Conclave - 2025 - Overview

 A special page has been created for the Conclave and the events leading up to it.

It contains many details and background information. It will be continuously updated until the conclusion of the Conclave,

Conclave - 2025 - Overview

Please pray for the Church, the next Pope, and all those Popes that have served before him.

Pope Francis has Died

Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J.), Bishop of Rome, has died.

He was 88 years old and had served as Pope for 12 years (elected 13 March 2013). He had served as a bishop for 32 years and as a priest for 55 years.

May he rest in peace.

Ochlak named Fenoarivo Atsinanana Bishop

Bishop-elect Marek Ochlak, O.M.I. was named Bishop of Fenoarivo Atsinanana, Madagascar.

The diocese had been vacant since Bishop Marcellin Randriamamonjy was named Bishop of Farafangana in October 2024.

Mopepe Ngongo named Molegbe Bishop

Bishop-elect Joseph Mopepe Ngongo was named Bishop of Molegbe, Congo (Dem. Rep.).

The diocese had been vacant since the resignation of Bishop Dominique Bulamatari Kizayakana in August 2023.

Fritz named Pilcomayo Vicar Apostolic

Bishop-elect Miguel Fritz, O.M.I. was named Vicar Apostolic of Pilcomayo, Paraguay.

The vicariate had been vacant since the retirement of Bishop Lucio Alfert, O.M.I. in November 2022.

Bidot named Tulle Bishop

Bishop-elect Éric Bidot, O.F.M. Cap. was named Bishop of Tulle, France.

The diocese had been vacant since Bishop Francis Victor Bestion was named Bishop of Blois in October 2024.

Corsiga named Ipil Bishop

Bishop-elect Glenn Montebon Corsiga was named Bishop of Ipil, Philippines.

The diocese had been vacant since then-Bishop Julius Sullan Tonel was named Archbishop of Zamboanga in April 2023.

Udaigwe named Ethiopia Nuncio

Archbishop Brian Udaigwe was named Apostolic Nuncio to Ethiopia.

The post had been vacant since Archbishop Antoine Camilleri was named Apostolic Nuncio to Cuba.

Archbishop Udaigwe had been serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Sri Lanka.

Speich named Netherlands Nuncio

Archbishop Jean-Marie Antoine Joseph Speich was named Apostolic Nuncio to Netherlands

The post had been vacant since the retirement of Archbishop Paul Tschang In-Nam in February 2025.

Archbishop Speich had been serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Slovenia and Apostolic Delegate to Kosovo.

Pintér named Nuncio to Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Samoa, and Nauru

Archbishop Gábor Pintér was named Apostolic Nuncio to Cook Islands, to Kiribati, to Marshall Islands, to Samoa, and to Nauru in addition to his other posts.

Mascarenhas retired, Thomas named Simla and Chandigarh Bishop

Bishop Ignatius Loyola Ivan Mascarenhas retired and Bishop-elect Sahaya Thatheus Thomas was named Bishop of Simla and Chandigarh, India.

Calicut elevated to Archdiocese, Chakkalakal named Archbishop

The diocese of Calicut, India was elevated to an Archdiocese.

Archbishop-designate Varghese Chakkalakal was named the first Archbishop.

The dioceses of Kannur and Sultanpet will become its suffragans.

Stefanou resigned, Rossolatos named Administrator of Syros (e Milos), Santorini, and Crete

Bishop Petros Stefanou resigned as Bishop of Syros (e Milos) and Santorini {Thira}, Greece and Apostolic Administrator of Crete {Candia}.

Archbishop Sevastianos Rossolatos was named Apostolic Administrator of all of these jurisdictions.

Maldonado Monsalve named Santa Rosa de Osos Bishop

Bishop Luis Albeiro Maldonado Monsalve was named Bishop of Santa Rosa de Osos, Colombia.

The diocese had been vacant since the death of Bishop Elkin Fernando Álvarez Botero in July 2023.

Bishop Maldonado Monsalve had been serving as Bishop of Mocoa-Sibundoy.

Saba named Italy Military Archbishop

Archbishop Gian Franco Saba was named Archbishop of Italy, Military.

He had been serving as Archbishop of Sassari.

López Alfaro named Tapachula Bishop

Bishop Luis Manuel López Alfaro was named Bishop of Tapachula, Chiapas, México.

