting many pastors in his image from countries like Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga that had never had a cardinal before.

The Sistine Chapel, where cardinals will gather to elect the new pope, is seen Tuesday, May 6, 2025. (AP)

Many had not met one another until last week and explained that they needed more time to get to know one another, leading to questions about how long it could take for one of them to secure the two-thirds majority needed to become the 267th pope.

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Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, left, walks with Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi at the Vatican, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. (AP)

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“Wait and see, a little patience, wait and see,” Cardinal Mario Zenari, the Vatican’s ambassador to Syria, said as he arrived for the final day of pre-vote discussions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.