The Vatican has confirmed that Catholic cardinals will convene on May 7 for the conclave that will elect a new pope, following the death of Pope Francis last week.
Naturenex reports that the gathering, which will be held inside the Sistine Chapel, will bring together cardinals under the age of 80 — known as the “Princes of the Church” — to select the next spiritual leader for the 1.4 billion Catholics across the globe.
The date was agreed upon on Monday during a meeting involving cardinals of all ages, just 48 hours after the burial of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at 88.
After the pope’s passing, all 252 cardinals were called to Rome, though only 135 of them are eligible to cast a vote in the conclave.
While many of these cardinals come from different corners of the world and are largely unfamiliar with one another, they held four “general congregation” meetings over the past week to build rapport and deliberate on the Church’s future.
Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, 83, a former head of the Italian bishops’ conference, commented on the interactions, saying, “There was a beautiful, fraternal atmosphere.” He admitted, however, “Of course, there may be some difficulties because the voters have never been so numerous and not everyone knows each other,” in remarks shared with Italy’s Corriere della Sera.
In preparation for the conclave, the Sistine Chapel was officially closed to the public on Monday as the Vatican began making arrangements beneath its iconic Michelangelo frescoes.
As for who might emerge as the new pontiff, there is little certainty. Spanish Cardinal Jose Cobo told El Pais on Sunday, “I believe that if Francis has been the pope of surprises, this conclave will be too, as it is not at all predictable.”
Naturenex earlier reported that Pope Francis was laid to rest on Saturday in a ceremony that drew around 400,000 mourners to St. Peter’s Square and nearby areas. Among those present were international dignitaries, religious leaders, and ordinary pilgrims.
On Sunday, approximately 70,000 people visited his marble tomb at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome, honouring the late pope who chose to be buried beyond the Vatican’s traditional grounds as the “pope of the poor.”
