Roman Catholic cardinals will gather in a secret conclave to elect the new leader of the global Church starting from May 7, a senior Vatican source said on Monday.
The date was decided during a closed-door meeting of cardinals at the Vatican, the first since Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday.
Some 135 cardinals under the age of 80 from across the world are eligible to participate in selecting the next leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church.
Francis died aged 88 on April 21, with his funeral attracting crowds estimated at more than 400,000.
Roman Catholic cardinals will gather in a secret conclave to elect the new leader of the global Church starting from May 7, a senior Vatican source said on Monday
Reuters
The 16th-century Sistine Chapel, where conclaves are held, was closed to tourists on Monday for preparations.
Swedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius expects this conclave may take longer than previous ones, as many cardinals appointed by Pope Francis have never met each other before.
"We don't know each other," said Arborelius, who will be among those entering the conclave.
The previous two conclaves, held in 2005 and 2013, lasted just two days.
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Starting the conclave on May 7 rather than the earliest possible date of May 6 gives cardinals slightly more time for their general discussions ahead of the momentous ballot.
Francis made a priority of appointing cardinals from places that had never had them, such as Myanmar, Haiti, and Rwanda.
Francis, the first pope from Latin America, largely tried to open up the often staid Church to new conversations.
He allowed debate on issues such as ordaining women as clergy and outreach to LGBTQ Catholics.
The date was decided during a closed-door meeting of cardinals at the Vatican, the first since Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday
GETTYHis funeral on Saturday and a procession through Rome to his burial place at the Basilica of St Mary Major drew huge crowds.
The outpouring of mourners indicated strong public support for Francis's reformist approach.
German Cardinal Walter Kasper told La Repubblica newspaper that the crowds at Francis's funeral sent a clear message about the future direction of the Church.
"The People of God voted with their feet," said Kasper, who at 92 will not take part in the conclave. "I am convinced that we must go ahead in the footsteps of Francis."
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