The Vatican accelerates preparations in the Sistine Chapel for the conclave that will elect Pope Francis’ successor

The Vatican is intensifying preparatory work in the Sistine Chapel for the conclave that will begin next Wednesday and define the successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21.

As reported by the Holy See this Saturday, the work includes the installation of a raised floor, a stove to burn the secret vows and the emblematic chimney that will announce the election of the new pontiff with white smoke.

A nearly five-minute video released by the Vatican shows technicians at work beneath Michelangelo's iconic frescoes. Preparations include the erection of scaffolding and a false wooden floor that will allow large tables to be set up for the 133 cardinal electors who will participate in the vote. Two cardinals, out of 135 eligible, have resigned for health reasons.

The stove, key to the conclave ritual, has undergone discreet tests. For the first time, it can be activated electronically, and a technician will remain in a nearby room with a remote control during the votes, ready to intervene if necessary.

Five electricians, five technicians and two florists will work on site during the conclave. After being sworn in, they will remain at the Vatican without contact with their families. Some of them, veterans of previous conclaves, are guiding the younger ones to pass on the experience.

The Vatican is also fitting out two buildings to house the cardinals: the House of Santa Marta and the Ethiopian College. Some 200 rooms have been prepared with basic equipment, including a bed, a bedside table and a closet. To ensure privacy, partitions, temporary doors have been installed and some windows have been temporarily closed.

In addition, technicians are blacking out all the windows of the Vatican Palace in the areas destined for the conclave and deactivating technological devices and sensors installed in the Sistine Chapel in recent years, ensuring that nothing interferes with the secrecy of the process.

The conclave, which will begin Wednesday afternoon with the lockdown of the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel, will take place under the solemn gaze of Michelangelo's Last Judgment. Strict confidentiality is a pillar of the process, and nothing happening inside can be disclosed. The 133 cardinals, drawn from around the world, will be tasked with electing the new leader of the Catholic Church at a time of great global expectation.

With these preparations, the Vatican is making sure that every detail is ready for a conclave that, as tradition dictates, will combine solemnity, history and absolute discretion.