AP PHOTOS: Day 1 of the conclave at the Vatican to pick the next pope
A giant screen in St Peter’s Basilica shows cardinals inside the Sistine Chapel during the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Catholic cardinals from around the world gathered in the Vatican on Wednesday for the start of the conclave, the centuries-old secret voting ritual to elect a new pope to follow Pope Francis, who died April 21. The 133 cardinals are taking part in the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith’s 2,000-year history. Their cellphones are surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican are jammed to prevent all communications until they find a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member church.
A woman holds up a sign for peace in St Peter’s Square during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A woman holds up a sign for peace in St Peter’s Square during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Cardinals, with white mitre hats, attend a final Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Cardinals, with white mitre hats, attend a final Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Faithful capture images with their smartphones of cardinals during a final Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Faithful capture images with their smartphones of cardinals during a final Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Activists from the Women’s Ordination Conference release pink smoke to call for full equality for women in the Catholic Church on the first day of the conclave to elect the 267th pope, in Rome, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Activists from the Women’s Ordination Conference release pink smoke to call for full equality for women in the Catholic Church on the first day of the conclave to elect the 267th pope, in Rome, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
A giant screen in St Peter’s Square shows a seagull near the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
A giant screen in St Peter’s Square shows a seagull near the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
People watch on a giant screen as the cardinals take their oath in the Sistine Chapel during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
People watch on a giant screen as the cardinals take their oath in the Sistine Chapel during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Cardinals arrive to attend the first day of the conclave to elect the successor of late Pope Francis inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP)
Cardinals arrive to attend the first day of the conclave to elect the successor of late Pope Francis inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP)
People gather in St Peter’s Square as they wait to see the smoke billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in St Peter’s Square during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
People gather in St Peter’s Square as they wait to see the smoke billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in St Peter’s Square during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A giant screen in St Peter’s Basilica shows Vatican Master of Ceremonies Archbishop Diego Giovanni Ravelli closing the doors to the Sistine Chapel after calling out “extra omnes”, Latin for “all out,” during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
A giant screen in St Peter’s Basilica shows Vatican Master of Ceremonies Archbishop Diego Giovanni Ravelli closing the doors to the Sistine Chapel after calling out “extra omnes”, Latin for “all out,” during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
People wait in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican to catch a glimpse of the smoke billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals are gathering on the first day of the conclave that will elect the successor of late Pope Francis, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo Markus Schreiber)
People wait in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican to catch a glimpse of the smoke billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals are gathering on the first day of the conclave that will elect the successor of late Pope Francis, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo Markus Schreiber)
Nuns enter an ice cream coffee bar near the Vatican, in Rome, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, on the day cardinals sequester themselves at the Vatican for the start of a conclave to elect the 267th Roman pontiff, a successor to Pope Francis. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Nuns enter an ice cream coffee bar near the Vatican, in Rome, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, on the day cardinals sequester themselves at the Vatican for the start of a conclave to elect the 267th Roman pontiff, a successor to Pope Francis. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Clouds pass over St Peter’s Basilica during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Clouds pass over St Peter’s Basilica during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Faithful kneel during a final Mass celebrated by cardinals inside St. Peter’s Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Faithful kneel during a final Mass celebrated by cardinals inside St. Peter’s Basilica, before the conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
People gather in St Peter’s Square as they wait to see the smoke billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in St Peter’s Square during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
People gather in St Peter’s Square as they wait to see the smoke billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in St Peter’s Square during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals are gathering on the first day of the conclave, indicating that a successor of late Pope Francis was not elected, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals are gathering on the first day of the conclave, indicating that a successor of late Pope Francis was not elected, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Nuns applaud as black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Nuns applaud as black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the cardinals’ conclave to elect a new pope, at the Vatican, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals are gathering on the first day of the conclave, indicating that a successor of late Pope Francis was not elected, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals are gathering on the first day of the conclave, indicating that a successor of late Pope Francis was not elected, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.