when was the last conclave

The last papal conclave was held in April–May 2025 to elect Pope Leo XIV, following the death of Pope Francis on 21 April 2025.

Key details

• The conclave took place in the Sistine Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, Vatican City, as is customary for modern papal elections.

• 133 cardinal electors from around the world participated in this conclave.

• It lasted two days and concluded after four ballots, in keeping with the recent trend of relatively short conclaves (typically two to three days over the last century).

Context and “latest news”

• This 2025 conclave is counted as the 76th conclave in modern history and resulted in the election of the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

• Commentators have noted that no conclave has taken longer than about a week for nearly 200 years, and the 2025 gathering fit the modern pattern of quick decisions by the College of Cardinals.

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