St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church and Divine Infant of Prague Mission

The Legionaries of Christ ordained 23 new priests on May 3, 2025, at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Legionaries of Christ

ACI Prensa Staff, May 7, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

In the midst of the pre-conclave atmosphere, with an eye toward the election of the new pope, the Catholic Church experienced another moment of profound hope with the ordination of 23 new Legionaries of Christ priests on May 3 in St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica, one of the four great papal basilicas in Rome.

The ceremony, which was initially to be conducted by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, camerlengo of the Catholic Church, was delegated to Bishop Pedro Pablo Elizondo Cárdenas, Mexican bishop of the Diocese of Cancún-Chetumal, due to Farrell being engaged in his official duties at this crucial time for the Church.

A Church in full renewal

In his homily, Cárdenas emphasized the urgent need for priests “who know how to come out of themselves, out of their comfort zones. It needs priests, not men settled into their surroundings and living in comfort.”

He also emphasized that the Catholic Church is undergoing a full renewal process and requires priests who are “zealous and deeply rooted, courageous, not complacent or idle, who know how to undertake things, be active and take initiative, who know how to give everything for the mission.”

He therefore called on the new priests to dedicate their lives to prayer, reminding them that “a vocation is born in prayer, matures in prayer, and bears fruit in prayer.”

The priests come from various countries: one from Argentina, three from Colombia, one from El Salvador, nine from Mexico, two from Venezuela, one from the United States, and two from Brazil. From Europe, two were ordained from Germany, one from Spain, and one from France.

An increase in vocations

This day also marked a significant milestone for the Legionaries of Christ. According to its website, the congregation had 1,309 members at the end of 2024, of whom 1,033 are priests, 24 more than in 2023.

Mexico is the country that contributes the most members to the congregation, after the United States and Spain. The Legionaries of Christ’s formative process lasts 12 years before priestly ordination.

Currently, the congregation has a permanent presence in 23 countries and is organized into nine territories as well as two areas headed by a delegate. It also has a community of student priests in Rome, an International Pontifical Seminary in the same city, and an interdiocesan seminary and theological institute in São Paulo, Brazil.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

The Sistine Chapel awaits the arrival of cardinal electors for the conclave to elect the next pope, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Newsroom, May 7, 2025 / 07:44 am (CNA).

The conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor will begin on May 7, as the Church enters the final preparatory phase for choosing its 267th pope.

Follow here for live updates of the latest news and information on the papal transition:

Cardinals celebrate the sixth Novendiales Mass for Pope Francis on May 1, 2025, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 7, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

As online gambling continues to grow in the United States, mostly on sports and casino games, bookmakers have also opened betting markets for a variety of other contests, including the current papal conclave.

The College of Cardinals is now in the midst of a papal conclave to select the next earthly head of the Catholic Church in a solemn closed-door process. This conclave has attracted global interest from Catholics and non-Catholics alike, along with tens of millions of dollars’ worth of bets on the outcome.

Polymarket, a popular cryptocurrency-based betting platform, is overseeing more than $18 million worth of bets on the papal conclave. Another platform, Kalshi, is managing nearly $6.7 million.

The oddsmakers on Polymarket list Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin as the favorite to be selected with 27% odds and rank Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle at second with a 22% chance. The cardinals just below them include Matteo Zuppi at 11%, Pierbattista Pizzaballa at 10%, and Peter Erdo at 7%.

Bettors can “buy” a potential winner, which means they are betting on that person to be selected as the pope, or they can “sell,” which is a bet that the cardinal will not be chosen. The specific payouts for every bet depend on the odds set on the platform.

On Polymarket, more than $1.3 million has been placed on Tagle’s candidacy, and another $1.3 million has been bet on Dutch Cardinal Willem “Wim” Eijk, whom the oddsmakers give 1% odds. More than $1 million has also been placed on Parolin, Cardinal Peter Turkson, and Cardinal Robert Sarah each.

The uncertainty of papal conclaves

The limited knowledge of bookmakers and the general public, along with the secretiveness of the papal conclave process and the lack of public campaigning, contributes to uncertainties surrounding the real odds, or chances, that a specific person will emerge as pope.

Tom Nash, a contributing apologist for Catholic Answers, told CNA that it’s clear who “the most well-known cardinals are heading into the conclave,” but that does not necessarily show “how they stack up as papabili in the eyes of their fellow cardinal electors.”

