Tag: Sistine Chapel

Bishop Richard Umbers gives a reflection for Holy Thursday and the hour of repose with the Lord as we await his death and resurrection.

A major immersive exhibition recreating the Sistine Chapel will open at St Mary’s Cathedral this winter, offering Sydney audiences a close-up experience of its iconic frescoes. The installation runs from 16 May to 19 July 2026.

When millions of visitors flock to the Sistine Chapel each year, their seemingly invisible breath and sweat are slowly leaving a mark on this Renaissance masterpiece, according to Vatican Museums officials.

Just as we wouldn't leave newborns without clothes or food, we cannot leave them without faith and baptism, Pope Leo XIV told parents of children he baptised in the splendour and beauty of the Sistine Chapel 11 January.

Invoking the help of the Holy Spirit and recognising that millions of people all over the world were praying for them, 133 cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel with a singular goal: to elect "a worthy pastor" for the universal church.

When they are not in the Sistine Chapel, seated under Michelangelo's frescoes to vote for the next pope, the cardinal-electors need a place to rest, converse and eat.

The conclave to elect a new pope, scheduled to begin 7 May, is governed by two texts: a rule book and a prayer book.

The 135 cardinals eligible to elect the next pope will enter the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave 7 May, the Vatican announced.

Found at the heart of the Vatican, the Sistine chapel was consecrated on the Solemnity of the Assumption 500 years ago. Named after Pope Sixtus IV, he dedicated the chapel in 1483.