Vatican: Who will be the person responsible for announcing the new Pope?

On May 7, one of the most solemn processes of the Catholic Church will begin in the Vatican:the conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff. From that day, the cardinal electors will meet in the Sistine Chapel to vote for the successor of Pope Francis, who recently passed away.

Once the two-thirds consensus is reached, about 88 votes, the world will once again see white smoke rise from the Sistine chimney,an unmistakable symbol that there is a new Pope.

Attention will then shift to the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, where a key figure will be responsible for delivering the historic news to the world. This is Cardinal Dominique François Joseph Mamberti, recently appointed cardinal protodeacon, who will be responsible for pronouncing the traditional announcement Habemus Papam, one of the most iconic moments of Catholicism.

Mamberti, born on March 7, 1952, in Marrakech, Morocco, has an extensive career within the Church. He was Apostolic Delegate in Somalia, Nuncio in Sudan and Eritrea, and since November 2014, he has served as Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. He was made a cardinal in February 2015 by Pope Francis and, since last July 1, holds the role of protodeacon, placing him as the spokesperson for the most symbolic moment of the conclave.

The protocol prior to the voting stipulates that cardinals under 80 years old—133 in total—will stay at the Casa Santa Marta from the night of May 6. On the morning of the 7th, they will participate in the Pro eligendo Pontifice Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, celebrated by the dean cardinal, Giovanni Battista Re. There, the Holy Spirit will be invoked to guide the election of the next Pastor of the Church.

In the afternoon, the cardinals will march in procession to the Sistine Chapel, singing the hymn Veni, Creator Spiritus. After taking the oath of secrecy, they will begin voting. One or two votes will be held that day, depending on the time, and up to four votes will be conducted daily in subsequent days.

It should be noted that, within the Sistine, the duties of the dean cardinal will be handled by the current Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, since neither Re nor the vice-dean, Argentine Leonardo Sandri, can participate in the conclave due to being over 80 years old.