The diocese had been vacant since then-Bishop Jaime Calderón Calderón was named Archbishop of León, Guanajuato in July 2024.

Bishop López Alfaro had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

Etokudoh retired as Port Harcourt Bishop

Bishop Camillus Archibong Etokudoh retired as Bishop of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

dos Santos named Cajazeiras Bishop

Bishop Francisco de Assis Gabriel dos Santos, C.Ss.R. was named Bishop of Cajazeiras, Paraiba, Brazil.

The diocese had been vacant since Bishop Francisco de Sales Alencar Batista, O. Carm. was named Bishop of Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte in November 2023.

Bishop dos Santos had been serving as Bishop of Campo Maior, Piaui.

Braun named Campo Mourão Bishop

Bishop-elect Evandro Luis Braun was named Bishop of Campo Mourão, Parana, Brazil.

The diocese had been vacant since Bishop Bruno Elizeu Versari was named Bishop of Ponta Grossa in June 2024.

Vásquez Saldaña named Chuquibambilla Prelate (corrected)

Bishop-elect Wilder Alberto Vásquez Saldaña, O.S.A. was named Prelate of Chuquibambilla, Peru.

The prelature had been vacant since Bishop Edinson Edgardo Farfán Córdova, O.S.A. was named Bishop of Chiclayo in February 2024.

Pękalski retired as Łódź Auxiliary

Bishop Ireneusz Józef Pękalski retired as Auxiliary Bishop of Łódź, Poland.

Paiva named Oliveira Coadjutor

Bishop-elect Antônio Carlos Paiva was named Coadjutor Bishop of Oliveira, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Koffi Oi Koffi named Gagnoa Archbishop

Archbishop-designate Jean-Jacques Koffi Oi Koffi was named Archbishop of Gagnoa, Côte d’Ivoire.

The archdiocese had been vacant since the resignation of Archbishop Joseph Yapo Aké in October 2023.

Archbishop-designate Koffi Oi Koffi had been serving as Bishop of San Pedro-en-Côte d’Ivoire.

Lewandowski named Providence Bishop

Bishop Bruce Alan Lewandowski, C.SS.R. was named Bishop of Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

The diocese had been vacant since then-Bishop Richard Garth Henning was named Archbishop of Boston, Massachusetts in August 2024.

Bishop Lewandowski had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore, Maryland.

Naumann retired, McKnight named Kansas City in Kansas Archbishop

Archbishop Joseph Fred Naumann retired and Archbishop-designate William Shawn McKnight was named Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas, USA.

Archbishop-designate McKnight had been serving as Bishop of Jefferson City, Missouri.

Okroj named Toruń Bishop

Bishop Arkadiusz Okroj was named Bishop of Toruń, Poland.

The diocese had been vacant since then-Bishop Wiesław Andrzej Śmigiel was named Archbishop of Szczecin-Kamień in September 2024.

Bishop Okroj had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Pelplin.

McMahon retired, Sherrington named Liverpool Archbishop

Archbishop Malcolm Patrick McMahon, O.P. retired and Archbishop-designate John Francis Sherrington was named Archbishop of Liverpool, England, Great Britain.

Archbishop-designate Sherrington had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster.

López Benítez named San Juan Bautista de las Misiones Bishop

Bishop-elect Ósmar López Benítez was named Bishop of San Juan Bautista de las Misiones, Paraguay.

The diocese had been vacant since Bishop Pedro Collar Noguera was named Bishop of Ciudad del Este in December 2023.

Timoner named Pagadian Bishop

Bishop-elect Ronald Anthony Parco Timoner was named Bishop of Pagadian, Philippines.

The diocese had been vacant since the death of Bishop Ronald Ignacio (Bong) Lunas in January 2024.

Ndiaye named Saint-Louis du Sénégal Bishop

Bishop-elect Augustin Simmel Ndiaye was named Bishop of Saint-Louis du Sénégal.

The diocese had been vacant since the retirement of Bishop Ernest Sambou in January 2023.

Cardinali named Vatican Library Vice Prefect

Fr. Giacomo Cardinali was named Vice Prefect of the Vatican Library.

Ryan resigned, Nyirenda named Mzuzu Bishop

Bishop John Alphonsus Ryan, S.P.S. resigned and Bishop Yohane Suzgo Nyirenda was named Bishop of Mzuzu, Malawi.

Bishop Nyirenda had been serving as Auxilary Bishop of the same diocese.