The conclave that elected Pope Francis in 2013 lasted just under 27 hours, spanning two calendar days and requiring five ballots.

Quick Scoop

  • The cardinals entered conclave on 12 March 2013 and Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as Pope Francis on 13 March 2013, so the process ran across two days.
  • In terms of total time, reports describe that conclave as “just under 27 hours” from the start of voting procedures to the successful ballot that produced white smoke over the Sistine Chapel.
  • It was therefore one of the relatively short modern conclaves; recent papal elections usually take between one and a few days, with the 2013 conclave near the quicker end of that range.

So if you’re looking for a simple answer to “how long was the conclave for Pope Francis?” you can say: about 27 hours over two days.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.