All cardinals arrive in Rome ahead of conclave to elect new pope

Arrival of the cardinals at the Vatican. Photo: Reuters

All 133 cardinals eligible to elect the next pontiff have arrived at the Vatican. The conclave to choose the 267th Pope of Rome will begin on May 7 in the Sistine Chapel. Senior hierarchs of the Roman Catholic Church have gathered in Rome for this historic occasion following the death of Pope Francis, Reuters reports.

On May 5, in preparation for the election of the new pope, the tenth general meeting of the cardinals was held in the Synod Hall of the Vatican. A total of 179 members of the College of Cardinals took part in the congregation.

Cardinals may walk to the chapel from their residences if they wish, but only via a strictly designated and secure route. Their movement will be restricted, and they are requested to leave their mobile devices behind. Communication within the Sistine Chapel will be completely disabled.

To elect a new pope, a candidate must receive a two-thirds majority of the votes. On the first day, one round of voting is held. If no pope is elected, subsequent days will include four voting rounds per day.

After each round, the ballots are burned in a special stove with chemical additives that produce either black or white smoke. The appearance of white smoke from the chimney above the chapel signals that a new pope has been chosen.

For the first time, the majority of the cardinals eligible to vote will come not from Europe, but from Latin America, Asia, and Africa. This reflects the legacy of Pope Francis, who significantly shifted the Church's geographic balance through his appointments.

The two previous conclaves, held in 2005 and 2013, lasted only two days. However, history includes examples of both very brief and exceptionally long conclaves.

Earlier, the UOJ published an analysis of potential candidates to become the next pope.

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