As the conclave begins to elect a new Roman Pontiff of the Catholic Church, on the way to the Sistine Chapel, the cardinal electors ask for help from the saints (Litaniae sanctorum), and they make up to 100 invocations asking to pray for them.
The petitions take place in the procession from the Pauline Chapel to the Sistine Chapel, where they vote. The usual formula is the well-known 'ora pro nobis' (pray for us), or 'orate pro nobis' (pray for us, in plural), if there are several people being prayed to.
In synthesis, the cardinals ask God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity, the well-known 'miserere nobis', to have mercy on us. The initial outline is quite similar to that of the first Litany of the Rosaryand also includes up to three petitions to Holy Mary. Then the prayer is addressed to the three archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, and to all the holy angels.
Patriarchs and prophets, disciples, popes
The procession then addresses principal petitions (6) to the saints Abraham, Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, the patriarch St. Joseph, and all the holy patriarchs and prophets.
Petitions continue to be sent to the saints disciples of the Lord (14), beginning with Saints Peter and Paul, up to the evangelists, including here only one woman: Saint Mary Magdalene.
Requests for prayers to holy Popes (18) continue, beginning with Clement I and Callistus I, up to John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II. At the end, the prayer is addressed to all the holy Roman Pontiffs.
Martyrs, Fathers of the Church, founders, female saints
In penultimate place, the petitions go to the martyrs (21), beginning with St. Stephen and St. Ignatius of Antioch, to Saints Perpetua and Felicity, Agnes, Nino and Maria Goretti, with final mention of all the martyred saints. The prayer includes three English martyrs: Thomas Becket, John Fisher and Thomas More, and the Japanese St. Paul Miki, among others.
Finally, the litanies conclude (32) with Fathers of the Church (Saints Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Gregory the Great ....), some founders, such as St. Francis and St. Dominic, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis de Sales, St. Vincent de Paul or St. John Bosco. Also priests like St. John Mary Vianney, or saints like Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Jesus, Rose of Lima, Monica and Elizabeth of Hungary. You can see the complete list here.
In addition, the liturgy celebrates on May 7 the feast day of Saint Flavia Domitila (I and II centuries), wife of a Roman consul with whom she had seven children. Converted to Christianity, she was accused of "atheism" and martyred. And also to saint Rosa VeneriniVirgin, foundress of the Pious Venerini Sisters.
