28/04/2025
🙏 Farewell to Pope Francis & The Beginning of the Conclave 🇻🇦
On April 21st, 2025, the world stood still.
Pope Francis, the 266th successor of St. Peter, passed away peacefully in the Vatican at the age of 88.
A humble servant, a champion of peace, a voice for the poor and the forgotten — his life touched millions across the globe.
Over the next days, Rome became a river of prayer.
On April 26th, 2025, under a soft Roman sky, hundreds of thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
World leaders, dignitaries, and ordinary pilgrims came to pay their final respects to a man whose message transcended borders, languages, and creeds.
The air was filled with mourning, but also with gratitude — for a life of deep love and service.
Today, April 28th, 2025, the Vatican enters a new chapter.
The sacred Sistine Chapel has now been closed to the public, and preparations have begun for one of the most solemn traditions of the Church: the Papal Conclave.
On May 7th, 2025, the College of Cardinals will gather beneath Michelangelo’s Last Judgment to elect the new Supreme Pontiff.
In prayer, secrecy, and tradition, they will seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The world will wait — eyes turned to the chimney — for the moment when white smoke will announce: “Habemus Papam.”
As guides who live the Vatican every day, this moment feels deeply personal to us.
We have spent years sharing the treasures, the faith, and the spirit of this sacred place with visitors from every corner of the world.
Today, we walk its halls in silence, honored to witness history unfolding right before us.
It is a time of sorrow, but also of profound awe — a reminder that the Church, like history itself, is always alive.
We will be here to keep you updated with all that is happening inside the Vatican during this extraordinary time, and we will soon share special tips for visiting Rome during the Conclave period.
Stay tuned — you are living history with us.
May Pope Francis rest in eternal peace.
May the Holy Spirit guide the Church to its future.