“I think some cardinals who are faring well among the oddsmakers and media, including because of the prominent role they had under Pope Francis, may actually have less of a chance than some others who are considered long shots,” he said.

Nash noted that ahead of the 2003 papal conclave, Cardinal Angelo Scola was “a man whom many thought would continue the gains of Pope St. John Paul II … and Benedict XVI,” yet he “couldn’t muster the needed two-thirds majority.” The cardinals ultimately chose then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who took the papal name Francis.

Cardinals have already met in more than a week’s worth of pre-conclave congregations, but as Nash pointed out, those are not open to the public.

“The more public the process, the more likely cardinals can be negatively influenced by various means of coercion, including from political leaders,” he said. “And various parties have tried to influence the papal election process over the centuries.”

Nash noted that the 1996 apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis asks cardinals to refrain from receiving or sending messages outside of Vatican City during the election process and prohibits conclave participants from receiving newspapers, listening to the radio, or watching television.

The same document prohibits any “pact, agreement, promise, or other commitment of any kind” to vote for a specific person but does not prohibit the exchange of views before the election or discussions during the conclave that help arrive at a consensus.

“The pre-conclave congregations give the cardinal electors ample opportunity to gain needed information from their fellow electors,” Nash said. “And those who sought to publicly campaign for themselves or others can be sure they would undermine their own credibility and candidacy.”

Is it moral to bet on a papal conclave?

Some Catholics have called into question the morality of betting on the papal conclave.

Gambling on a papal conclave used to be expressly forbidden by the Vatican, but that rule is no longer in effect. Pope Gregory XIV forbade “under the pain of excommunication” any bets on the selection of a pope or the creation of cardinals through the papal bull Cogit Nos in 1591. A 1918 revision of canon law, however, did not formally carry over this ban and no new prohibition has been put into place.

Yet Nash still expressed reservations about gambling on a conclave.

“I think Catholics should prayerfully consider how we can best give witness regarding this 2025 conclave, including because of the solemnity of the event and the possible corruption, God forbid, betting could introduce into the conclave,” Nash said.

He added: “Our actions and related chatter could contribute to an occasion of sin for others, who might have more nefarious designs on the conclave and/or perhaps might bet more than they can afford.”

“While I understand that betting on a conclave is a tempting prospect, we don’t want to reduce this important event to the level of a mere sports competition — even more so because many American Christians and others worldwide are increasingly more religious in their devotion to their favorite sports than in living as committed disciples of Jesus Christ,” he added.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, gambling is not inherently “contrary to justice.” Yet, it becomes “morally unacceptable when [gambling deprives] someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others [or] the passion for gambling risks [becomes] an enslavement.”

Cardinal electors in their distinctive red vestments attend the Mass for the election of the Supreme Pontiff at St. Peter's Basilica on May 7. / Vatican Media

Rome Newsroom, May 7, 2025 / 05:27 am (CNA).

At the Mass for the election of a new pope, the dean of the College of Cardinals made “a strong call to maintain the unity of the Church” ahead of the conclave on Wednesday, urging the cardinal electors to remember that they will cast their votes in the Sistine Chapel before God “in whose sight each person will one day be judged.”

Cardinals from more than 70 countries processed into St. Peter’s Basilica on May 7 for the solemn Mass “Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice” — the Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff— ahead of the start of the conclave later in the day.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over the liturgy, underlining the need for unity in the Church. “Among the tasks of every successor of Peter is that of fostering communion: communion of all Christians with Christ; communion of the bishops with the pope; communion of the bishops among themselves,” he said.

“The unity of the Church is willed by Christ; a unity that does not mean uniformity, but a firm and profound communion in diversity, provided that full fidelity to the Gospel is maintained,” he added.

More than 200 cardinals concelebrated the Mass, including many of the 133 eligible to vote for the next pope. Although Re led the liturgy and delivered the homily, he will not participate in the conclave due to his age.

“We are here to invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, to implore his light and strength so that the pope elected may be he whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history,” Re said.

“Let us pray that God will grant the Church a Pope who knows how best to awaken the consciences of all and the moral and spiritual energies in today’s society, characterized by great technological progress but which tends to forget God,” he added.

The Mass for the Election of a Roman Pontiff began with the entrance antiphon, “I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to my heart and mind.”  In the collect prayer, the cardinal asked God for “a pastor for your Church who will please you by his holiness and to us show watchful care.”

