The Vatican announced on Monday that Catholic cardinals will convene on May 7 to begin voting for a new pope, following the death of Pope Francis a week earlier.
Cardinals under the age of 80 — known as the “Princes of the Church” — will gather in the Sistine Chapel to elect the next leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. The decision to set the date was reached during a meeting of cardinals on Monday morning, just two days after Francis’s funeral. The pontiff passed away on April 21 at the age of 88.
All 252 cardinals were summoned to Rome after Francis’s death, but only 135 are eligible to vote in the conclave. Hailing from around the globe, many of the cardinals are unfamiliar with each other but have had the chance to meet during four “general congregations” last week aimed at fostering introductions and discussions.
“There is a beautiful, fraternal atmosphere,” said Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, 83, a former head of Italy’s bishops’ conference, acknowledging the challenges posed by the large and diverse group.
Preparations have already begun, with the Vatican closing the Sistine Chapel on Monday to ready it for the highly secretive voting process, which takes place under Michelangelo’s famed frescoes.
So far, there are few clear indications of who might emerge as the new pope. Spanish Cardinal José Cobo noted, “If Francis was the pope of surprises, this conclave will be too, as it is not at all predictable,” in an interview with El País.
Francis was laid to rest on Saturday during a funeral that drew an estimated 400,000 mourners, including heads of state, royalty, and ordinary pilgrims. On Sunday, around 70,000 people visited his tomb at the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, where he had chosen to be buried outside Vatican walls.
Frontrunners and Speculation
With global crises intensifying, many observers consider Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin — Francis’s former Secretary of State — a strong contender to succeed him. British bookmaker William Hill ranks Parolin slightly ahead of Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, followed by Ghana’s Cardinal Peter Turkson.
Other names in the running include Matteo Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna; Guinea’s Cardinal Robert Sarah; and Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
While Pope Francis earned admiration for his compassionate reforms, he also faced criticism from the Church’s conservative factions, particularly in the United States and Africa.
Roberto Regoli, professor of Church history at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University, told AFP that unity would be a key priority. “Catholicism is experiencing various polarisations, so I don’t imagine it will be a very quick conclave,” he said.
However, Cardinal Bassetti, who will not vote due to his age, suggested that the conclave could conclude relatively quickly.
Roughly 80% of the electors were appointed by Francis himself, though experts caution that this does not guarantee a successor who mirrors his papacy. Many of the cardinals are relatively young and will be participating in a conclave for the first time.
Calls for Courage and Universality
The election process follows strict traditions, with four votes held each day — two in the morning and two in the afternoon — until a candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The conclave could last several days or longer.
Only about half of the eligible voters are from Europe, a shift reflecting the Church’s growing global footprint.
“The future pope must have a universal heart, love all continents. We must not look at colour or origin, but at the message,” Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga from the Central African Republic told Il Messaggero.
Patrizia Spotti, a 68-year-old pilgrim visiting Rome, said she hoped the next pope would embody Francis’s spirit. “Churches are empty, and the Church itself has made mistakes, especially with the scandals involving children,” she said, calling for a courageous and reform-minded leader during this difficult time for Catholicism.
