Roman Catholic cardinals will start their secret conclave to choose the next head of the world Church on May 7.
The cardinals met behind closed doors at the Vatican to decide on the date, which was the first since Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday.
Approximately 135 cardinals from all over the world, all under 80, are eligible to participate in the conclave and choose the next head of the Church, which has 1.4 billion members.
Conclaves are held in the 16th-century Sistine Chapel, which was closed to visitors Monday for preparations.
Only two days were spent at the previous two conclaves, which took place in 2005 and 2013. However, given that many of the cardinals Pope Francis appointed have never met, Swedish cardinal Anders Arborelius warned Monday that the upcoming conclave might take longer.
Francis prioritized the appointment of cardinals from nations like Rwanda, Haiti, and Myanmar that had never had one.
Arborelius, one of roughly 135 cardinals under 80 who will attend the conclave, stated, “We don’t know each other.”
According to the Vatican, the conclave could have started as early as May 6. Cardinals will have a little more time for their general talks before the historic ballot if it is started one day later.
Over the last ten conclaves, the average duration has been three days.
Francis, the pope since 2013, passed away on April 21 at the age of 88. More than 400,000 people are thought to have attended his funeral on Saturday and the procession through Rome to his final resting place at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Catholics wanted the next pope to continue Francis’ reforming style of papacy, according to German cardinal Walter Kasper, who made this statement to the newspaper La Repubblica.
Francis, the first Latin American pope, made an effort to bring some fresh ideas to the frequently stuffy Church. He permitted discussion on topics like outreach to LGBTQ Catholics and the ordination of women as clergy.
Kasper said, “The People of God voted with their feet,” and he will not attend the conclave. Kasper is 92. “I firmly believe that we need to follow Francis’ example.”
But a group of conservative cardinals will undoubtedly oppose this and look for a pope who reins in Francis’ vision of a more inclusive Church while reclaiming traditions.
FACTBOX: What transpires after Pope Francis’s funeral
Here is what transpires in the Roman Catholic Church after Pope Francis’ funeral, following his death at age 88, and the announcement that the conclave will begin on May 7.
** A nine-day period of mourning for the Church began with the funeral.
** Between the pope’s passing and the election of a successor, the College of Cardinals manages the Church’s daily operations. Their authority is restricted, and a large portion of the central Church administration comes to a complete standstill.
** On May 7, the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel will host the conclave to choose a new pope.
** The secret ballot is open to all cardinals under the age of 80. Voting may be conducted in multiple rounds over a number of days because they require a majority of at least two-thirds plus one to choose the new pope. The new pope is asked if he accepts and what name he wants to adopt after the election is over.
** When an official burns the paper ballots with special chemicals to cause white smoke to pour from the chapel’s chimney, the world knows that a pope has been elected. To create the black smoke that signifies an undecided vote, they employ additional chemicals.
** To declare “Habemus Papam” (We have a pope), a senior cardinal ascends the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. The crowd in the square then receives the blessing of the new pope.
