The popes election, today 16.30.

115 cardinal-electors come together today at 10 am to celebrate the mass "pro eligendo romano pontifice" in the St. Peters Basilica in Rome.

The rock´n roll in the Sistine Chapel starts at 4.30pm. 

The Cardinals met on monday in order to discuss the biggest current problems of the catholic church and discussed about the requirements the next Pope shoul fullfil.

A 2/3 majority is needed until the election can be called final. The previous elections of Benedict XVI took 4 ballots. John Paul the II. election took 8 ballots. Is it today only going to take them 2 ballots?

When Ratzinger got elected in 2005, he was standing out as clear favourite. Is that the case today?

There are some names that every now and then get dropped by the media such as Milans Cardinal Angelo Scola, Peter Turkson from Ghana, Brasilian Odilo Scherer, the Canadian Marc Ouellet or the Archbishop of Vienna cardinal Schoenborn. But there is no constant spot on one of them.

Angelo Scola, Italys dreamcandidate

Cardinal Peter Turkson, Ghana

Cardinal Marc Ouellet

Cardinal Odilo Scherer, Brasil

Cardinal Schoenborn, Austria, Vienna

We did have two European, non italian popes, is the next one going to be an italian again? Or is there the need of a South American or African one, since those countries make a huge amount of the catholic Population. Is it not only just that the next Pope is going to be "one of them"?

"We stay Pope" claim the German newspapers, "Soon a Pope with a generous heart" claims the Italian newspaper Corriere dela Sera. We are Pope. Who is Pope?

The election could last days, weeks or month, but the cardinals agreed that they will want to get through with it as soon as possible so that at the highest feats of the Catholic Church, Easter ,  the seat of the Pontifex will no longer be empty.

It is a pulsating time that is lying infront of us and all that we can do is pray that the holy spirit travels into the hearts and minds of the 115 cardinal electors and that the best possible candidate is elected to lead the 1,2 billion big Catholic community.

The ballots have been printed and cut, the two stoves have been installed, and the chimney has been put in place. Ready to rumble.

Interactiv demonstration of how the election works


The Guardian, BBC, The Telegrapgh,