Following the death of Pope Francis and the funeral ceremonies, 133 cardinals are gathered for the 2025 Conclave. So far, there is no white smoke – the signal that confirms the election of the new pontiff.
For those interested, there are several ways to follow this historic moment live, including digital platforms and TV/streaming channels.
Waiting for the white smoke from the Vatican
These are some of the platforms and/or media to keep an eye on to follow the election of the next Pope:
- Vatican News – the official Vatican channel has broadcasts in several languages on Youtube, Facebook and its website
- RTP / SIC Notícias / TVI / CNN Portugal – these Portuguese television channels provide constant news updates, including live coverage
Key live moments
After the opening ceremony and the procession of the cardinals to the Sistine Chapel, there are other key moments not to be missed:
- The Sistine Chapel chimney emitting black smoke (no election) or white smoke (new Pope).
- After the white smoke, the ‘Habemus Papam’ proclamation and the new Pope’s first blessing are broadcast .
Tolentino Mendonça mentioned in the ‘bets’
For the first time, Portugal is represented by four cardinal electors: Manuel Clemente, Américo Aguiar, António Marto and José Tolentino de Mendonça.
In the case of Tolentino, there are even some international news reports and ‘bets’ that indicate the possibility of the Portuguese cardinal’s election.