The Vatican will hold a conclave to elect a new Pope starting on May 7. According to Reuters, citing a high-ranking source, around 135 cardinals from around the world are expected to participate in the voting.
The date for the start of the conclave was set during a closed meeting of cardinals in the Vatican, following the funeral of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. He was buried on April 26 at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome — the first time in over a century that a Pope was buried outside the Vatican.
Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in the conclave. They will elect a new leader for the Roman Catholic Church, which has about 1.4 billion followers worldwide. An official announcement regarding the start of the conclave is expected shortly.
The previous two conclaves — in 2005 and 2013 — each lasted only two days.
