As a Catholic school community, we join with the global Church in mourning the recent passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. His leadership was marked by compassion, humility, and a deep commitment to the Gospel, and his legacy will continue to inspire us all.

Following his death, the College of Cardinals gathered in Vatican City on May 7, 2025, to begin the sacred process of electing a new pope. This process is known as the conclave, one of the most solemn and spiritually significant moments in the life of the Church.

The term conclave comes from the Latin cum clave, meaning "with a key." During the conclave, cardinals under the age of 80 from all over the world are sequestered in the Sistine Chapel, where they will pray, reflect, and vote in secret until a new Bishop of Rome is elected. This decision is made not through politics or persuasion, but through a deep sense of prayerful discernment, guided by the Holy Spirit.

A tradition that captures the world’s attention during this time is the signal of smoke from the chapel chimney: black smoke means no pope has been chosen, while white smoke signals the joyful announcement that a new pope has been elected. (At the time of writing this, a new pope had not yet been elected).

Here at St Pius X Catholic Primary School, we will be marking this period with prayer and age-appropriate discussions in our Religious Education classes. Students will be invited to reflect on what it means to be a leader like Christ, and to consider how we are all called to serve others through love, kindness, and faith.

I encourage you to speak with your children at home about this special moment in our Church's life. It’s a time of both reflection and hope as we await the announcement of a new spiritual leader for over a billion Catholics worldwide.

Let us continue to keep the cardinals in our prayers as they enter this time of discernment, and may the Holy Spirit guide the Church into this next chapter.

Lisa Tyson

Principal