On May 7, the eyes of the world turned once again to Vatican City, where Roman Catholic cardinals began the sacred task of electing a new pope. Following the death of Pope Francis last month, the College of Cardinals gathered in a time-honored ritual steeped in centuries of tradition to choose a leader who can guide the Church’s 1.4 billion members through an era marked by deep internal divisions and global uncertainty.

The process began with a solemn Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, where the cardinals prayed for divine guidance. Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, urged his fellow churchmen to put aside personal interests and focus solely on the good of the Church and humanity. “Unity does not mean uniformity,” he said during his sermon, emphasizing the need for “firm and profound communion in diversity.” Though Re, at 91, is too old to participate in the actual voting-restricted to cardinals under 80 years of age-his message set the tone for what promises to be a pivotal conclave.

After the Mass, the cardinals proceeded into the Sistine Chapel, the frescoed masterpiece of Michelangelo serving as the sacred setting for one of the world’s most secretive and consequential elections. Following medieval custom, they were sequestered from the outside world, with the Vatican employing modern countermeasures like signal-jamming technology to prevent any leaks or eavesdropping. The seriousness of their mission was reflected not only in the security measures but also in the cardinals’ visible solemnity as they embarked on the process of........

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