Following the death of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church has chosen a date to elect its new leader, in a process virtually unchanged in 800 years.
The system is known as the ‘Papal Conclave,’ and is a democratic process with a strong emphasis on working through multiple rounds of voting until a clear consensus emerges.
Under the current rules, only cardinals under the age of 80 are allowed to cast a vote.
Officially candidates for pope need only be male and Catholic, although in reality Pontiffs have only ever been chosen from the ranks of cardinals for centuries.
There’s no age limit on who can become pope, but Francis was 76 when he took up the position, and held it until is death aged 88.
Benedict before him was 78, and was pope for only eight years before his surprise retirement aged 85.
The pope’s funeral took place on Saturday, 26 April, starting nine official days of mourning called the novemdiales, which ends on May 5.
According to Vatican rules, the process of electing a new pope should begin between 15 and 20 days after the pontiff’s death. The Vatican confirmed the conclave will begin on May 7.
It is the camerlengo, a cardinal selected by the pope, who is tasked with organising the Conclave election process.
The current camerlengo is Cardinal Kevin Farrell, an Irish-born American Catholic prelate who has held the position since 2019.
Cardinal Farrell will have several other tasks before this, however, overseeing the papal burial process. He will have the responsibility of arranging for the use of a ceremonial hammer to destroy the ring Pope Francis used to seal documents, ensuring no chance of forgeries.
He is also the cardinal that seals the door to the pope’s study and bedroom with a traditional red ribbon.
To begin the Conclave process, there is a special morning mass, after which the 135 cardinals of voting age would gather inside the exquisitely decorated Sistine Chapel – home of all the Papal Conclaves since 1858.
New rules for the election of a pope were introduced in 1996 under Pope John Paul II, and the process has largely remained unchanged since then. After the death of a pope, cardinals hold a series of meetings called general congregations to discuss the future of the Church.