Scripture readings included passages from Isaiah 61, Psalm 88, Ephesians 4:11-16, and chapter 15 of the Gospel of John. The Gospel, proclaimed in Latin, included Jesus’ words to his disciples: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.”

In his homily, Cardinal Re reflected on the “highest human and ecclesial responsibility” facing the cardinal electors and called upon them to remember that they will cast their votes in the Sistine Chapel in “the presence of God, in whose sight each person will one day be judged.”

“Pope John Paul II, in his Roman Triptych, expressed the hope that during the hours of voting on this weighty decision, Michelangelo’s looming image of Jesus the Judge would remind everyone of the greatness of the responsibility of placing the ‘supreme keys’ (Dante) in the correct hands,” Re said.

“Let us pray, then, that the Holy Spirit, who in the last hundred years has given us a series of truly holy and great Pontiffs, will give us a new Pope according to God’s heart for the good of the Church and of humanity,” he added.

Prayers of the faithful during the Mass were offered in French, Swahili, Portuguese, Malayalam, Chinese, and German, asking the Lord to fill the cardinal electors with his Holy Spirit “with understanding and good counsel, wisdom and discernment.”

In the prayer after communion, Cardinal Re prayed, “may the wondrous grace of your majesty gladden us with the gift of a shepherd who will instruct your people by his virtues and imbue the minds of the faithful with the truth of the Gospel.”

At the end of the Mass, the cardinals and congregation sang the Regina Caeli, the traditional Easter hymn to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The liturgy marked the final public act of the College of Cardinals before entering into the secretive conclave process. Later in the afternoon, the 133 electors will gather in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace for prayer before processing to the Sistine Chapel, where the conclave will begin.

After taking an oath of secrecy and invoking the Holy Spirit with the singing of Veni Creator, they will listen to a meditation by Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa before casting the first vote. While a new pope could theoretically be chosen on the first ballot, such a result is considered unlikely.

Following the vote, the cardinals will return to the Casa Santa Marta residence for the night, cut off from the outside world until a new pope is elected.

“May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, intercede with her maternal intercession, so that the Holy Spirit will enlighten the minds of the Cardinal electors and help them agree on the pope that our time needs,” Re said.

Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio, archbishop of Bogota, Colombia. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

ACI Prensa Staff, May 7, 2025 / 05:00 am (CNA).

Colombian Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio pointed out that the atmosphere among the cardinals is “quite different” from what people who associate a papal conclave “with a democratic election of a president” may imagine.

From Rome, where he is participating as a cardinal elector, the archbishop of Bogotá explained in a video from the Colombian Bishops’ Conference how the College of Cardinals is experiencing the days leading up to the beginning of the Wednesday, May 7, conclave. 

“It’s a very different atmosphere than what most people might imagine, because some associate it with the democratic election of a president, a leader of a country or territory, but it turns out not to be the case. It’s characterized by an atmosphere of prayer from beginning to end,” he stated.

“The great protagonist is the Holy Spirit. He is the one who leads, he is the one who holds the reins of the history of the Church,” he added.

Starting Wednesday, 133 cardinal electors from 71 countries are gathering in the Sistine Chapel, making this conclave the largest and most universal in the history of the Catholic Church.

In this regard, the cardinal archbishop said the preceeding days of holding general congregations have served to help the cardinals get to know one another.

Rueda also remembered the late Pope Francis as “a mature fruit of the evangelization of Latin America” and the experience of “those bishops close to the parish communities, to all the people who experience the hope of the Latin American people, which they place in Christ Jesus and in the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

Finally, Rueda asked the faithful to continue praying that the election of the next pope “may be according to the will of God the Father.”

“This moment is a moment of the Church, and whoever it may be, he is the chosen one of the Lord, he is the chosen one of Jesus Christ the Lord,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, gives the homily in St. Peter’s Basilica at the ‘Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice’ Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on May 7, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Rome Newsroom, May 7, 2025 / 04:43 am (CNA).

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, delivered this homily at the "Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice" (For the Election of the Roman Pontiff) Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on May 7, 2025, just hours before the cardinals entered the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis.

We read in the Acts of the Apostles that after Christ's ascension into heaven and while waiting for Pentecost, all were united and persevering in prayer together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus (cf. Acts 1:14).

