Vatican closes Sistine Chapel to prepare for election of new pope

Sistine Chapel. Photo: Paolo Cito

The Vatican has closed the Sistine Chapel to the public, where cardinals will soon gather to elect the new head of the Roman Catholic Church, according to AP.

The body of the deceased Pontiff was laid to rest this past Saturday following a funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square, attended by numerous faithful and heads of state. According to the statutes of the Roman Catholic Church, a nine-day mourning period must conclude before the start of the conclave.

Preparations are currently underway in the Sistine Chapel for the ancient ceremony of electing the new pope. In particular, a special chimney is being installed to signal the results of the voting: black smoke will indicate that no election has occurred, while white smoke and the ringing of bells will announce that a new pontiff has been chosen.

The conclave is expected to begin between May 5 and May 10. The cardinals will remain in strict isolation until a new pope is elected, a decision that will set the future course for the Roman Catholic Church and its 1.4 billion faithful worldwide.

As the article notes, the cardinals’ choice will reveal whether the Catholic Church will continue along the path of reforms initiated by Pope Francis or return to a more conservative, doctrine-focused direction associated with Francis' predecessor, Benedict XVI.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that 250,000 people attended the funeral of Pope Francis.

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