Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City / Wehwalt / Wikimedia Commons
CV NEWS FEED // Preparations for the conclave set to begin on May 7 are nearing completion, according to updates released today by the Vatican Press Office.
With the historic gathering just days away, nearly all cardinal electors have already arrived in Rome, with only four still expected to join their peers in the coming hours.
General congregations – essential meetings where cardinals discuss the state of the Church and the needs of the next pope – are scheduled for Monday, May 5. These sessions will take place starting in the morning, running from 9:00 a.m. to approximately 12:30 p.m., and then resuming again in the afternoon from 5:00 p.m. to around 7:00 p.m.
In a nod to tradition and spiritual preparation, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, reminded the faithful that throughout May, St. Peter’s Basilica will host the Rosary every Saturday evening at 9:00 p.m.
On Sunday, May 4, cardinals who wish to do so may celebrate the Eucharist in their own titular churches. By ancient custom, each cardinal is assigned a Roman parish, symbolizing his role as a “pastor of Rome.” These parishes display the cardinals’ coats of arms as a sign of this enduring connection.
Meanwhile, logistical preparations are also progressing. Renovation work at the Casa Santa Marta, where the cardinal electors will reside during the conclave, is reported to be at “an advanced stage” and is on track for completion by May 5. Staff and all those involved in the conclave will be accommodated at both Santa Marta and the adjacent Santa Marta Vecchia, the Vatican’s historic guest house.
However, cardinals will only be permitted to move into their quarters between the evening of Tuesday, May 6, and the morning of Wednesday, May 7 – just before the celebration of the Mass “Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice,” which marks the formal opening of the conclave.