This is precisely what we are doing a few hours before the beginning of the Conclave, under the gaze of Our Lady beside the altar, in this Basilica which rises above the tomb of the Apostle Peter.

We feel united with the entire People of God in their sense of faith, love for the Pope, and confident expectation.

We are here to invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, to implore his light and strength so that the Pope elected may be he whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history.

To pray, by invoking the Holy Spirit, is the only right and proper attitude to take as the Cardinal electors prepare to undertake an act of the highest human and ecclesial responsibility and to make a choice of exceptional importance. This is a human act for which every personal consideration must be set aside, keeping in mind and heart only the God of Jesus Christ and the good of the Church and of humanity.

In the Gospel that has been proclaimed, words resound that bring us to the heart of the supreme message and testament of Jesus, delivered to his Apostles on the evening of the Last Supper in the Upper Room: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." As if to clarify this "as I have loved you," and to indicate how far our love must go, Jesus goes on to say: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" (Jn 15:12-13).

This is the message of love, which Jesus calls a "new" commandment. It is new because it transforms into something positive, and greatly expands, the admonition of the Old Testament that said, "Do not do to others what you would not want done to you."

The love that Jesus reveals knows no limits and must characterize the thoughts and actions of all his disciples, who must always show authentic love in their behavior and commit themselves to building a new civilization, what Paul VI called the "civilization of love." Love is the only force capable of changing the world.

Jesus gave us an example of this love at the beginning of the Last Supper with a surprising gesture: he humbled himself in the service of others, washing the feet of the Apostles, without discrimination, and not excluding Judas, who would betray him.

This message of Jesus connects to what we heard in the first reading of the Mass, in which the prophet Isaiah reminded us that the fundamental quality of pastors is love to the point of complete self-giving.

The liturgical texts of this Eucharistic celebration, then, invite us to fraternal love, to mutual help and to commitment to ecclesial communion and universal human fraternity. Among the tasks of every successor of Peter is that of fostering communion: communion of all Christians with Christ; communion of the Bishops with the Pope; communion of the Bishops among themselves. This is not a self-referential communion, but one that is entirely directed towards communion among persons, peoples and cultures, with a concern that the Church should always be a "home and school of communion."

This is also a strong call to maintain the unity of the Church on the path traced out by Christ to the Apostles. The unity of the Church is willed by Christ; a unity that does not mean uniformity, but a firm and profound communion in diversity, provided that full fidelity to the Gospel is maintained.

Each Pope continues to embody Peter and his mission and thus represents Christ on earth; he is the rock on which the Church is built (cf. Mt 16:18).

The election of the new Pope is not a simple succession of persons, yet it is always the Apostle Peter who returns.

The Cardinal electors will cast their votes in the Sistine Chapel, the place, as the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis states, "where everything is conducive to an awareness of the presence of God, in whose sight each person will one day be judged."

In his Roman Triptych, Pope John Paul II expressed the hope that during the hours of voting on this weighty decision, Michelangelo's looming image of Jesus the Judge would remind everyone of the greatness of the responsibility of placing the "supreme keys" (Dante) in the correct hands.

Let us pray, then, that the Holy Spirit, who in the last hundred years has given us a series of truly holy and great Pontiffs, will give us a new Pope according to God's heart for the good of the Church and of humanity.

Let us pray that God will grant the Church a Pope who knows how best to awaken the consciences of all and the moral and spiritual energies in today's society, characterized by great technological progress but which tends to forget God.

Today's world expects much from the Church regarding the safeguarding of those fundamental human and spiritual values without which human coexistence will not be better nor bring good to future generations.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, intercede with her maternal intercession, so that the Holy Spirit will enlighten the minds of the Cardinal electors and help them agree on the Pope that our time needs.

The Book of the Gospels is displayed at the Sistine Chapel for the conclave to elect the next pope, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, May 7, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

As the cardinals gather in conclave beginning today, May 7, the Church and all people of goodwill are invited to pray this prayer given by the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word:

Holy Spirit, enlighten the Church at this time, especially all the cardinals you call to take part in the conclave. Grant them wisdom and holiness so that all may cooperate with your inspiration and guidance to elect the next vicar of Christ, your chosen servant. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen. 

The Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word (MFVA) were founded in 1987 by Mother Angelica (foundress of EWTN) and have a primary apostolate to communicate the truth and beauty of the Catholic faith through word and example. The friars provide generously for the spiritual and sacramental needs of the Eternal Word Television Network, the Poor Clare nuns, and the Christian faithful.

