Cardinals from around the world will meet under Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel on May 7 to elect a new leader of the Catholic Church after Pope Francis’s death. Dating back to the Middle Ages — when the idea of sovereigns being elected was somewhat revolutionary — the gathering, known as conclave, has an air of mystery about it, as all participants are sworn to secrecy for life.

Here are some facts:

Where and when

The conclave will begin on May 7 and last until a new pontiff is elected.  The date was decided at a meeting of cardinals on Monday, where the high prelates also discussed the “qualities that the new pontiff must possess” and the most pressing Church challenges.

These included “evangelization, the relationship with other faiths (and) the issue of abuse”, the Vatican said. While it took almost three years to appoint Pope Gregory X in the 13th century — the longest conclave to date — modern gatherings are usually a matter of days.

Both Francis and his predecessor, Benedict XVI, were elected after two days of voting. Cardinals will gather and cast their ballots in the Sistine Chapel, a Renaissance jewel adorned with Michelangelo’s celebrated frescoes, located in the Vatican City’s Apostolic Palace.

Who takes part

Only 135 of the Church’s 252 cardinals are expected to take part in the conclave, as only those aged under 80 are eligible to vote for a new pope. The Monday gathering that decided on a date was attended by more than 180 cardinals, of which just over 100 were so-called “cardinal electors”. 

Most of those allowed to vote were appointed by Francis — around 80 percent. They hail from all corners of the globe, with many from under-represented regions. But Europe still has the largest voting bloc, with 53 cardinals, compared to 27 cardinal-electors from Asia and Oceania, 21 from South and Central America, 16 from North America and 18 from Africa, according to the Vatican. Italy is the most represented nation with 17 electors. The United States has 10, Brazil seven and France five.

Secrecy and security

The word conclave comes from the Latin for “with key”, a reference to the lockdown imposed on cardinals during the conclave. The deliberations of a conclave are held in strictest secrecy on pain of instant excommunication. Smartphones and any Internet access are off-limits and cardinals cannot read newspapers, listen to the radio or watch TV.

The cardinals stay in the Santa Marta residence at the Vatican until they elect a new pope. Any contact with the outside world is banned, unless for “grave and urgent reasons”, which need to be confirmed by a panel of four peers. Only cardinal electors are allowed to be present during the actual voting, although others including doctors, clerical assistants and housekeeping staff are allowed to enter at different times.

How voting unfolds

Cardinals hold four ballots a day — two in the morning and two in the afternoon — until one candidate wins two-thirds of the votes. At the end of each session, the ballots are burned in a special stove. With the addition of chemicals, the stove’s chimney stack emits black smoke if no one has been elected, or white smoke if there is a new pope.

If no new pope is elected after three days, cardinals take a break and hold a day of prayer and talks. Any single Catholic adult male can be elected pope, although in practice it is almost always one of the cardinals. Sick cardinals are allowed to cast their ballots from their beds within the Vatican.

What happens next

The winning candidate is asked by the Dean of Cardinals if he accepts the pontificate and, if the answer is yes, what name he chooses as pontiff. He then retreats to a room known as the Room of Tears to put on the papal garb — three sizes of which have been left there in advance — and emerge in front of the crowds in St Peter’s Square.

The new leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics then comes out onto a balcony overlooking the square as a senior cardinal cries: “Habemus Papam” (We have a pope)!

The National Museum of Denmark has confirmed that two 18th-century shipwrecks in Cahuita National Park, long thought to be pirate ships, are the Danish slave ships Fridericus Quartus and Christianus Quintus, which sank in 1710. The identification was announced on Sunday, resolving decades of speculation about the wrecks off Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast.

The ships were identified through underwater excavations in 2023, which analyzed ship timbers, cargo blocks, clay pipes, and other artifacts. In 2015, U.S. archaeologists from East Carolina University discovered yellow bricks, specific to Danish manufacturing in Flensburg, among the wreckage, prompting renewed investigation. The wrecks, located on coral reefs near Puerto Limón in Cahuita National Park, were first documented in the 1970s but misidentified as pirate vessels based on local assumptions.

