The Vatican announced on Monday that Roman Catholic cardinals will commence their confidential conclave to select the new leader of the global Church on May 7. This date was established during a private meeting of cardinals at the Vatican, the first gathering since the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday. Pope Francis prioritized the appointment of cardinals from regions that had previously not been represented, including Myanmar, Haiti, and Rwanda. Arborelius, one of approximately 135 cardinals under the age of 80 who will participate in the conclave, remarked, ‘We are not familiar with one another.’ The Vatican indicated that the conclave could have started as early as May 6, but the decision to begin a day later allows the cardinals additional time for discussions prior to the significant voting process. Historically, the average duration of the last ten conclaves has been three days. German cardinal Walter Kasper expressed to La Repubblica newspaper that the significant turnout of mourners for Pope Francis suggested that Catholics desire the next pope to maintain his reformative approach. ‘The People of God expressed their preferences through their presence,’ stated Kasper, who is 92 and will not participate in the conclave. ‘I firmly believe we must continue in the path laid out by Francis.’ Nevertheless, a faction of conservative cardinals is expected to resist this direction and advocate for a pope who will reaffirm traditional values and temper Francis’ vision of a more inclusive Church.
