On May 7, the Vatican began the process of electing the next Pope after the death of Pope Francis on April 21. Election results are expected by the end of the week. informs Reuters.
The proceedings began at 10:00 a.m. local time (11:00 a.m. Kyiv time) with a public Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. After lunch, the participants of the conclave will leave the Vatican hotel, and at 16:30 (17:30 Kyiv time) the procession will take them to the Sistine Chapel. Since then, the cardinals will not leave the chapel until a new 267th pontiff is elected.
According to historical data, on the first day of the conclave, the Pope has never been elected, so voting can last several days. The average length of the last ten conclaves was just over three days, none exceeding five. During the last conclave in 2013, which culminated in the election of Pope Francis, the decision was reached in two days.
Only one vote is scheduled for May 7. In the future, cardinals will be able to vote up to four times a day. Black smoke above the chapel will indicate an inconclusive vote, while white smoke and bells will indicate the election of a new pope.
133 cardinals from 70 countries are participating in this year’s conclave, compared to 115 cardinals from 48 countries in 2013. Italian Pietro Parolin and Filipino Luis Antonio Tagle are among the favorites. The list of potential candidates also includes Frenchman Jean-Marc Avelin, Hungarian Peter Erdo, American Robert Prevost and another Italian, Pierbattista Pizzaballa.
As in previous eras, during the conclave the cardinals are completely isolated from the outside world. To maintain confidentiality, the Vatican uses modern security measures, including jamming devices that prevent unauthorized listening.
Photo: konkurent.ua
