Conclave To Elect Another Pope Begins May 7 As World Waits For New Pontiff

• The election of a new pope will begin on May 7, and the world will know the Pontiff's name that day or later
• This follows the death and conclusion of the burial rites of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88
• According to available information, 180 cardinals currently gathered at the Vatican have agreed to commence the conclave on May 7

The world will know the next person who will lead the Catholic church, possibly on May 7, 2025.

May 7 is the date set for the commencement of the conclave, the process which leads to the election of a new pontiff.

According to available information, the process might last beyond May 7, depending on the number of voting rounds by the cardinal of electors.

What is the conclave?

A conclave, which is the process of selecting a new pope to head the Catholic church, is only convened after the resignation of a sitting Pope or in the case of death.

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This typically happens between 15 to 20 days after the death or the resignation of a sitting pope.

There are over 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide, each of them belonging to at least one of the 3,000 dioceses of the church. Technically, any Catholic male can become a pope. However, a Pope is normally chosen from the cardinals of the church.

After the death or resignation of a sitting pope, the cardinals gather to hold a mass and invoke the guidance of the holy spirit. This mass is held at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. After this mass, the cardinals proceed to the Sistine Chapel, where the conclave has been held since 1858.

Voting for a new pope

The voting process for a new pope uses secret balloting. The cardinals say their prayers and then drop their votes.

Four rounds of voting are held each day during the selection process until a pope is elected.

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When a candidate receives the highest votes, he is asked if he accepts his elevation into the seat of a pope by the dean of the College of Cardinals.

How many cardinals will elect a new Pope in 2025?

According to reports by Vatican News, there are currently 180 cardinals gathered at the Vatican. However, only over 100 of them can vote.

The news outlet says:

"The Cardinals present in Rome have agreed to begin the conclave on May 7th, 2025. The date was set on Monday morning by the approximately 180 cardinals present (just over a hundred of whom are electors) gathered for the fifth General Congregation in the Vatican. The conclave will take place in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, which will remain closed to visitors during those days."

Who will be the next pope?

After Pope Francis was announced dead, some people are wondering who would succeed him.

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Reports emerged on Monday morning that the Papal head had passed away.

There are at least eight top cardinals at the Vatican who might possibly succeed the pope, who died at 88.

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng