Pope Leo XIV pays handsome bonus to Vatican workers

 

Pope Leo XIV to give 500-euro ‘conclave bonus’ to 5,000 Vatican workers

By Kristina Millare , ACI Stampa

Vatican City, May 28, 2025 / 14:51 pm

Pope Leo XIV has reinstated the “conclave bonus” given to Vatican employees for their service during the sede vacante period. 

Approximately 5,000 staff working for the Roman Curia and state institutions — such as the Vatican Museums, the Vatican Pharmacy, the Vatican Library, and Vatican Media — will receive an extra 500 euros (about $566) in their June paychecks.

The custom of distributing conclave bonuses by newly-elected popes is seen as a gesture of gratitude toward Vatican employees who had worked, often overtime, in the weeks following the death of a pope until the election of a new one. 

Though Pope Leo did not speak about the monetary gift in his audience with several Holy See and state workers earlier this month, he expressed his high regard for the men and women who form the different “working communities” of the Vatican.

“To work in the Roman Curia means to contribute to keeping the memory of the Apostolic See alive,” he said at the May 24 meeting. “And, by analogy, this can also be said of the services of Vatican City State.”

“Each one of you gives your contribution, carrying out your daily work with commitment and also with faith, because faith and prayer are like salt for food; they impart flavor,” he added.  

Among the thousands of workers who will benefit from Pope Leo’s monetary gift include men and women who work in the Vatican’s bookstore, clothing stores, gas stations, and post office, along with the Holy See’s other lay and religious staff.

In 2013, the “conclave bonus” tradition was temporarily suspended when Pope Francis was elected. Instead, he chose to redirect the monetary gift to papal charities and welfare institutions as a sign of the Church’s concern for people in need.

Aware of the discontent felt by several Vatican employees to withhold the handout, former Vatican spokesperson Father Federico Lombardi justified scrapping the bonus because, amid the “difficult general economic situation” of the church-state, a pope had not died.

“It did not seem possible or appropriate to burden the budgets of Vatican entities with a considerable extraordinary expense that was not foreseen,” Lombardi said in 2013. 

Though employees missed out on the expected conclave bonus when Francis became pope 12 years ago, several employees with three or more children are benefitting from a monthly 300-euro (about $339) bonus approved by the late pontiff in January 2025.

Under Pope Benedict XIV, Vatican employees were granted a 1,000-euro conclave bonus for the additional work carried out during the sede vacante period after the death of Pope John Paul II in 2005.

Come Thursday Morning; it's still black smoke; let the process continue

 

Black smoke rises 

Pope

• Pope Francis
• Conclave
• elections

Black Smoke: No election after morning of first full day of conclave

No Pope was elected after the third ballot of the conclave to elect the 267th Pope.

By Francesca Merlo

Black smoke rose from the chimney over the Sistine Chapel at 11:50 on Thursday morning, signalling the second ballot of the first full day of the conclave - and the third ballot overall - was inconclusive. 

As the cardinals break for lunch, the people in the square continue to look up at the chimney in anticipation. Voting is expected to resume at around 16:00. 

Around 15,000 people had gathered in St Peter's Square to await the announcement.

Among those in the square were Sarah and Cameron, a newlywed couple from Indiana in Rome for their honeymoon. They told Kielce Gussie that they had been due to attend Mass with Pope Francis on Thursday, but that although saddened that this is no longer the case, they know that "this is a once in a lifetime opportunity". 

Sarah expressed her hope that the new Pope might be able to be a voice of reason in a troubled world. 

This was reiterated by Fr Prashant Padu, a student in Rome from the Archdiocese of Bombay. "The Church has been blessed with wonderful Popes" he said, expressing his hope that he next one might be able to encompass the best of them all. 

Ballot #1: We have black smoke

 

Black smoke comes out of the Sistine Chapel 

Vatican

• Conclave

Black smoke signals end of first day of conclave

No Pope was elected after the first ballot of the conclave to elect the 267th Pope.

By Joseph Tulloch

Black smoke emerged from the chimney over the Sistine Chapel at 21:00 on Wednesday evening, signalling that a first ballot has been held at the conclave and has concluded without the election of a Pope.

Around 45,000 people had gathered in St Peter's Square to await the announcement, which had been expected sometime after 7pm. In the end, they had to wait until 9.

Among those in the square was Deacon Nicholas Nkoronko from Tanzania. Speaking to Vatican News, he said: "Our role here is to pray and to join with other Christians, other Catholics, to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide the whole process."

