Conclave to begin on May 7

The process to pick a successor to Pope Francis will begin on May 7, the Vatican announced Monday. The Holy See said more than 180 cardinals held a meeting in Rome on Monday to work out the details of the conclave, a secretive series of votes inside the Sistine Chapel. A group of 133 cardinals, known as the College of Cardinals, is eligible to elect a new pope.

The secretive vote to elect the next pope could last just “a few days”, one cardinal has said. The conclave can only begin after a nine-day mourning period is observed following the Pope’s funeral which was held in Rome on Saturday. This is a breaking news story, more to follow.



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