Cardinals meet for secretive Conclave to begin ancient ritual to select new Pope after death of Francis
FILE – Cardinals walk in procession to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, at the beginning of the conclave, April 18, 2005. (Osservatore Romano via AP, File)AP:Associated Press
CARDINALS are gathering in the Sistine Chapel today to take part in a secretive 1,000-year-old tradition to elect the new Pope.
Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 133 cardinals will start voting for one of their number to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
A mass will be held in the Vatican this morning before the cardinals make their way from their residence at Casa Santa Marta to the Sistine Chapel for the election, which begins at 2.30pm UK time.
The cardinals swear an oath of secrecy, risking excommunication if they reveal what happens in the conclave, and are forbidden from contacting the outside world until they have a decision.
The outside world will have to wait for the plumes of smoke to emerge from the chimney – black smoke means no one has reached a majority and white smoke means a new pope has been elected.
The previous two conclaves lasted two days, but hopefully papal watchers won’t have to wait as long as the vote following the death of Pope Clement IV, lasted a staggering two years.
You can follow our live blog, below, for updates …
Related Posts:
Cardinals to begin the solemn and secret voting ritual to elect a new pope News By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — With all the pomp, drama and solemnity that the Catholic Church can muster, 133 cardinals on Wednesday begin the secretive, centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis, opening the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith’s 2,000-year history. The…
Cardinals to begin the solemn and secret voting ritual to elect a new pope News By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — With all the pomp, drama and solemnity that the Catholic Church can muster, 133 cardinals on Wednesday begin the secretive, centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis, opening the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith’s 2,000-year history. The…
Cardinals to begin the solemn and secret voting ritual to elect a new pope News By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — With all the pomp, drama and solemnity that the Catholic Church can muster, 133 cardinals on Wednesday begin the secretive, centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis, opening the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith’s 2,000-year history. The…
Cardinals wrap up pre-conclave meetings still uncertain about who should follow Pope Francis News By NICOLE WINFIELD VATICAN CITY (AP) — Cardinals wrapped up their pre-conclave meetings Tuesday, trying to identify a possible new pope who could follow Pope Francis and make the 2,000-year-old Catholic Church credible and relevant today, especially to young people. Related Articles Threatened by Trump tariffs, Japan walks a delicate…
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