"Wherever the new Pope comes from", Deacon Nkoronko stressed, "whether it's Africa, Asia, America, what we need is we need a holy Pope. We need a Pope who will guide the Church and will be the pastor of the Church."

The Cardinals are in; the doors are locked and the Conclave is underway

 

Calling on the Holy Spirit and all the saints, cardinals begin conclave

written by Cindy Wooden 

Cardinal Pietro Parolin stands before a Book of the Gospels as cardinals process into the Sistine Chapel before the conclave to elect a new pope begins at the Vatican May 7, 2025. (CNS screengrab/Vatican Media)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Invoking the help of the Holy Spirit and recognizing that millions of people all over the world were praying for them, 133 cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel with a singular goal: to elect “a worthy pastor” for the universal church.

Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the top-ranking cardinal among the electors, led the cardinals in prayer at 4:30 p.m. May 7 in the Apostolic Palace’s Pauline Chapel, just a short distance from the Sistine Chapel.

“The whole church, united with us in prayer, insistently invokes the grace of the Holy Spirit so that a worthy pastor for the whole flock of Christ would be elected by us,” he told them.

“May the Lord direct our steps on the path of truth so that, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the holy apostles Peter and Paul and all the saints, we may always do what is pleasing to him,” the cardinal prayed. Behind altar servers carrying a cross and candles, priests assisting the cardinals processed toward the Sistine Chapel. The cardinals, walking two-by-two, followed in the reverse order of their rank within the College of Cardinals. Indian Cardinal George J. Koovakad and Italian Cardinal Fabio Baggio — cardinal deacons created by Pope Francis in December — were the first cardinals to cross the chapel’s threshold.

Only cardinals under the age of 80 were eligible to enter the conclave, but it still was the largest group of cardinal electors ever assembled. In 1975, St. Paul VI set a limit of 120 cardinal electors and ruled that cardinals over the age of 80 could not enter a conclave. When he died in 1978, 111 cardinals elected Pope John Paul I; there also were 111 electors at the 1978 conclave that chose St. John Paul II. After he died in 2005, 115 electors chose Pope Benedict XVI and when he resigned in 2013, there also were 115 cardinals in the conclave that elected Pope Francis.

Entering the Sistine Chapel to elect Pope Francis’ successor, Cardinal Koovakad and the other cardinals from the Eastern Catholic churches wore their traditions’ “choral habit.” The Latin-rite cardinals were dressed in red cassocks with a white rochet over top, a mozzetta (a short cape), their pectoral crosses, a zucchetto (skull cap) and a biretta, the three-cornered red hat they received when they were made cardinals.

The cardinal electors began their walk to the Sistine Chapel chanting the Litany of Saints, which started with prayers that God would have pity on them. They then invoked the saints, archangels and ancient biblical prophets to pray for them. They pleaded for the aid of Christ, asking for his mercy and protection. They also prayed for those who have died and those threatened by hunger and war.

The cardinals asked God to give the world peace, to “comfort and enlighten” the church, help Christians reconcile with each other and to lead all people to the truth of the Gospel.

Once in the chapel, they called on the help of the Holy Spirit by singing the ancient hymn, “Veni Creator Spiritus” (“Come, Creator Spirit”).

Then the cardinals from more than 70 countries vowed that, if elected pope, they would faithfully fulfill the ministry of universal pastor of the church and would defend the rights and freedom of the Holy See.

They also solemnly swore to scrupulously follow the rules for the election of a pope and keep secret the results of the votes, unless they have express permission from the new pope to reveal details.

After reciting the oath together, each cardinal walked up to the Book of the Gospels, put his right hand on it, said his name and sealed his oath, “So help me God and these holy Gospels that I touch with my hand.”

The Book of the Gospels was open to the page with Matthew 4:12-23, which recounts Jesus calling his first disciples.

Cardinal Parolin took the oath first, followed by the cardinals in order of rank, ending with Cardinal Koovakad.

The portion broadcast by Vatican Media ended with Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of papal liturgical ceremonies, saying, “Extra omnes,” ordering out everyone not authorized to remain. The ceremony lasted about 75 minutes.

However, 90-year-old Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, the retired preacher of the papal household, stayed behind. Before the conclave, the cardinals had chosen him to give a meditation “on the problems facing the church” and “on the need for careful discernment in choosing the new pope.”

The average age of the 133 cardinals was just over 70, slightly younger than the average age of electors who participated in the last conclave, in 2013, when the average age was close to 72.

