What It’s Like to Attend a Papal Conclave: My Personal Experience at the Vatican

My journey to witness the papal election began with my flight from the city of London to Rome, where my two friends from Mexico were already waiting. We met at the hotel. Once I arrived at Fiumicino Airport in Rome, I took a taxi to the city center, where my hotel was located just three blocks from the Vatican.

On the day I arrived, we first visited St. Peter’s Square and attended a one-hour mass inside the Vatican. It was a unique experience—the energy and emotion of the crowd were unmistakable. I was deeply moved to see so many people gathered: families, children, people of all ages and nationalities, all in one place to be part of the conclave event to elect the new Pope.

The next morning, we returned to the Vatican for the first service mass, during which the cardinals entered the Holy See to begin the conclave behind closed doors in the Sistine Chapel. It was a very special moment, and I was fortunate enough to keep the missal booklet that detailed the entire religious service marking the start of the conclave.

After the mass, we went back to St. Peter’s Square to await the first smoke signal, which, as expected, was black. We waited for several hours, and in the end, it was indeed black smoke.

The following morning, my friends attended the second smoke signal, which took place early in the day. I chose not to go and instead walked through the city to admire its architecture—Rome is one of my favorite cities, and I didn’t want to miss the chance to explore it. I knew the new Pope would not be chosen during the second smoke, so I waited for the third and final smoke later that day. To our joy, it was white smoke: the cardinals had elected a new Pope.

It was an unforgettable experience. The number of people from all over the world—families, children, people of all ages—was astonishing. It was a historic and unique moment that filled me with tremendous peace. I feel truly blessed to have been part of such a meaningful event for the Catholic-Christian world. I’ve attended Catholic schools all my life, and the countries I’ve lived in were founded on Christian values.

I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to attend this unforgettable event, which will remain one of the most significant memories of my life. I wish Pope Leo XIV the very best and hope he can guide the Catholic-Christian world along the best and most beneficial path for all of humanity.