A total of 135 Cardinals from around the world are under the age of 80 and are eligible to participate in secret votes.
The Vatican has announced that the Conclave, which elects new leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, will begin on May 7th.
The date was decided at the Cardinals closure meeting held at the Vatican on Monday, two days after the funeral of Francis, who passed away on April 21 at the age of 88.
A total of 135 Cardinals, under the age of 80 from around the world, are eligible to participate in secret votes to decide whether to become the next head of the 1.4 billion church.
On Monday, the Vatican closed the Sistine Chapel, where the votes are held, and began preparations.
This year’s Conclave has seen a noticeable increase in participation compared to previous ones after 115 Cardinals took part in the 2005 and 2013 elections.
Approximately 80% of the current electors have been appointed by Francis. Francis tried to broaden the Church’s global expression.
Europe once again provided the largest voting bloc with 53 electorals, followed by 27, with 21 in South and Central America Asia and Oceania, 21 in Africa, 18 in North America and 16 in North America.
Italy continues to be the most representative country, with 17 cardiacs, 10 in Brazil, 7 in France, and 5 in five cardiacs.
A decision about the new Pope could come in a few days
Members of the Conclave vote in secret ballots, a process overseen by a randomly selected nine cardinals. A two-thirds majority is traditionally required to elect a new Pope, and votes continue until this threshold is met.
After each round, the vote is burned with chemicals that produce black or white smoke, signaling the world with the results. The black smoke indicates that while the white smoke means that a new Pope has been elected, no decision has been made. Once the Pope is chosen, the top cardinal announces his name from St. Peter Basilica.
There is no fixed time limit for conclaves, but history shows that processes can be different. Both Francis and his predecessor, Benedict XVI, were elected within two days.
The longest modern orders extended to five days in 1903 and 1922, respectively. In the 13th century, three years of impasse after the death of the Pope continued to foster reforms today.
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