Date of first conclave session for election of new pope announced

Roman Catholic cardinals. Photo: reuters.com

Roman Catholic cardinals will gather for a secret conclave to elect the new head of the Church, with the start date set for May 7. This was reported to Reuters by a senior Vatican source.

The date was determined during a closed-door meeting of the cardinals at the Vatican – the first gathering after the funeral of Pope Francis, which was held on Saturday. An official announcement is expected shortly.

About 135 cardinals under the age of 80, representing various countries around the world, are eligible to participate in the conclave. It will be their responsibility to elect the new leader of the Catholic Church, which has approximately 1.4 billion faithful.

The previous two conclaves, in 2005 and 2013, concluded within two days.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Vatican had closed the Sistine Chapel to prepare for the election of the new pope.

Read also

Civic movement calls on SBU to tighten oversight of Pochaiv Lavra

Activists demanded that legal proceedings begin immediately if the Pochaiv Lavra fails to comply with DESS requirements.

4th-year students tonsured as readers at Pochaiv Seminary

Metropolitan Sergiy and Archbishop Job performed the tonsure of readers on the feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist.

Chisinau Airport restricts access due to influx of Hasidic pilgrims

Chisinau Airport administration has established special rules due to the transit of Hasidic pilgrims to Ukraine.

SBU reports suspicion against ROC Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov)

The SBU and the Prosecutor General's Office charged the ROC hierarch under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

UCCRO briefs German delegation on persecution in occupied territories

UCCRO members discussed cooperation with the German delegation from Baden-Württemberg.

DESS congratulates Ukraine’s Jewish community on Rosh Hashanah

DESS emphasized the importance of the Jewish community in Ukraine preserving its own identity.