As the Catholic Church prepares to elect a new pope following the death of Francis on April 21, the ninth general congregation of cardinals was held this Saturday at the Vatican. In an atmosphere mixing solemnity, negotiations, and uncertainties, May 3 was marked by intense discussions, strategic revelations, and an increasingly electric climate behind the scenes in Rome.

A breath of hope at the heart of the ninth general congregation

Gathered in plenary session at the Vatican, 177 cardinals continued their closed-door exchanges as part of the ninth general congregation. According to Vatican News, the interventions emphasized "the importance of bringing hope to the Church," particularly as the 2025 Jubilee approaches. Participants insisted on the need for unity and on the Church's missionary role in a rapidly changing world (Vatican News, 3 mai 2025).

The Sistine Chapel enters the final stretch

The day also saw preparations intensify in the Sistine Chapel, which will host the conclave on May 7. The famous stove used to burn the ballots has been installed, and the chimney through which the traditional white or black smoke will escape was successfully tested. The space has been reorganized to accommodate 133 cardinal electors, thus exceeding the canonical limit of 120 set by Universi Dominici Gregis (Vatican News, 3 mai 2025; PBS NewsHour, 3 mai 2025).

The diversity of Eastern Churches praised

In another register, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches, recalled how the presence of representatives from Eastern Churches enriches Catholic universality. Their spiritual, cultural, and ecclesial contribution is now invited into the reflections of the electors of the next pontiff (Vatican News, 3 mai 2025).

Parolin at the center of maneuvers: revelations and suspicions

Several media have highlighted the increasingly central role of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, current Secretary of State of the Vatican. According to La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, he would be maneuvering to consolidate his lead among the papabili, not hesitating to resort to pressure on certain colleagues. Anonymous sources report "discreet blackmail" concerning support or not for Traditionis Custodes and Fiducia Supplicans, two major texts of the previous pontificate that are controversial within the Church (La Nuova Bussola, 3 mai 2025).

Power struggles, publications, and diplomatic dinners

According to Le Figaro, power struggles are in full swing in Rome. Books are distributed in hotels where cardinals are staying, impromptu press conferences take place, and private dinners multiply, often in restaurants run by religious orders. Everything seems to indicate that voting blocs are forming, under the discreet eye of journalists and diplomats (Le Figaro, 3 mai 2025).

Absent voices: women still excluded

Vatican expert Lucetta Scaraffia, in Le Monde des Religions, deplores that nuns were not invited to the preparatory meetings, emphasizing that "no one wants to listen to them." This observation highlights once again the exclusion of women from decision-making processes, even in the most crucial moments for the Church (Le Monde des Religions, 3 mai 2025).

Assumed slowness: cardinals ask for time

ANSA and Corriere della Sera report that several cardinals have expressed their wish to "slow down the process," believing they have not yet had enough time to discern. Two general congregation sessions are already scheduled for Monday, on the eve of the conclave's start (ANSA, 3 mai 2025; Corriere, 3 mai 2025).

Other notable events

• France 24 confirmed an unexpected withdrawal of an African cardinal, citing health reasons, which brings the number of voters to 133 (France 24, 3 mai 2025).

• El País reports a surprising controversy: President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image depicting him as pope, provoking outrage from many American Catholics (El País, 3 mai 2025).

• The Daily Beast quotes an anonymous cardinal predicting that this conclave could be "very short," as alliances are already formed (The Daily Beast, 3 mai 2025).

As the May 7 deadline approaches, the general congregations reveal the fractures and hopes of a Church at a crossroads. The choice of the next pope promises to be decisive: between continuity with Francis's pontificate, a return to doctrinal rigor, or synodal openness, the cardinals will have to discern beyond power games to respond to the spiritual expectations of more than a billion faithful.