Historical records indicate the Fridericus Quartus and Christianus Quintus departed Copenhagen in December 1708, bound for the Danish West Indies via West Africa. They carried cloth, metal goods, and weapons to trade for enslaved Africans. In 1710, after navigational errors, the ships struck reefs off what was then called Punta Carreto. One ship caught fire, and the other was abandoned after its anchor cable was cut. Excavations confirmed charred wood and Danish cargo, aligning with these accounts.

David Gregory, a marine archaeologist at the National Museum of Denmark, stated, “The cargo blocks are Danish, as is the wood, which is charred and covered in soot from the fire. This matches historical accounts.” Andreas Kallmeyer Bloch, another marine archaeologist, emphasized the excavation’s importance for understanding Denmark’s maritime history and its relevance to Costa Rica.

The project, supported by Denmark’s Njord research center, involved collaboration with East Carolina University, the University of Costa Rica, and Costa Rica’s National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). It marks Costa Rica’s first underwater archaeological excavation. The wreck sites are restricted to non-invasive tours to protect the artifacts and marine environment.

Approximately 690 enslaved Africans were aboard the ships, with historical records noting that around 100 were recaptured and sent to cacao plantations in Matina, while others escaped. The discovery provides new insight into the region’s colonial history and the transatlantic slave trade. SINAC plans to incorporate the findings into educational programs at Cahuita National Park.

Thousands of people visited Pope Francis’ tomb this Sunday, after he was laid to rest in Rome the day before following a massive funeral, as one question lingers over the Eternal City: Who will succeed the first Latin American pope? The date for the conclave to elect the next pope could be announced on Monday after another meeting of the cardinals. Church authorities chose to wait until after the Jesuit Argentine’s funeral before calling it.

While awaiting this crucial moment for the Church, over 25,000 people have so far gathered at Francis’ tomb in Rome’s Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, police sources indicated Sunday afternoon. Tatiana Alva, a 49-year-old Peruvian living in Canada, couldn’t hold back her tears upon seeing the tomb: “He was such an important figure for the message he tried to convey, for his dedication to the poor, the abandoned, the forgotten.”

Around 400,000 people participated in his final journey through the streets of Rome and the funeral mass at the Vatican, attended by dozens of world leaders including Donald Trump, Javier Milei, and King Felipe VI of Spain. Among the crowd were many young people who had traveled to Italy for the canonization of Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint, an event that was ultimately postponed.

However, some visited the final resting place of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who died Monday at the age of 88. “I would have loved to see him in real life, but this was also special. I’m happy to be close to him, a pope who helped everyone,” said Julia Graf, a 13-year-old Austrian girl.

A Heavenly Embrace

The burial site of the 266th pontiff reflects the image of simplicity he sought to project during his life. It is located along the side of the 5th-century church, in a former candle cabinet, between two confessionals. “Franciscus,” his papal name in Latin, is the only inscription on the marble tombstone, which comes from the Italian region of his grandparents. A replica of the “Good Shepherd” cross he often wore on his chest crowns the tomb.

A single white rose placed on his tomb commemorates his devotion to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus). Francis chose this location for its proximity to the image of the Virgin Mary, “Salus Populi Romani,” to whom he prayed before and after every trip. He is the first pope to be buried outside the Vatican since Leo XIII in 1903.

About 200,000 people once again gathered this Sunday in St. Peter’s Square for a mass in his honor, many of them pilgrims participating in the Youth Jubilee. “From heaven, Pope Francis sends us his embrace,” said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, former Vatican Secretary of State, whose name is among those mentioned as potential successors.

His reformist papacy was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, promote the role of women and laypeople, and focus on the poor and migrants, among other causes. Many faithful are concerned about the profile of the next pope.

“I hope we get another pope as competent as Francis, someone who can speak to people’s hearts and be close to everyone, no matter who they are,” said Maria Simoni, a 53-year-old Roman.

We Need to Unite

The reforms initiated by the Argentine Jesuit sparked strong criticism among the Church’s more conservative sectors, who are calling for a shift back toward stricter doctrinal focus. “What I hope from his successor is that he continues his work. Today, we need to unite, not divide,” said Malian Cardinal Jean Zerbo after a prayer gathering of cardinals at Francis’ tomb.

