The election of the pope is more than a sacred ritual. It is a moment when history, politics, and faith converge. Every conclave is not just about who will don the white vestments – it’s about the message the world will receive.
How will the Vatican choose the new pope?
The election of a new pontiff begins between the 15th and 20th day after the death of the reigning pope.
Cardinals from around the world gather in the Vatican. They will reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, while the conclave itself unfolds behind the sealed doors of the Sistine Chapel.
No phones. No internet. No newspapers. Only prayer, reflection, and silence.
To elect the new pope, a two-thirds majority is required. Each cardinal casts a secret, handwritten ballot – often deliberately using distorted handwriting to ensure anonymity. After every round of voting, the ballots are burned.
If black smoke rises above the chapel, it means no decision has been reached.
White smoke proclaims: Habemus Papam – We have a pope!
The new pontiff will appear in white robes, stepping out before the crowds to deliver his first Urbi et Orbi – a blessing to the city and to the world.
A conclave under threat from artificial intelligence
For the first time in history, the Papal election will take place amid unprecedented technological challenges.
In 2005, mobile phones were banned for the first time during the conclave. Now, in 2025, Vatican security must contend with artificial intelligence, drones, military-grade satellites, micro-microphones, and a global epidemic of disinformation.
Signal jammers will be installed in the Domus Sanctae Marthae and the Sistine Chapel, turning the spaces into electronic fortresses. Even if a device were somehow smuggled in, transmitting data would be impossible.
Before the cardinals arrive, every window will be covered with opaque film. No satellite, no drone, no journalist will catch a glimpse inside.
Cardinals will even be forbidden from looking out the windows – modern satellites can recognize faces from space, and AI can now read lips from incredible distances.
To protect the sacred process, the Vatican must become an impregnable electronic citadel.
A young Ukrainian voting
Among the hundreds of cardinals ascending the steps of the Sistine Chapel will be a name once rarely spoken beyond Ukraine: Mykola Bychok. He is the youngest cardinal of this conclave and a representative of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. As such, a man whose homeland knew what it meant to keep faith alive in the shadows.
Mykola Bychok the youngest cardinal of this conclave. Source: cssr.news
He will vote for the first time. His chances? Realistically – slim to none. Popes are traditionally chosen from the Roman Catholic clergy. His youth counts against him. Ukraine, for many, remains a land associated more with pain than power.
And yet, his mere presence within the Sistine Chapel is a sign – that Ukraine no longer stands on the periphery of the world’s spiritual map.
It has happened before
The election of a Ukrainian to the papacy would mark a symbolic turning point – just as the election of John Paul II marked a transformation for Poland in 1978.
Within a year of his election, John Paul II returned to communist Poland, where the Church was suppressed, and spoke simple words: about dignity, about human purpose, about the courage not to be afraid. His speech lasted over two hours and drew tens of thousands of Poles.
John Paul II. Source: Katolický týdeník
Months later, Poland was rocked by workers’ strikes and mass protests, leading to the birth of Solidarity – the first independent labor movement in the Eastern Bloc.
The Soviet empire, without realizing it, had begun to crack.
John Paul II never openly demanded Poland’s entry into NATO or the EU. But his words made such a future inevitable.
What would a Ukrainian victory mean?
Realistically, Archbishop Mykola Bychok is unlikely to be elected Pope this time. His young age and the tradition of choosing a Roman Catholic candidate make it improbable.
But the very fact that Ukraine has its own representative at the 2025 conclave is already historic. Bychok’s presence means Ukraine now has a voice – and a vote – in one of the most consequential elections in the world.
Even if he is not among the papabili this time, his participation matters. History has already shown how a Ukrainian voice can leave a lasting mark.
After enduring 18 years in Soviet prison camps for his faith, Cardinal Josyf Slipyi became a living symbol of resistance in Rome. His legacy extended beyond the Church: his life story partly inspired the 1968 Hollywood film “The Shoes of the Fisherman,” in which a Ukrainian cardinal, after years in Soviet captivity, is unexpectedly elected pope. The film received Academy Award nominations for Best Original Score and Best Production Design.
More importantly, Slipyi’s courage and steadfastness left a deep impression on a young Karol Wojtyła – the future Pope John Paul II. The two men knew each other personally at the Vatican during the 1960s and 1970s.
Wojtyła admired Slipyi profoundly – seeing in him a hero of faith, courage, and endurance. Slipyi’s perseverance helped shape Wojtyła’s understanding of life under communist oppression, and later inspired John Paul II’s historic stand against the Soviet system.
As Pope, John Paul II paid special attention to Ukraine: promoting the recovery of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church after communism, visiting Ukraine in 2001, and championing the equal dignity of Eastern and Western Catholics.