…May 7th for Conclave
Roman Catholic Cardinals will begin their conclave to elect the new leader for the global Church on May 7th 2025.
The date was decided during after a closed-door meeting of cardinals at the Vatican, the first since the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday.
135 cardinal electors are eligible to vote.
The successor of Pope Francis must win a two-thirds majority.
Key figures from the global south – notably Asia and Africa – are believed to be in the race.
Pope Francis, the first pontiff from the global south, passed away at the age of 88 following a lengthy battle with pneumonia and prolonged hospitalization earlier this year.
Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, became a cardinal under Pope John Paul II in 2001 and succeeded Benedict XVI in 2013. His tenure saw him focus on social justice, climate change, migration and the most marginalised people in society.