The conclave could begin on May 5 or 6, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg indicated a few days ago. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, it could last just “a few days.” The precise start date could be announced Monday around 9:00 a.m. (7:00 a.m. GMT), when the cardinals are scheduled to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s death.

The word “conclave” comes from the Latin cum clavis, meaning “with a key,” and has fascinated people for centuries. The 135 cardinal electors — those under 80 years old — vote four times a day (except on the first day) until one candidate obtains a two-thirds majority.

The result is announced to the world by burning the ballots with a chemical that releases the famous white smoke, accompanied by the cry, “Habemus papam” (“We have a pope”). The late pontiff appointed most of the cardinals eligible to vote, but this does not necessarily guarantee the election of a successor who will continue his legacy.

Costa Rica is intensifying its defenses against yellow fever as cases surge across Latin America, prompting heightened vigilance from national health authorities. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported 14 confirmed cases in the Americas in early 2025, following 61 cases in 2024, with the disease spreading to urban areas like São Paulo, Brazil, and Tolima, Colombia. While Costa Rica has no local cases, its role as a Central American travel hub keeps it on high alert.

The Costa Rican Ministry of Health has reinforced its preventive strategy, focusing on enhanced epidemiological surveillance, timely clinical management, and a targeted vaccination campaign in border areas where travelers from high-risk countries converge. According to the Chamber of Health, the private health sector has imported 34,000 doses of the yellow fever vaccine, available starting today. The Ministry also maintains a strategic reserve of 15,000 doses for potential outbreaks or shortages.

To streamline access, Costa Rica launched a digital yellow fever vaccination certificate in March. Travelers can digitize paper certificates at local Health Governing Areas, downloading them as a PDF or QR code with a certified digital signature. “This digital card ensures no lost paperwork and faster verification,” said Dr. Mary Munive Angermüller, Minister of Health. The certificate is valid for international travel and official procedures.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and PAHO have urged countries in the Americas to strengthen prevention, surveillance, and outbreak response, particularly in high-risk nations like Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela. Recent posts on X highlight regional urgency, with Colombia declaring a sanitary emergency and activating a national vaccination plan in April.

What is Yellow Fever?

Yellow fever is a viral disease transmitted by infected Aedes or Haemagogus mosquitoes, primarily in tropical regions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that symptoms range from mild (fever, chills, headache, nausea, body aches) to severe, with serious cases potentially leading to liver damage, bleeding, and organ failure. Most infections are asymptomatic or mild, but severe cases require hospitalization for supportive care, as no specific antiviral treatment exists. The fatality rate for severe cases can reach 20–50%.

Vaccination and Travel Requirements

Vaccination remains the most effective prevention tool, with a single dose of the yellow fever vaccine (e.g., YF-VAX, Stamaril) providing lifelong immunity within 10 days for 80–100% of recipients. However, the vaccine is contraindicated for individuals with severe egg allergies, immunosuppression, or those under 9 months old. Travelers should consult healthcare providers to assess risks.

Since January, Costa Rica has enforced mandatory proof of yellow fever vaccination for travelers arriving from high-risk countries, including Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and parts of Africa, under International Health Regulations. Travelers without a valid International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) may be denied entry. The CDC recommends vaccination at least 10 days before travel to endemic areas.

Prevention Beyond Vaccination

While Costa Rica is not endemic for yellow fever, authorities emphasize mosquito bite prevention to reduce risks from imported cases. The CDC and WHO recommend using repellents with 20% DEET, wearing long sleeves and pants, and staying in air-conditioned or screened rooms. Vector control, such as eliminating mosquito breeding sites, is also critical to prevent urban outbreaks driven by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

As yellow fever edges closer to urban centers in neighboring countries, Costa Rica’s proactive measures—vaccination campaigns, digital certificates, and stricter travel rules—aim to keep the virus at bay. Travelers are urged to verify vaccination status and follow prevention guidelines to ensure safe travel.