Conclave to elect new Pope to begin on May 7, Vatican announces

The Vatican has announced that the conclave to elect the next pope will begin on May 7, following the death of Pope Francis earlier this month at the age of 88.

According to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, approximately 135 cardinals from around the world will convene behind closed doors in the Sistine Chapel to begin the sacred and secretive process of choosing a new leader for the Roman Catholic Church.

The conclave follows a solemn funeral service for Pope Francis, held on Saturday at St Peter’s Basilica, attended by world leaders, religious figures, and thousands of mourners.

Prior to the start of the conclave, the cardinals will participate in a special mass at St Peter’s Basilica. Afterward, those eligible to vote — all cardinals under the age of 80 at the time of the pope’s death — will process into the Sistine Chapel, where tradition mandates strict isolation from the outside world until a new pope is elected.

There is no set timeframe for the election, though history suggests it may not be prolonged.

The two most recent conclaves, in 2005 and 2013, each lasted just two days. Nevertheless, Vatican officials emphasized that the selection process will take as long as necessary to reach the two-thirds majority required to elect the next pontiff.

The death of Pope Francis, who led the Catholic Church for more than a decade, has left a profound mark on the global faithful.

His successor will face the challenge of guiding a Church navigating a host of modern issues, from dwindling vocations to broader calls for reform.

The world now turns its eyes toward the Sistine Chapel, awaiting the signal of white smoke that will announce the election of a new pope.