Photos: Sistine Chapel becomes conclave-ready, papal garments are hung

VATICAN CITY // The Sistine Chapel has officially been transformed from a sacred space that regularly welcomes tourists and pilgrims to one that will accommodate the 133 cardinals who will enter tomorrow to begin the process of electing the next pope. 

The chapel has been the meeting place for every conclave since 1878, although it was first used for this purpose as early as 1492, according to the chapel’s website.  

On May 6 the Holy See Press Office shared the following photos, credited to Vatican Media, depicting the chapel just ahead of the conclave. 

The Sistine Chapel’s floor has been temporarily covered and now has enough seats to accommodate the 133 electors who will participate in the conclave.

As CatholicVote previously reported, paint restorers also worked diligently to touch up minor blemishes on the curtain-detailed walls.

The chapel also has ballots that choose by chance the cardinals who will have special roles in the conclave. Examples of those roles include reviewers of votes. 

The cardinals will take up to four votes per day until a pope is elected. To elect a pope, two-thirds majority of the cardinals must be in agreement.

The Chapel also now has the stove where the ballots are burned and the chimney that will produce white or black smoke, signaling whether a pope has been elected. 

The newly elected pope is vested in the Room of Tears, pictured below.

Three sizes of papal vestments are offered. 

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