This prayer was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA's sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

Lt. Matt Owens of the Arlington County Police Department plays the bugle in honor of fallen service members, at the annual Blue Mass on Tuesday May 6, 2025, at St. Patrick Cathlolic Church in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Madalaine Elhabbal/CNA

Washington D.C., May 6, 2025 / 18:41 pm (CNA).

On Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of first responders filled St. Patrick Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., to attend the 31st annual Blue Mass, a tradition that honors the sacrifice of those serving in law enforcement and public safety.

Organized by the Archdiocese of Washington, Auxiliary Bishop Roy Campbell celebrated the May 6 Mass, as Cardinal Robert McElroy is currently in Rome for the papal conclave. 

Several prominent members of law enforcement participated in the Mass, including Chief John Thomas Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police and Deputy Director Michele Ward Leo of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who both served as lectors. 

“Today, we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, as well as gathering to celebrate all of you, our first responders, our police officers, our firefighters, our ENTs, all who push into situations … most of us are doing our best to get away from,” said Monsignor Salvatore A. Criscuolo, retired pastor of St. Patrick’s and a police chaplain, who gave the homily. 

“You wear uniforms that the world recognizes. But underneath that uniform, whether it be a uniform or a suit, there’s a human soul, a human being, a beloved child of God,” he continued, emphasizing the crucial need for first responders to be dependent on Christ. 

“Because only Christ can truly feed the deep hunger and all of you,” Criscuolo said, “the hunger for peace after the chaos of death, the hunger for justice after everything is so unjust, the hunger for hope when everything feels hopeless.”

Christ, he said, does not make himself distant from suffering and tragedy but rather is “in the mix” of it all.

“So when you answer that 911 call, you bring presence, peace, and safety,” he continued. “When you rescue someone who is trapped or injured, you bring mercy. When you come to someone who is frightened by the world here, you become an instrument of the hands of God. That is your vocation.”

Criscuolo has served as a chaplain to law enforcement for 37 years. Previously, he served as pastor at St. Patrick Church for 16 years.

“I’ve been on the streets when there have been some real difficulties,” he told CNA after the Mass, reflecting on his years of experience as a chaplain. Recalling the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he said: “9/11 was the first time ever I had seen fear on police officers’ faces.” 

Serving as a chaplain to first responders, he said, is “a rewarding ministry, and they give back to me more than I could ever give to them. They’re always very supportive … They’re all family people: men and women, husbands and wives … and they come here every day, and they don’t know what they’re going to be facing.” 

After the Presentation of the Colors, the names of 13 fallen service members from the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area as well as 15 officers from previous years stretching back as far as 1885 were read in a solemn tribute as representatives of their divisions or family members stood in recognition.

 While the tradition of holding a Blue Mass at St. Patrick’s began just over 30 years ago, Criscuolo said the tradition of having special Masses for police officers goes back to the 1930s.

“There was a Catholic police society and a Protestant society, and the [Catholic] police officers would have their Mass here every Mother’s Day, and all the Protestant officers would work,” he said. “Then in June, the Protestants had their service, and all the Catholics would work the streets for them.”

The tradition stopped for several years, he said, until “about 31 years ago, I decided we needed to bring this back again. And we did,” he concluded, smiling. “It gets bigger and bigger each year, which is so nice to see.”

null / Credit: pim pic/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, May 6, 2025 / 18:11 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday urged a federal judge in Texas to dismiss an ongoing lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over its removal of safety restrictions on abortion drugs.  

In its filing on Monday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) argued in federal court that Idaho, Kansas, and Missouri did not have standing to sue, following the Biden administration’s legal course. 

The three Republican-led states sued the FDA last year, maintaining that the loosening restrictions on the drug mifepristone have led to abortion pills flooding their states, endangering women and undermining pro-life laws. 

The FDA should prohibit telehealth prescriptions for mifepristone, require in-office visits, and restrict the gestational age at which chemical abortions can occur, the states argued, saying that “women should have the in-person care of a doctor when taking high-risk drugs.” 

The three states picked up the lawsuit after the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously dismissed it in June 2023, saying that the group of pro-life doctors and organizations that filed the original case lacked standing as they could not show they had been harmed by the abortion drug’s widespread availability. 