Ten U.S. cardinals were among those filing into the Sistine Chapel: Cardinals Raymond L. Burke, retired prefect of the Apostolic Signature; Blase J. Cupich of Chicago; Daniel N. DiNardo, retired archbishop of Galveston-Houston; Timothy M. Dolan of New York; Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life under Pope Francis; Wilton D. Gregory, retired archbishop of Washington; James M. Harvey, archpriest of Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls; Robert W. McElroy of Washington; Robert F. Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis; and Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey.

Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff

 

Pope

• Conclave
• mass
• cardinals
• prayer
• Holy Spirit

Cardinal Re: United in prayer before the Conclave, we ask the Holy Spirit for guidance

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, presides over the Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff, and calls for unity in faith and prayer as the Cardinals go into the Conclave to elect the new Pope. "May the Pope elected may be he whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult, complex, and troubled turning point in history."

By Thaddeus Jones

On Wednesday morning, 7 May, in Saint Peter's Basilica the Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff took place with the Cardinals and over five thousand faithful in attendance. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over the celebration, saying that in a special way "we feel united with the entire People of God in their sense of faith, love for the Pope and confident expectation." 

Recalling the reading in the Acts of the Apostles how after Christ’s ascension into heaven all were united and persevering in prayer together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the Cardinal said in his homily that all gathered here are praying together as well just a few hours before the start of the Conclave, "under the gaze of Our Lady beside the altar, in this Basilica which rises above the tomb of the Apostle Peter."

United in faith and prayer

Cardinal Re explained that at this celebration we invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, asking for "his light and strength so that the Pope elected may be he whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult, complex, and troubled turning point in history."

“To pray, by invoking the Holy Spirit, is the only right and proper attitude to take as the Cardinal electors prepare to undertake an act of the highest human and ecclesial responsibility and to make a choice of exceptional importance. This is a human act for which every personal consideration must be set aside, keeping in mind and heart only the God of Jesus Christ and the good of the Church and of humanity.”

Love that knows no limits

As proclaimed in the Gospel reading during the celebration, Cardinal Re recalled how Jesus calls on everyone to love one another as He has loved them, even to the point of laying down one's life, a message of boundless love that the Lord calls a "new" commandment.

“The love that Jesus reveals knows no limits and must characterise the thoughts and actions of all his disciples, who must always show authentic love in their behaviour and commit themselves to building a new civilisation, what Paul VI called the “civilisation of love.” Love is the only force capable of changing the world.”

Call to fraternal love and communion

Continuing in his homily, Cardinal Re recalled how the readings proclaimed during the celebration call us to fraternal love, mutual help, ecclesial communion and universal human fraternity. And a key task of every successor of Peter is fostering communion in all forms: "communion of all Christians with Christ; communion of the Bishops with the Pope; communion of the Bishops among themselves...entirely directed towards communion among persons, peoples and cultures." 

Unity in diversity

The readings also remind us about the duty "to maintain the unity of the Church on the path traced out by Christ to the Apostles." This unity of the Church "is willed by Christ," he explained, a unity that is strong and marked by "profound communion in diversity, provided that full fidelity to the Gospel is maintained."

“Each Pope continues to embody Peter and his mission and thus represents Christ on earth; he is the rock on which the Church is built (cf. Mt 16:18). The election of a new Pope is not a simple succession of persons. The election of a new Pope is always the Apostle Peter who returns.”

United in prayer

As the Cardinal electors cast their votes in the Sistine Chapel, Cardinal Re urged everyone to pray that the Holy Spirit, "who in the last hundred years has given us a series of truly holy and great Pontiffs, will give us a new Pope according to God’s heart for the good of the Church and of humanity."

“May we pray for "a Pope who knows how best to awaken the consciences of all and awaken the moral and spiritual energies in today’s society" that "tends to forget God."”

The Cardinal remarked how the world expects much from the Church in safeguarding the "fundamental human and spiritual values" that human coexistence and future generations depend upon.

“May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, intercede with her maternal intercession, so that the Holy Spirit will enlighten the minds of the Cardinal electors and help them agree on the Pope that our time needs.”

How is a new Pope elected in Conclave

 

The Sistine Chapel prepared for the 2013 Conclave  (@VaticanMedia)

Pope

Conclave: How a Pope is elected

From the voting of cardinal electors to the burning of ballots in a cast-iron stove dating back to 1939, here’s a look at what happens inside the Sistine Chapel during a papal election.

