Roman Catholic cardinals will gather in a secret conclave to elect the new global leader of the Church from May 7, according to the Vatican.
The date was decided on the fifth General Congregation, held Monday morning in the Vatican Synod Room. The conclave will take place in the Vatican Sistine Chapel, which will remain closed for visitors during these days.
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About 135 cardinals, all under 80 and around the world, are able to participate in the conclave and decide who should be the next leader of the 1.4 billion faithful church.
The 16th century Sistine Chapel, where the conclaves are held, was closed to tourists on Monday to allow preparations for the vote.
The last two conclaves, in 2005 and 2013, lasted only two days. But Swedish cardinal Anders Arborelius said on Monday that he expects this conclave to take longer, as many of Pope Francis’ cardinals have never met before.
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Francisco prioritized the appointment of cardinals from places they never had, such as Myanmar, Haiti and Rwanda.
“We don’t know each other,” said Arborelius, one of the 135 cardinals under 80 who will participate in the conclave.
The conclave could not have started before May 6. Starting it a day later means that cardinals will have a little more time for their general discussions before the important vote.
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Francisco, Pope since 2013, died at the age of 88 on April 21. His funeral on Saturday and a procession for Rome to his burial place in the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica attracted estimated crowds in more than 400,000 people.
German cardinal Walter Kasper told La Repubblica that the multitude of people in mourning by Francis indicates that Catholics want the next pope to continue with their papacy reformer style.
Francisco, the first Pope in Latin America, has largely tried to open the often serious church for new conversations. He allowed the debate on issues such as the ordering of women such as clerics and the reach of LGBTQ Catholics.
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“The people of God voted with their feet,” said Kasper, who is 92 years old and will not participate in the conclave. “I am convinced that we should follow in Francis’ footsteps.”
However, a block of conservative cardinals will surely oppose it and will seek a Pope who reaffirms traditions and restricts Francis’ view of a more inclusive church.
