Pope Francis dies: Conclave to pick successor to begin May 7
Conclave to start May 7 FILE PHOTO: A cardinal stands in front of the tomb of Pope Francis during Homage of the College of Cardinals and Second Vespers, on the first day of its opening to the public in Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica on April 27, 2025, in Rome, Italy. The conclave is set to begin on May 7, during which cardinals will select the new pope. (Photo by Eric Vandeville via Vatican Pool WO/Getty Images) (Vatican Pool WO/Getty Images)
ByCox Media Group National Content Desk
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican announced that the conclave that will select the next pope will begin on May 7.
Pope Francis was laid to rest on Saturday, April 26, after his funeral was held in St. Peter’s Square. He died on April 21, The Associated Press reported.
More than 180 cardinals met on Monday to set the date that they will gather and begin the process of selecting the man who will replace Pope Francis as the head of the Catholic church.
The decision was made at the Fifth General Congregation.
Whoever is chosen will be the 267th pope, according to Vatican News.
On May 7, the cardinals who will elect the new pope will take part in a Eucharistic celebration with the votive Mass Pro Eligendo Papa. That afternoon, they will process into the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave. Each cardinal will take an oath that if they are selected to become pope, they will faithfully fulfill the Munus Petrinum as Pastor of the Universal Church. They also pledge secrecy to the process of the conclave.
There are 135 cardinal electors - 108 of them raised by Pope Francis. Twenty of them were just made cardinals in December, the AP reported. It is unclear how many of the 135 cardinals will participate. At least one won’t take part due to his health.
After the procession and the oath, all of those who are not part of the conclave must leave the Sistine Chapel except for the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations and the ecclesiastic who will give the second meditation.
They leave after the second meditation is done, then each cardinal prayer, and the Cardinal Dean will ask if they are ready to proceed with voting or if they need any rule clarifications, Vatican News reported.
There will be a communications blackout except for the black or white smoke that will billow from the chapel once votes are tallied, signaling whether a pope has been elected.
They will vote twice a day for three days, except on the day the conclave begins. On May 7, there will only be one vote. If no pope has been selected, there will be a pause to allow for prayer and discussion. Then the voting resumes.
Venezuelan Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo said he thinks the process will be quick - two or three days, the AP reported.
When a pope is elected. The man selected will be asked by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, “Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?”
Once he agrees to serve, he will be asked, “What name do you wish to be called?”
Once the official documentation is complete and the pope becomes the supreme authority over the Catholic church, the cardinal electors pay homage and pledge obedience to him.
It is then announced to the faithful, “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; Habemus Papam,” which means “I announce to you great joy; We have a Pope.”
The pope will give the Apostolic Blessing Urbi et Orbi from the Loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica and will eventually be inaugurated as pontiff.
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Who will become pope? FILE PHOTO: Hungarian cardinal and archbishop of Budapest Peter Erdo attends the Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice Mass at St Peter's Basilica, before the conclave began on March 12, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Erdo, 72, is the archbishop of Budapest and primate of Hungary. He was elected twice to lead the Council of European Episcopal Conferences. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images) (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)
Who will become pope? FILE PHOTO: Cardinal Reinhard Marx (L) and Chairman of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, during an ecumenical opening church service prior to the premiere of the 42nd Oberammergauer Passionsspiele at Passionstheater on May 14, 2022 in Oberammergau, Germany. Marx, 71, is the archbishop of Munich and Freising and was chosen by Pope Francis to be one of his advisors in 2013. (Photo by Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images) (Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)
Who will become pope? FILE PHOTO: Cardinal Marc Ouellet attends a conference on the canonization of Junipero Serra in light of 'Ecclesia in America' on May 2, 2015 in Vatican City, Vatican. Ouellet, 80, is a retired Canadian prelate who served as the head of the Vatican Dicastery for Bishops. He would select candidates for governing churches worldwide in episcopacies. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images) (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)
Who will become pope? FILE PHOTO: Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Cardinal Secretary of State, conducts a Mass in St Peter's Basilica for The Movement for Life Association. Parolin, 70, is from Italy and has worked with Pope Francis as his secretary of state since 2014. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Who will become pope? FILE PHOTO: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost leads rosary prayers for the health of Pope Francis in St Peter's Square on March 3, 2025 in Vatican City. Prevost, , 69, is from Chicago, and if selected, would be the first American-born pope. He is now the prefect of the dicastery for bishops. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Who will become pope? FILE PHOTO: Cardinal Robert Sarah greets people outside after the Thanksgiving Mass For the Beatification of Pope John Paul II at St. Mary's Cathedral on May 14, 2011 in Tokyo, Japan. Sarah, 79, is the retired head of the Vatican liturgy office and is from Guinea. He was considered, according to the AP, “the best hope for an African pope.” (Photo by Jun Sato/Getty Images) (Jun Sato/Getty Images)
Who will become pope? FILE PHOTO: Archbishop of Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schönborn attends a meeting of prayer at St. Peter's Basilica on March 6, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Schönborn, 80, is the archbishop of Vienna, Austria. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images) (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)
Who will become pope? FILE PHOTO: Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (C) attends a meeting of prayer at St. Peter's Basilica on March 6, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Tagle 67, is from the Philippines and could become the first Asian pope. He was brought to Rome by Pope Francis to be the head of the missionary evangelization office, which serves much of Asia and Africa. He is one of the youngest contenders in a position that is typically for life. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images) (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)
Who will become pope? FILE PHOTO: Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi looks on as he attends at the Paul VI hall the second session of the second Synodal Assembly of the Churches in Italy, at the Vatican on April 1, 2025. Zuppi, 69, is the archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian bishops’ conference. He was part of the Vatican group that helped bring an end to the Mozambique civil war in the 1990s and was the peace envoy in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP) (Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images) (ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images)
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