By Tiziana Campisi

“Eligo in Summum Pontificem” (“I elect as Supreme Pontiff".)

These are the words printed on each ballot that the 133 cardinal electors will use to choose the 267th Roman Pontiff. The ballot is rectangular, with the top half bearing the Latin phrase and the bottom half left blank for the cardinal to write the name of their chosen candidate. The ballot is designed to be folded in half - a detail prescribed by the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis.

Ballot Distribution 

Each cardinal elector receives at least two or three ballots, distributed by the ceremonial officers. Then, the senior cardinal deacon draws lots to appoint three scrutineers (to count the votes), three infirmarii (to collect votes from ill cardinals), and three revisers (to verify the count). If any of those selected are unable to fulfil their roles due to illness or other reasons, new names are drawn in their place. This stage is known as the pre-scrutiny.

Before voting begins, all non-electors - including the secretary of the College of Cardinals, the Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations, and the ceremonial officers - must leave the Sistine Chapel. The senior cardinal deacon then closes the doors, opening and closing them only as needed, such as when the infirmarii go to collect the votes of ill cardinals and return.

The “Room of Tears”

Once a Pope is elected, he will be led to the "Room of Tears", a small room next to the Sistine Chapel where he dons the white papal vestments for the first time.

Room of Tears" (ANSA)

The Voting Process

Each cardinal, in order of precedence, writes the name of their chosen candidate on the ballot, folds it, holds it aloft so it is visible, and carries it to the altar. There, a chalice is placed with a plate covering it.

Each elector says aloud, in Italian: 
"Chiamo a testimone Cristo Signore, il quale mi giudicherà, che il mio voto è dato a colui che, secondo Dio, ritengo debba essere eletto".
(“I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one whom I believe should be elected according to God".)

The cardinal then places the ballot on the plate and uses it to drop the vote into the chalice, bows to the altar, and returns to his seat.

Cardinals who are present but unable to walk to the altar due to illness give their folded ballot to one of the scrutineers, who brings it to the altar and deposits it in the same manner, without reciting the oath again.

The Sistine Chapel set-up for the Conclave

Unwell Cardinals voting from their rooms

If any cardinals are too ill to be in the chapel, the three infirmarii visit them with a tray of ballots and a sealed box (previously shown to be empty, then locked with the key placed on the altar). The top of the box has a slit where the folded ballots can be inserted. Once the votes are cast, the infirmarii bring the box back to the chapel, where it is opened in front of the electors. The votes are counted and added to those already in the main chalice.

The Count

After all votes have been cast, the first scrutineer shakes the chalice to mix the ballots. The last scrutineer then counts them one by one, transferring them into a second, empty container. If the number of ballots doesn’t match the number of voters, all ballots are burned, and a new vote is held immediately. If the count is correct, the ballots are opened and read.

The three scrutineers sit at a table before the altar. The first reads the name written on a ballot and passes it to the second, who confirms the name and hands it to the third, who reads it aloud for everyone to hear and records the vote. If two ballots appear to be written by the same person and bear the same name, they count as one vote. If they show different names, both are invalid, though the overall vote remains valid.

Once all ballots have been read and the votes tallied, the final scrutineer pierces each ballot with a needle through the word Eligo and threads them together with string. The ends of the string are tied in a knot, and the ballots are stored for safekeeping.

The Required Majority

To elect a new Pope, a two-thirds majority is required. For the upcoming conclave on Wednesday, 7 May, that means at least 89 votes are needed out of 133 electors.

Regardless of whether a Pope is elected, the revisers carefully verify the count and check the notes made by the scrutineers to ensure everything was carried out correctly. After this, before the electors leave the Sistine Chapel, all the ballots are burned in a cast-iron stove first used in the 1939 conclave. The scrutineers handle this with help from the College secretary and the ceremonial officers, who are summoned by the senior deacon.

A second stove, installed in 2005, is connected to a chimney visible from St Peter’s Square. This is where the chemicals are added to colour the smoke: black if no Pope has been elected, white if one has. If two votes are held in succession, the ballots from both are burned together at the end of the second round.

Voting Rounds and Spiritual Pauses

Voting occurs four times daily - twice in the morning, twice in the afternoon. If, after three days, no candidate has been chosen, voting is paused for one day of prayer, informal discussions, and a brief spiritual exhortation by the senior cardinal deacon.

Voting then resumes. After every seven additional rounds without success, another pause and exhortation follow - first by the senior cardinal priest, and later, if necessary, by the senior cardinal bishop.

