Cardinals Set To Pick Conclave Date For Electing New Pope After Pope Francis’ Death

Cardinals are expected to meet on Monday to choose a date for the conclave that will elect the next leader of the Catholic Church, following the death of Pope Francis.

Since the 88-year-old Argentine pope died on April 21, senior clergy members — often called the “Princes of the Church” — have been arriving at the Vatican from around the world. However, there are still no strong hints about who will become the next pope.

Spanish Cardinal Jose Cobo, speaking to “El Pais” newspaper, said, “I believe that if Francis has been the pope of surprises, this conclave will be too, as it is not at all predictable.”

He pointed out that many of the cardinals now come from outside Europe and may not even know each other personally, making predictions even harder.

Pope Francis was laid to rest on Saturday during a major ceremony at St. Peter’s Square that drew about 400,000 people, including global leaders, royalty, and countless pilgrims.

On Sunday, large crowds also gathered at the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome, where Francis — known as the “pope of the poor” — had chosen to be buried instead of inside Vatican grounds.

As preparations continue, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who served as Francis’s Secretary of State, is widely seen as a leading candidate.

British betting company William Hill ranks him slightly ahead of Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.

Other names in the mix include Cardinal Peter Turkson from Ghana, Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa from Jerusalem, Guinea’s Cardinal Robert Sarah, and Archbishop Matteo Zuppi of Bologna.

Visitors like Ricardo Cruz, a Filipino data and AI expert, expressed hope that the next pope might come from Asia — but said that more importantly, the right choice should be made for the whole Church.

While Pope Francis was loved for making the Church more open and compassionate, some of his reforms upset conservatives, particularly in the U.S. and Africa.

According to Church historian Roberto Regoli, the cardinals will likely be looking for a unifier to heal divisions within Catholicism.

“We are in a period in which Catholicism is experiencing various polarisations, so I don’t imagine it will be a very, very quick conclave,” he said.

Since Francis’s death, cardinals have been holding meetings to plan the funeral and discuss next steps.

Another meeting is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. Monday (0700 GMT), where they are expected to set the conclave date.

Experts predict voting could start around May 5 or 6, after the nine-day mourning period concludes on May 4.

Italian Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi described the discussions so far as open and spiritual rather than political or confrontational.

Of the 252 living cardinals, only 135 are under the age of 80 and eligible to vote. Although about 80 percent were appointed by Pope Francis himself, that does not necessarily mean they will select someone similar to him. Many of the voters are younger and attending a conclave for the first time.

The election will take place under strict secrecy inside the Sistine Chapel, beneath Michelangelo’s famous frescoes.

The process allows four votes per day — two in the morning and two in the afternoon — until one candidate gains a two-thirds majority.

Importantly, less than half of the eligible cardinals are from Europe, reflecting the global nature of today’s Church.

As Cardinal Dieudonne Nzapalainga from the Central African Republic told “Il Messaggero” “The future pope must have a universal heart, love all the continents.

“We must not look at colour, at origin, but at what is proposed,” Cardinal Dieudonne Nzapalainga from the Central African Republic told the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.

“We need a courageous leader, a bold one, capable of speaking forcefully, of holding the helm of the Church steady even in storms… offering stability in an era of great uncertainty.”

KanyiDaily recalls that Pope Francis was laid to rest on April 26 in Rome after his funeral mass at St Peter’s Square.