The Vatican says that the conclave to elect the successor of Pope Francis will begin on Wednesday, May 7th. This decision was officially made during a general congregation meeting of the College of Cardinals held on April 28th.
The conclave will involve 135 cardinal electors who are all under the age of 80. Most cardinal electors have already arrived in Rome, with just a few yet to join their colleagues at the Vatican.
On the morning of the conclave’s start, cardinals will gather for the traditional Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff at St. Peter’s Basilica. The Mass will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, after which the cardinals will proceed into the Sistine Chapel to begin voting.
Preparations for the conclave have already begun with the Sistine Chapel being closed to the public this Monday. The chapel is being prepared for the election, including the installation of the special chimney which will signal the results of the ballots by emitting either white or black smoke.
In meetings leading up to the conclave, cardinal electors have discussed numerous important topics, including evangelization, interfaith relations and addressing clerical abuse.
Due to the large number of recently appointed cardinals, some anticipate this conclave might last longer than previous elections as many of the electors are not yet familiar with each other.
The cardinals have since emphasized their commitment to unity and expressed hope for a smooth election process that will successfully select the next pope.
Please pray for the cardinal electors and the future pope! 🙏
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