ROMAN Catholic Cardinal Electors(under the age of 80) have isolated themselves on Wednesday, May 7, inside the Sistine Chapel until they select a successor to Pope Francis to lead the global Catholic Church.
The ICIR reported that the Vatican announced in April that cardinals would begin the election of a new Pope on May 7.
Cardinals under 80 are considered canonically qualified according to ‘conclave law’ and have already gathered in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new Pope, the spiritual leader of Catholics worldwide, with 135 eligible voting cardinals among the 252 who gathered in Rome.
The ICIR reports that in a tradition that dates back to the medieval era, the cardinals will enter the Vatican’s fresco-adorned Sistine Chapel following a public Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, beginning their secret conclave to choose a successor to Pope Francis, who passed away last month.
For centuries, no pope has been elected on the first day of a conclave, so voting may stretch over several days before one of the red-robed Church cardinals secures the required two-thirds majority to become the 267th pontiff.
The past 10 conclaves lasted an average of just over three days, with none extending beyond five. The 2013 conclave, for example, concluded in just two days.
Only one round of voting will take place on Wednesday. After that, the cardinals may cast up to four ballots per day.
After each round, the ballots will be burned, black smoke rising from the chapel’s chimney will indicate no decision, while white smoke accompanied by ringing bells will announce that the 1.4 billion-member Church has a new pope.
During a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning, just before entering the conclave, the cardinals prayed for divine guidance in choosing a pope who would provide “watchful care” for the world.
In his sermon, Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista urged his fellow cardinals to put aside “every personal consideration” and focus solely on “the good of the Church and humanity” in selecting the next pope.
In recent days, cardinals have expressed varying views on the qualities they seek in the next pope.
No clear frontrunner has emerged, though Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are widely regarded as the leading contenders.
Other possible candidates include Jean-Marc Aveline of France, Peter Erdo of Hungary, Robert Prevost of the United States, and Pierbattista Pizzaballa of Italy.
As in medieval times, the cardinals will be prohibited from communicating with outsiders during the conclave, and the Vatican has implemented advanced technology, including jamming devices, to ensure complete secrecy and prevent any eavesdropping.
The ICIR reported that Pope Francis died at the age of 88 on Monday, April 21, Easter Monday. He had suffered various ailments in his 13-year reign, with severe complications in recent weeks before his death.
World leaders and thousands of mourners gathered on Saturday, April 26, to lay him to rest at the Vatican.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.