Grab Some Popcorn Because It's Time to Watch the Papal Conclave — Kind Of

Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, after the appropriate time of mourning, the world began to look ahead to the next pope. The sacred ceremony used to choose the next Supreme Pontiff is called the papal conclave, which typically begins 15 to 20 days after a pope's death. The ceremony involves the College of Cardinals, who are the church's highest-ranking officials, sequestering themselves in the Sistine Chapel to cast their votes for the next leader of the Catholic Church.

The whole situation is quite dramatic and can involve multiple rounds of voting via handwritten secret ballots. A two-thirds majority is required to elect a new pope and if that isn't reached, the ballots are burned and they start anew. Outside of the Sistine Chapel, the world sees black smoke coming from a chimney to signify no new pope, but white smoke means one has been chosen. If you're interested in following this centuries-old process, here's how to watch.

Unfortunately, the papal conclave itself is very hush-hush and only allows cardinals under the age of 80 inside to cast their votes. The rest of us will have to watch the chimney with bated breath. Thankfully there is a ton of coverage of this auspicious occasion. Obviously, the best place to start is at the source. A livestream from the Vatican's own YouTube Channel, Vatican News, is dutifully parked outside the Sistine Chapel.

The Vatican News footage is pretty straightforward and shows aerial views of the Sistine Chapel, shots of the massive crowd waiting for an answer, an occasional glimpse of Vatican City, and even a seagull or two. You can also stream live footage from the Associated Press or USA Today, which is streaming from 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. EST on May 7.

If you're a bit old-fashioned and would prefer to follow along via television coverage, CBS will be reporting live from Rome with Maurice DuBois, Seth Doane, and Chris Livesay, reports USA Today. The network will also provide special reports each time smoke is seen pouring out of the chimney. This will also be available to stream on Paramount Plus. Similar coverage will be provided by ABC News, which you can stream on Disney Plus and Hulu, as well as Fox News.

In February 2013, Pope Benedict XVI resigned which kicked off a papal conclave on March 12. According to Time Magazine, more than 100,000 people flocked to Rome in order to be present for the election. This conclave lasted two days and five votes before Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was chosen. He later took the name Pope Francis.

There is no limit to how long a conclave can last, as noted by the fact that one dragged on for three years from 1268 to 1271 after Pope Clement IV died. This ridiculously long conclave was due to "political, religious, and family motivations" which divided the cardinals. In the past, this ceremony was marked by intrigue such as hiding messages in food. Today, the cardinals are on a limited diet to prevent such sneaky behavior.