How to watch the 2025 Papal Conclave LIVE from California: All the details you need
Learn how and when to watch the 2025 Papal Conclave live from California. Find out the details about the election process and the platforms that will offer the live stream.
The 2025 Papal Conclave is set to take place in the coming days, as over 130 cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican to elect the successor of Pope Francis.
This historic event will be followed by millions of Catholics and people around the world. Here's how to watch the event from California.
When will the conclave begin?
The conclave 2025 is set to officially begin on May 7, 2025, with the traditional mass "Pro Eligendo Pontifice", scheduled at 10:00 A.M in Rome, where cardinals ask for the Holy Spirit to guide them to choose the next pope.
The next conclave will be on May 7, 2025. Photo: uzhursky
While the mass begins at 10 am in Rome, in California time, the cardinals would head to the Sistine Chapel for the conclave around 1am, and the election would begin at 4:30 pm in Rome and 7:30 am in California time.
Where to watch the Papal Conclave LIVE from California?
Even if California is very far away from the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican, it is possible for California residents to follow closely the conclave updates. The official broadcast will be brought to you Vatican News, the Vatican’s digital platform.
These are some of the 133 cardinals electing the next pope in the 2025 conclave. Photo EFE
Several different media outlets will also be covering the event live from the Vatican, such as: CNN, ABC News and many more. However, if you prefer to watch it online, YouTube will be an appropriate option as many digital outlets will be livestreaming from their pages. Some of these are:
- AP News
- CNN
- Vatican News
- EWTN
After each round of voting, the results will be announced via smoke. This is known as "fumata blanca" or "white smoke" and "fumata negra" or black smoke. The black smoke will show up if the voting did not showed up in favor of a candidate by at least 2 thirds of the voting cardinals, and the process continues. However, if the cardinals have already chosen the new pope, white smoke will appear.
