In a recent interview with Channel 3 News, Bishop Lohse gives an overview of the Conclave process, which will begin on May 7, 2025. Read the full news brief here.

The Vatican State has released photographs depicting some of the "Behind the Scenes" steps required to prepare the Sistine Chapel for the upcoming Conclave election. From building, to removing, to sewing items during this brief renovation process, the Sistine Chapel undergoes a transformation. 

by Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The cardinals who enter the Sistine Chapel May 7 to elect a new pope use smoke signals to communicate with the outside world. Black smoke indicates they have cast their votes without anyone garnering the necessary two-thirds majority, while white smoke confirms that the Catholic Church has a new Pope.

The best time to be in St. Peter’s Square to see the smoke is just after 7 p.m. (1 p.m. EDT) the first day of the conclave, May 7; and on the following days at 10:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m. EDT) and noon, and again at 5:30 p.m. and just after 7 p.m. Predicting when the smoke will rise from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel is not an exact science. The time needed for the cardinals’ prayers, discussions and vote counting can vary.

The rules for a conclave are contained in the apostolic constitution, “Universi Dominici Gregis” (“Shepherd of the Lord’s Whole Flock”), which was issued by St. John Paul II in 1996 and amended by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 and again in 2013. 

After the cardinals process into the Sistine Chapel to start the conclave and take their oaths of secrecy, the papal master of liturgical ceremonies proclaims “extra omnes” (“everyone out”), and the cardinals listen to 90-year-old Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, who they chose to offer a meditation “concerning the grave duty incumbent on them and thus on the need to act with right intention for the good of the Universal Church.” After that, there are prayers and an explanation of the rules for the election of a pope.

Then, the cardinals decide whether they want to cast their first ballots that same evening. The cardinals chose to have a first ballot in the evening during the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict and the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis.

The cardinals’ ballots, mixed with a chemical coloring, are burned in a stove in the Sistine Chapel. In 2005 the black smoke from the first ballot was seen at 8:05 p.m. In 2013, black smoke from the first ballot was spotted at 7:41 p.m.

On the second day of the conclave and moving forward, there can be four rounds of voting each day, but only two smoke signals. That is because if the first ballot of the morning or of the afternoon session does not result in an election, a second vote begins immediately, and the two ballots are burned together.

During the conclave that elected Pope Francis, the set schedule called for the cardinals to celebrate Mass each morning at 8:15 a.m. in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace and then go into the Sistine Chapel at 9:30 a.m. After a brief prayer, the first ballot of the day was to be cast, meaning that if a pope were elected the smoke would be seen at about 10:30 a.m. If no candidate received the required two-thirds of the votes, the cardinals would vote again and the two ballots would be burned at about noon, before the cardinals were to return to the Domus Sanctae Marthae for lunch and an afternoon break.

If this conclave follows the schedule set in 2013, the cardinals would return to the Sistine Chapel at 4 p.m. and continue voting. If someone were to be elected on the first afternoon ballot, the smoke would be visible at about 5:30 p.m. If no one were elected, the smoke from evening ballots would come shortly before the cardinals were to return to the Domus Sanctae Marthae at about 7:30 p.m. for dinner and to sleep.

On May 1, 2025, Bishop Edward M. Lohse celebrated a Rite of Blessing for the newly renovated St. Joseph Church building in downtown St. Joseph.

The seven-month-long renovation and restoration included structural enhancements as well as the addition of stunning murals of the Nativity of Our Lord, the descent of the Holy Spirit and St. Joseph the Worker (whose feast day in the Catholic liturgical calendar was May 1st). The project has been funded through bequests and unsolicited donations.

St. Joseph is considered one of the oldest Catholic communities in Southwest Michigan beginning in 1679 when explorer Robert de LaSalle arrived. Shortly after the completion of LaSalle’s fort, a mission was maintained for the benefit of early French settlers as well as Potawatomie Native American converts to the Catholic faith. The present church building dates to 1869 and was embellished by the addition of the spire in 1891.

“As we enter this next chapter in the life of our historic parish, I am confident that the good work that God continues to do here will be brought to fulfillment,” said Father John Fleckenstein, pastor, St. Joseph Parish.

The Bishop's Annual Appeal is currently underway. Find out more about this year's appeal and how your gift is used by visiting our diocesan website. Or click below to give your online gift. 

We join in prayer for the repose of the soul of Brother Dennis Meyers, CSC, pastoral associate for St. Mark Parish, Niles. Brother Dennis, a member of the Brothers of Holy Cross, passed away on Tuesday evening after a brief illness. 

The funeral arrangements for Brother Dennis are: 

5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at St. Mark's Parish, Niles, Mich., with a wake service to follow at 7:30 p.m.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 9:30 am on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the University of Notre Dame campus. You may join vialivestream here.

Burial will be in the community cemetery at Notre Dame.  

JERUSALEM (OSV News) — With the declining situation in Gaza always in his heart, in his final months, Pope Francis bequeathed his Popemobile to Caritas Jerusalem and directed the agency to turn it into a mobile health station for the children in Gaza.

When access to food, water and health care is cut off, children are often the first and hardest hit, with infection and other preventable conditions putting their lives at risk, Caritas Sweden and Caritas Jerusalem said in a press release.

The vehicle will be staffed by a driver and medical doctors and is currently being fitted with equipment for diagnoses, examination and treatment, including rapid tests for infections, suture kits, syringes and needles, oxygen supply, vaccines and a refrigerator for medicines, and will be ready for use once the humanitarian corridor to Gaza reopens.

To read the full news brief, click here.

Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit is aligning its priestly formation program with Pope Francis' vision of a compassionate, mission-driven Church. The seminary has introduced a propaedeutic stage to focus on spiritual development before academic studies, and a final stage emphasizing pastoral life and mentorship. Faculty also highlight the Pope's theological contributions, such as his 2024 encyclical Dilexit nos, which deepens understanding of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. The full article from Mosaic Magazine can be found at this link.

The Council of Nicaea in 325 had a significant bearing upon the unity of the universal church, such that its creed continues to be prayed by Catholics, Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical Christians alike. Nicaea at 1700: The First Council and the 'Way Together' seeks to explore the relationship between the Council of Nicaea and the local church. Reexamining the theology, documents, and canons of Nicaea presents a moment of resourcement for the church today. How did Nicaea and its implementation help inform the particular church, especially for priests, deacons, and lay ecclesial ministers in the New Evangelization? 

Break-out sessions at this fall’s conference will allow attendees to hear brief scholarly papers that were submitted in the fall and accepted for presentation. Opportunities to mingle with speakers and fellow conference attendees will add to the experience.

Participants whoregister early here for Nicaea at 1700: The First Council and the ‘Way Together’ can receive a $50 discount by using the code “early2025” and can learn more about the conference by visiting their website.