If still no Pope is elected after 21 votes, a final pause for prayer, dialogue, and reflection is observed. At this point, voting continues — but the cardinals may only choose between the two candidates who received the most votes in the previous round. Even then, a two-thirds majority is still required, and the two candidates in question are not allowed to vote.

The day before the Conclave the final General Congregation for all Cardinals

 

Vatican

• cardinals
• Conclave
• Vatican

12th General Congregation focuses on necessary qualities for a future Pope

The day before the beginning of the Conclave, the twelfth and final General Congregation of Cardinals focuses on various qualities important for a future Pope, including being a shepherd, bridgebuilder, and promoter of reform.

By Vatican News

On Tuesday morning, 6 May, the day before the beginning of the Conclave, 173 Cardinals, including 130 Cardinal electors, participated in the twelfth General Congregation, explained Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, during a subsequent briefing with journalists.

As always, he noted, the Congregation began at 9am with a moment of prayer. There were 26 interventions, addressing a wide range of topics.

For instance, discussion focused on the reforms of Pope Francis that need to be carried forward: legislation on abuse, economic issues, the Roman Curia, synodality, work for peace, and care for creation.

The theme of communion was emphasized as a calling for the new Pope to be a Pontifex, a builder of bridges, a shepherd, a master of humanity, and the face of a Samaritan Church.

In times of war, violence, and deep polarization, it was said, there is a need for a Pope of mercy, synodality, and hope.

There was discussion of Canon Law and the power of the Pope, of divisions and the role of cardinals in the Church, of the proximity of the Solemnity of Christ the King and the World Day of the Poor - which should be considered together - and of the need for meetings of the College of Cardinals during Consistories.

Other topics included Christian initiation and formation as missionary acts, the memory of the witness of martyrs of the faith in areas of conflict and where religious freedom is limited, and the urgent issue of climate change.

The topic of the date of Easter, the Council of Nicaea, and ecumenical dialogue was also mentioned.

Bruni also explained that the Ring of the Fisherman has been made void, and that an appeal was read to the parties involved in various conflicts for a permanent ceasefire and negotiations, calling for a just and lasting peace.

The Congregation concluded at 12:30pm, and Bruni confirmed that no further General Congregations are scheduled.

Details regarding schedule

The Director of the Holy See Press Office also explained some concrete details regarding the schedule.

Tomorrow morning, there will be the Mass the Mass pro eligendo Pontifice. Then at 3:45pm, the Cardinals will be transported from Casa Santa Marta to the Apostolic Palace in choir dress for the entrance into the Conclave.

On Thursday morning, at 7:45am, the Cardinals will depart from Santa Marta to the Apostolic Palace, and at 8:15 AM, they will celebrate Mass and Lauds in the Pauline Chapel. Afterward, at 9:15 AM, there will be mid-morning prayer in the Sistine Chapel and they will begin voting.

He clarified that possible timing for smoke could be roughly after 10:30am if there were to be white smoke, and after 12:00pm.

Then at 12:30pm, they return to Santa Marta for lunch.

That afternoon, at 3:45pm, they will return to the Apostolic Palace and will resume voting in the Sistine Chapel at 4:30pm.

For afternoon votes, Bruni noted that possible smoke could appear after 5:30pm, if there were white smoke, otherwise around 7:00pm.

At the conclusion of the votes, there will be Vespers in the Sistine Chapel, and at 7:30pm, they will return to Santa Marta.

Cardinals across Rome use Sunday to deliver homilies days before start of conclave

 Cardinals' homilies before conclave speak volumes

RNS — While some cardinals emphasized continuity with Pope Francis, others put the spotlight on tradition.

Congolese Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of Kinshasa, left, distributes Communion at St. Gabriel the Archangel, his titular church in the Rome suburb of Della Vittoria, May 4, 2025. (RNS photo/Claire Giangravé)

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — At a church in a Roman suburb on Sunday (May 4), Congolese Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of Kinshasa preached on a story from the Gospel of John in which Jesus’ followers in the days after his death returned to their day jobs, afraid to rile those who put Jesus to death. He used the passage to pray for God to embolden the cardinals gathered in Rome in their work electing a new pope.

“We ask that the Holy Spirit, who encouraged the apostles to challenge the fear and the ire of the authorities of the time, to enlighten our cardinals who will gather in two days to elect a pope for the universal church who has an unshakable faith and is ready to face the challenges of the world today,” Ambongo told the congregation at St. Gabriel the Archangel in Della Vittoria.

