How to watch the Vatican live during papal conclave: 24/7 cam
VATICAN CITY - The College of Cardinals will begin the secretive voting process of choosing a new pope on Wednesday, May 7, and FOX 5 NY will have a 24/7 LIVE look at the Sistine Chapel.
***In the YouTube player above, FOX 5 NY will have a 24/7 LIVE look at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City as cardinal electors hold a conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor.
Ballots are burned at the end of each voting session – black smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney means no decision, while smoke indicates that a new pope has been chosen.
Black smoke billows out from a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel indicating that the College of Cardinals have failed to elect a new Pope on March during the second day of the Conclave,at Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor is being chosen
When did Pope Francis die?
The backstory:
By tradition, the conclave must begin 15–20 days after the death or resignation of the pope. Francis died on Monday, April 21.
- MORE: Date set for conclave to elect next pope, Vatican says: What to know
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Venezuelan Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo expressed confidence that once the conclave begins, a decision would be quick, "between two and three days."
Big picture view:
The College of Cardinals that will elect a new pope includes members from far corners of the globe whom Francis named over his 12-year papacy to bring in new points of view of the Catholic Church hierarchy.
Saint Peter's statue and cardinals during the funeral ceremony of Pope Francis at Saint Peter's Square in Vatican on April 26, 2025. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Many have spent little or no time in Rome getting to know their colleagues, injecting some uncertainty into a process that requires two-thirds of the voting-age cardinals to coalesce behind a single candidate.
There are a total of 135 cardinal electors — 108 of whom were appointed by Francis — and the last 20 were appointed in early December. Only cardinals under 80 are eligible to vote, and it is not clear how many of the 135 will participate.
Dig deeper:
While not knowing each other well, many cardinals cited the desire to continue Francis’ pastoral focus on people who are marginalized and against war. But conservatives in the ranks may be more focused on forging unity and refocusing the church back to core doctrines emphasized by St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, rather than continuing Francis' social justice focus and outreach to women and gays.
British Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the 79-year-old archbishop of Westminster, was adamant that the church must strive for unity, and he downplayed divisions.
"The role of the pope is to essentially hold us together and that’s the grace we’ve been given from God," said Nichols.
Who will be the next pope?
What's next:
While it's impossible to predict who the next pope will be, some cardinals are considered to have better chances than others.
Any baptized Catholic male is eligible, though only cardinals have been selected since 1378. The winner must receive at least two-thirds of the vote from those cardinals under age 80 and thus eligible to participate.