Sistine Chapel Prepares for Papal Conclave: Will the Next Pontiff Continue Francis' Reforms or Embrace Conservative Traditions?

Vatican City: The Vatican has closed the Sistine Chapel as preparations begin for the upcoming papal conclave, where cardinals will gather to elect the next pope following the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at the age of 88.
Pope Francis was laid to rest on Saturday after a funeral in St. Peter's Square that drew world leaders and hundreds of thousands of mourners. A nine-day period of mourning continues, after which the conclave will commence.
While mourning the loss of the pontiff, the church is also focusing on the next steps. The key task now is preparing the Sistine Chapel for the cardinals who will gather in Rome to choose the next pope, in a process immortalized in the 2024 film Conclave.
One important preparation is the installation of the chimney, where ballots will be burned after votes are cast.
According to church law, the conclave cannot begin until after the nine-day mourning period. It is expected to start between May 5 and May 10.
Once the conclave begins, cardinals will enter the chapel to participate in a process, which will determine the next leader of the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church. The choice will determine whether the next pontiff will continue Francis' reforms, with his focus on the poor and marginalized and the environment, or whether they will choose a pontiff closer in style to conservative predecessors like Benedict XVI focused on doctrine.
For inspiration the cardinals will also have the great beauty of the frescos painted by Michelangelo and other renowned Renaissance artists. The most recognisable is Michelangelo's Creation of Adam, showing God's outstretched hand imparting the divine spark of life to the first man.

The chapel, named after Pope Sixtus IV, who oversaw its construction in the 15th century, became home to Michelangelo’s frescoes thanks to a commission by Pope Julius II. Michelangelo painted the ceiling between 1508 and 1512, depicting scenes from Genesis, and later returned to paint The Last Judgment on one of the chapel’s walls.
When the conclave opens, the cardinals will chant the Litany of Saints, a solemn Gregorian chant invoking the saints' intercession, as they file into the chapel and take an oath of secrecy. The chapel’s thick double doors will then close, and the master of liturgy will utter the Latin words "Extra omnes," meaning "everyone out."
This secretive process aims to shield the vote from external interference.
The world will then wait for a sign that a successor to Pope Francis has been chosen. If the cardinals have not yet reached the required two-thirds majority, black smoke will billow from the chimney. But when a new pope is elected, white smoke will rise, and the bells of St. Peter’s will toll.