Overview

• The papal conclave begins May 7, requiring 89 votes from 133 cardinal electors to choose the next pope, the largest quorum in history.
• Unprecedented security measures, including signal jammers, a Faraday cage, and opaque window seals, aim to ensure complete isolation and secrecy during the election.
• Thirteen cardinals are housed in an auxiliary residence, 'Santa Marta bis,' due to room shortages at the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
• Strict secrecy oaths, under penalty of excommunication, have been taken by all participants, including lay staff such as cooks and drivers.
• The field remains open with no clear frontrunner, as ideological divisions highlight debates over continuity with Pope Francis's legacy or calls for change.