New Pope election set to begin May 7 in Vatican

The Vatican has announced that Catholic cardinals will convene for a secret conclave on May 7 to elect the next pope, following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday at the age of 88.

While there is no set timeframe for the election, previous conclaves in 2005 and 2013 took only two days. The closed-door meeting will take place in the Sistine Chapel and will involve approximately 135 cardinals from around the world.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni stated that the cardinals will begin with a solemn mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. Afterwards, those eligible to vote will gather in the Sistine Chapel for the secret voting process.

Once inside the chapel, the cardinals are prohibited from communicating with the outside world until a new pope is elected. The voting begins with a single round on the afternoon of the first day, followed by up to four votes per day thereafter.

A new pope is selected when a two-thirds majority is reached, which may take some time. Each cardinal writes their chosen candidate’s name on a card that reads, “I elect as Supreme Pontiff” in Latin.

If no decision is made after three days of voting, the cardinals may take a day to pray. Meanwhile, the world will watch for smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel black smoke indicates another round of voting, while white smoke signals the election of a new pope.