Conclave to elect new pope begins May 7, says Vatican

The Vatican says the conclave to elect a new pope will begin on May 7.

Cardinals in Rome decided on Monday at the fifth general congregation in the Vatican’s Synod Hall.

The decision comes as the traditional mourning period for Pope Francis concludes.

After he died last Monday, a nine-day mourning period was announced.

Francis was eventually laid to rest on Saturday, kickstarting preparations to elect a successor.

Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote, with 135 electors expected to participate out of the total of 252 cardinals.

If the total number of electors is not evenly divisible by three, an additional vote is necessary.

The conclave will take place in the Sistine Chapel under strict secrecy, with multiple rounds of voting until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority.

Throughout the election process, the Cardinal electors must refrain from sending letters or engaging in conversations, including phone calls, except in cases of extreme urgency.

They are not allowed to send or receive messages of any kind, receive newspapers or magazines of any nature, or follow radio or television broadcasts.

The election could last several days, but if the electors fail to reach an agreement on a candidate after three days of inconclusive voting, a break of up to one day is allowed for prayer, free discussion among voters, and a brief spiritual exhortation by Dominique Mamberti, cardinal proto-deacon.

The successful candidate will be announced with the traditional “Habemus papam” proclamation, accompanied by the appearance of white smoke from the chapel chimney.

If the ballot is inconclusive, the chimney will emit black smoke.

The new pope will face the challenge of uniting a church marked by internal divisions and navigating complex global issues.

TheCable had highlighted some of the leading candidates who could succeed Francis here.