On May 7, the Vatican will begin a conclave, during which the cardinals will elect a new Pope. This date was officially announced after the first meeting of the cardinals, which took place shortly after the funeral of Pope Francis. The Sistine Chapel was closed to tourists in preparation for the vote, reports the Baltimore Chronicle, citing The Guardian.
A total of 135 cardinals will participate in the elections. They will be isolated between the Sistine Chapel and the Casa Santa Marta residence, where Pope Francis lived. The election is expected to last several days, though some cardinals believe the process could be prolonged due to the participants’ insufficient familiarity with each other.
The majority of the voters are appointees of Pope Francis, including cardinals from regions that previously lacked representation, such as Myanmar, Haiti, and Rwanda. According to Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, this factor fosters an atmosphere of unity, although the large number of participants could complicate decision-making.
At the moment, there are no clear favorites, although the possible candidates include Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Tagle gained attention with a video of him singing John Lennon’s “Imagine,” which sparked discussions within the Vatican.
The voters represent 17 countries, with a majority of European cardinals (53), as well as representatives from Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania.
Earlier we wrote about who could be the next pontiff?