Conclave to elect new pope to start on May 7 -Vatican source

Cardinals arrive to pay their respects at the tomb of the late Pope Francis in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore), in Rome, Italy, April 27, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Source: REUTERS

Roman Catholic cardinals will meet 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 the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, the source said. The official announcement is due shortly.

Some 135 cardinals, all under the age of 80 and from across the world, are eligible to take part in the conclave and decide who should be the next leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church.

The previous two conclaves, held in 2005 and 2013, lasted just two days.

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By Reuters