In 2021, the FDA lifted restrictions on mifepristone, authorizing doctors to prescribe the drugs online and mail the pills, allowing women to perform early abortions — up to 10 weeks of gestation — without leaving their homes. 

Department of Justice attorneys asked the federal judge in Texas to throw out the lawsuit. 

“Regardless of the merits of the states’ claims, the states cannot proceed in this court,” read the May 5 memorandum issued by the DOJ. 

A pro-life group is urging the Trump administration to reinstate medical safeguards around abortion pills.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, told CNA that the motion “is about who has the right to sue, not whether abortion drugs are safe.” 

During the recent presidential campaign, pro-life advocates criticized Trump for his position that abortion law should be left for the states to decide. In 2024, Trump committed to not restricting abortion pill access and said that abortion is no longer a federal issue.

Dannenfelser urged the Trump administration “to reinstate basic measures that require real medical oversight” in regard to the abortion pill. 

“Women and girls deserve better than high-risk drugs with no in-person doctor, no follow up, and no accountability,” Dannenfelser said. “This isn’t health care, it’s harm.”

A recent study found that more than 1 in 10 women who take the abortion pill mifepristone to complete a chemical abortion will suffer a serious health complication during the process.

Dannenfelser called abortion drugs “dangerous.”

“A growing body of evidence shows the serious harm these drugs pose to women as well as their babies,” Dannenfelser continued. 

“At a minimum, the Trump administration should reverse the Biden FDA’s reckless nationwide mail-order abortion drug policy,” Dannenfelser said.

White smoke rises from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on March 13, 2013, signaling that the College of Cardinals has elected a new pope. / Credit: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images

ACI Prensa Staff, May 6, 2025 / 17:41 pm (CNA).

When a new pope is elected, there are two signs that mark that historic moment: the white smoke (“fumata bianca” in Italian) erupting from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the formula “habemus papam” pronounced by the cardinal protodeacon from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooking the square of the same name.

This is the history of both traditions:

The white smoke 

The history of the white smoke, which indicates that the cardinals have elected a new successor of St. Peter, is ancient. In 1274, at the Second Council of Lyons, Pope Gregory X, in a document titled Ubi Periculum, determined the procedure for holding a conclave. 

There he specified that the election would be done in isolation and with strict secrecy. For this reason, and to avoid any communication with the outside, the smoke signal was eventually adopted as part of the ritual. The tradition of burning ballots goes back to at least 1417, and likely before then, according to historian Frederic J. Baumgartner. The addition of the white spoke to announce the election of a new pope is more recent, however. Baumgartner traces it to 1914, with the election of Pope Benedict XV.

If the smoke coming out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel is black, it means that none of the proposed candidates has reached two-thirds of the votes needed to be elected. If the smoke is white, the Church has a new universal pastor. 

In ancient times, the method to give the smoke these colors was to burn the ballots used in the voting with a bit of wet straw so that it would come out black, or dry so as to obtain white smoke. 

Nowadays, and due to some episodes that caused confusion, special chemical compounds and a procedure that includes two different tubes, one for each color of smoke, are used. 

In addition, a bell is rung, part of the ritual introduced when Pope Benedict XVI was elected, which confirms the smoke is white and a new pope has been elected. 

Habemus papam 

The announcement that a new pontiff has been elected is formulated in Latin, and while its best-known words are “habemus papam,” the expression is officially a bit longer: 

“Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: 

Habemus papam; 

Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum [prænomen] Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem [nomen], 

qui sibi nomen imposuit [nomen pontificale].”

Translated, the complete formula reads: “I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope! The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord, Don [given name], cardinal of the Holy Roman Church [surname], who has imposed on himself the name of [papal name].” 

The text is partially inspired by a passage from the Gospel of St. Luke, which reproduces the words of the angel when he announces the birth of Jesus to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid, for I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all: Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Lk 2:10-12).

The adoption of this formula dates back to 1417 at the election of Pope Martin V. Those who claimed the papal throne before him were Antipope John XXIII (who had convoked the Council of Constance and appointed most of the electors), Antipope Benedict XIII (the only one appointed a cardinal before the Western Schism) and Pope Gregory XII. 

The first two were deposed by the council itself, and Gregory XII abdicated. Two years later, the council elected a new pope. For this reason, the announcement could be interpreted as: “(At last) we have a pope (and only one!).”

A version of this story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.