Catholic cardinals have convened for the first time following Pope Francis’s funeral to discuss a potential date for entering a secret conclave to elect the next Church leader.
A decision could be announced around 11 am Irish time.
The conclave is not anticipated to begin before May 6.
The Sistine Chapel, where conclaves are traditionally held, is currently closed to tourists to prepare for the voting process.
Pope Francis prioritized appointing cardinals from regions that had previously lacked representation, including Myanmar, Haiti, and Rwanda.
Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88 on April 21.
The funeral on Saturday, followed by a procession through Rome to his burial site at the Basilica of St Mary Major, drew crowds estimated at over 400,000.
German Cardinal Walter Kasper remarked to La Repubblica that the significant turnout for Francis signified that Catholics desire the next pope to maintain his reform-oriented style of papacy.
Pope Francis, noted as the first pope from Latin America, endeavored to broaden the Church’s dialogues.
He permitted discussions on subjects such as ordaining women as clergy and engaging LGBTQ Catholics.
“The People of God voted with their feet,” stated Cardinal Kasper, who, at 92, will not participate in the conclave.
“I am convinced we must continue in the footsteps of Francis.”
However, a faction of conservative cardinals is likely to push back and seek a pope who will reaffirm traditions and curtail Francis’ vision of a more inclusive Church.
“If Francis has been the Pope of surprises, this conclave will be unpredictable as well,” said Spanish Cardinal Jose Cobo in an interview.
Previous conclaves often allowed for predictions about outcomes, but this time many cardinals come from outside Europe and have never met each other.
Given the ongoing conflicts and diplomatic crises worldwide, many view Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who served as secretary of state under Pope Francis, as a frontrunner for the papacy.
British bookmakers William Hill list him slightly ahead of Filipino Luis Antonio Tagle, the former Metropolitan Archbishop of Manila, followed by Ghana’s Cardinal Peter Turkson.
Next are Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Guinea’s Cardinal Robert Sarah, and Matteo Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna.
Crowds during the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square
‘Right pope’
Ricardo Cruz, a 44-year-old data and AI specialist visiting Pope Francis’s tomb, expressed that as a Filipino, he hopes the next pope might be from Asia, but as a Catholic, he hopes the cardinals will choose the “right pope.”
While Pope Francis’s initiatives to foster a more compassionate Church earned him widespread admiration, some of his reforms incited anger among the Church’s conservative factions, particularly in the United States and Africa.
Roberto Regoli, a Church history and culture professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, noted that the cardinals would likely seek someone capable of fostering greater unity.
“We are in a time of significant polarization in Catholicism, so I do not anticipate a very quick conclave,” he said.
Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin is considered a leading candidate to succeed Pope Francis.
The cardinals have held general meetings since Pope Francis’s passing to discuss decisions regarding the funeral and subsequent actions.
Experts have suggested the conclave may occur on May 5 or 6, shortly after the nine days of papal mourning that conclude on May 4.
So far, the atmosphere has been described as one of “great openness,” according to Italian Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, who spoke with La Repubblica.
“Diverse opinions exist, but the climate is more spiritual than political or combative,” he remarked.
Read more: World waits for conclave date after Francis laid to rest. Who might succeed Pope Francis? Some possible candidates.
‘Courageous leader’
Among the 252 cardinals, only 135 are under 80 years of age, thus eligible to vote for the new pope.
The voting process, conducted in the Sistine Chapel, is highly confidential and strictly adheres to established rules and ceremonial protocols.
Four votes are held each day—two in the morning and two in the afternoon—until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority.
Less than half of those eligible to vote are European.
“The future pope must possess a universal heart, loving all continents. We should judge not by color or origin, but by what is offered,” stated Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga from the Central African Republic to Il Messaggero.
“We need a courageous leader, one bold enough to speak out and adept at steering the Church through turbulent times, offering stability in an era ripe with uncertainty.”
