Missa pro eligendo Romano Pontifice: Cardinals unite in solemn Mass before entering Conclave

In a deeply prayerful moment for the Catholic Church, Cardinal electors gathered this morning at 10:00 a.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica to celebrate the Missa pro eligendo Romano Pontifice—the Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff—just hours before the Conclave to elect the 267th Successor of St. Peter begins.

Presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, the Mass was consecrated by the Cardinal electors themselves, symbolizing unity and discernment as they prepare to undertake one of the Church’s most sacred responsibilities: the election of a new pope to succeed Pope Francis.

In his homily, Cardinal Re invoked the scene from the Acts of the Apostles, where the disciples, together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, were united in prayer as they awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit. 

“This is precisely what we are doing a few hours before the beginning of the Conclave,” he reflected, “under the gaze of Our Lady beside the altar, in this Basilica which rises above the tomb of the Apostle Peter.”

The Cardinal underscored the significance of the moment, describing the need for deep spiritual openness and surrender. 

“We are here to invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, to implore his light and strength so that the Pope elected may be he whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history,” he said.

Calling on the electors to set aside personal preferences and worldly considerations, Cardinal Re emphasized that the act of choosing a new pope must be guided solely by faith and the greater good of the Church and humanity.

 “To pray, by invoking the Holy Spirit, is the only right and proper attitude,” he said, as the Cardinals prepare to make a decision of “exceptional importance.”

Drawing from the Gospel of John proclaimed during the Mass, the Cardinal reminded the Church of Christ’s central commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you,” pointing to the ultimate expression of love—laying down one’s life for one’s friends (cf. Jn 15:12-13).

The Mass of  pro eligendo Romano Pontifice marks the last public moment before the Cardinals enter into Conclave in the Sistine Chapel, a process held in strict secrecy, yet closely watched by Catholics and observers around the world. 

With the Church at a historic crossroads, faithful across the globe now turn their hearts in prayer as they await the announcement of a new pontiff.