It is a well-known fact that the new pope is elected in the Sistine Chapel, but in reality, little is known about what actually happens inside, once all cardinals gather to cast their ballots. Behind the locked doors of the chapel, where this centuries-old ritual is performed, there is still one earthly matter that prevails, namely food.
Indefinitely separated from the outside world, the cardinals are holding their secret election. They will not only be eating and sleeping in the Sistine Chapel but will have no signal until a decision on the next pope is made. The only way to communicate with the outside world during the conclave is the smoke signalling whether a majority has been reached.
For the 2025 conclave, which began on 7 May 2025, 133 cardinal electors will vote on choosing a new leader. The required votes to elect the next pope are 89.
The conclave to elect a new pope starts in the Sistine Chapel around 15-20 days after the pope's death. Reuters’ Vatican correspondent Joshua McElwee explains the entire process, from the funeral to electing a new leader https://t.co/ge1TTsDjH8 pic.twitter.com/icXSfM36We
— Reuters Asia (@ReutersAsia) April 21, 2025
Interestingly, food has been one of the riskiest things, as meals and provisions keep being delivered or taken out. A cardinal’s tortellini may deliver a secret message, or they can share an update on a dirty napkin.
Food stuffing used to be highly regulated. For example, dishes such as whole chicken or closed pies were not allowed as they may have carried a secret message. Furthermore, water and wine were delivered only in clear glass bottles, while napkins were carefully examined.
Nowadays, fears that food might conceal secret messages have largely disappeared. The real concern is illicit electronic communication.
I found this schedule for the conclave. As for meals it’s 3 meals a day for the first few days, then it’s cut down to one meal a day, and if it goes longer than 8 days, it’s bread water until someone is picked. It once went on for 3 years, in a chapel with without a roof. pic.twitter.com/vXSwAOFLf8
— Duncan MacMaster the Internet’s Sweetheart (@FuriousDShow) May 7, 2025
For the 2025 conclave, nuns at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where the cardinals live while they’re locked away, will be cooking simple, traditional meals from the Lazio region around the Vatican and the nearby Abruzzo area. The meals include lamb skewers, spaghetti, boiled vegetables, and vegetable soup. These meals are prepared under strict oversight, while food deliveries are carefully inspected by Italian and Swiss guards.
“The food is pretty ordinary — pasta, soup and fruit, which is how Francis wanted it — but some are looking for something better,” said a Vatican insider who has eaten there. “Restaurants also mean more privacy if you are in a small group,” he added.
We know the cardinals are sequestered with no communication from outside. But one thing is for certain. The dinner & post-meal conversations from last night were fruitful. As @archtoronto Cardinal Thomas Collins said after 2013 conclave: "Less meetings, more coffee breaks." pic.twitter.com/vyg7Io21q3
— Neil MacCarthy (@neilmaccarthy) May 8, 2025
However, food and having a meal together seem to be an act of great importance. One example is the 2024 movie Conclave, in which many scenes take place not anywhere else but in the cafeteria. In fact, noisy and lively meals are the exact opposite of the entirely silent voting process.
While the movie’s accuracy in portraying the reality of a conclave is debatable, it underscores the broader cultural truth that in papal circles and everywhere else, the food eaten, the way of eating, and the dining companions convey meaning.