Ambongo, considered a possible candidate to succeed Pope Francis, who died April 21, knows about the ire of the authorities. Appointed metropolitan archbishop of Mbandaka-Bikoro in 2016 and later vice president of that country’s bishops’ conference, Ambongo supported Catholic clergy and lay protests against President Joseph Kabila’s attempt to delay elections. Ambongo asked for an investigation to hold government forces accountable for violent suppression of protesters.

He became the head of the Archdiocese of Kinshasa in 2018 and Francis made him a cardinal the following year, after which Ambongo joined the Council of Cardinals advising the pope in his reform of the curia in 2020. Since 2023 he has served as president of the Symposium of Bishops Conferences of Africa and Madagascar.

“I am not here for Congo, or for Africa. I am here for the universal church. Our concern is for the universal church. When we are finished, I will return to Kinshasa and I will put on my hat as archbishop of Kinshasa and the fight continues,” Ambongo said. 

At churches around Rome on Sunday, the cardinals who will begin their voting for pope on Wednesday made customary visits to their “titular” churches — where they are honorary members of the clergy as part of their rights as cardinals — to express their thoughts on what kind of pope, or what kind of church, they are looking for.

The passage from John, in which Jesus appears to the disconsolate apostles and tells the first pope, St. Peter, “Feed my flock,” was the Gospel reading at Francis’ funeral Mass. The cardinals would hear it again Sunday evening, at a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica marking the end of the Novemdiales, the nine days of mourning that follow the death of a pope.

The pontiff who urged his priests to have “the smell of the sheep” — to stay close to the faithful, not walled up inside their churches and doctrinal beliefs — seemed to be sending a message from beyond the grave. But on Sunday Vatican observers, keen to pick up any clues to how the cardinals will vote, strained to hear the messages being sent from the pulpits of Rome.

Cardinal Francois-Xavier Bustillo of Ajaccio, who supported Francis’ concern for migrants and refugees, said in his homily at Santa Maria Immacolata di Lourdes a Boccea that Jesus “doesn’t ask if you are strong, if you have a marketing strategy, if you can speak languages.” Instead, he asks “to love him until the end,” which means “we must be docile and responsible.”

At Santa Maria ai Monti, Cardinal Jean-Marc Noël Aveline of Marseille said the reading was about Jesus’ call to love and welcome others. “Let’s not be afraid of those who are different from us. Because every man, every woman is a brother, a sister, for whom Christ has died,” Aveline, who is considered a Francis-like candidate to the papacy, said. 

Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdo, a favorite contender for the papacy among conservative prelates, focused on history and tradition at the church of St. Francesca Romana, and touched on the need to promote collegiality among bishops, and the “decisive” role that bishops have in running local dioceses.

Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdo, bottom center, speaks at St. Francesca Romana Church in Rome, May 4, 2025. (RNS photo/Aleja Hertzler-McCain)

“We pray for the conclave, for the new pope who will be elected for the church who will have to fulfill his mission at a dramatic moment for the history of the church,” Erdo said.

But many cardinals, encountering journalists outside their churches after Mass, declined to offer an interpretation of their remarks. Ambongo, considered the leader of the resistance by some African cardinals against Francis’ 2023 opening to bless same-sex couples, was asked about the issue of LGBTQ outreach outside San Gabriele, but said only that the cardinals are “not (concerned) with the controversies.”

He also denied having spoken to conservative American cardinals such as Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke at pre-conclave meetings known as general congregations. “Americans can talk to each other; Africans can talk to each other, but the work is the work of the Holy Spirit,” he said. About his chances of being elected pope, he said: “Why not? Every Catholic can become pope, that is the law, everyone, not just cardinals.”

Two American cardinals were more forthcoming. Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, arriving by subway at the church of St. Mary of the Graces, said the cardinals are converging on an emphasis on continuity with Francis’ pontificate. “There is no going back,” he said.

New York Archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s homily at Our Lady of Guadalupe church was quick, citing Francis’ distaste for long-winded homilies, but the cardinal took time to tell reporters afterward that the cardinals are looking for a candidate who can match Francis’ humility and charisma with Pope Benedict XVI’s “intellect” and Pope John Paul II’s “bravery.”

Dolan also dealt briefly with reporters’ questions about a post on the White House X account showing an artificial-intelligence-generated photo of U.S. President Donald Trump as pontiff that irked some Catholics. “It wasn’t good,” said Dolan, calling it “a brutta figura,” or “bad form” in Italian.