6 Cardinals Battle To Succeed Pope Francis As Conclave Fixes Date To Elect New Pope

The Vatican has fixed May 7 as the date for the commencement of the conclave to elect a new pope, setting the stage for a keenly contested process among leading cardinals.

The decision was taken on Monday during the fifth general congregation of the cardinals at the Synod Hall, after the conclusion of the nine-day mourning period for the late Pope Francis, who passed on last Monday and was laid to rest on Saturday.

With 135 electors eligible to vote out of the total 252 cardinals, the sacred election will be held under strict secrecy within the Sistine Chapel. Only cardinals under the age of 80 can participate in the voting process. To emerge, a candidate must secure a two-thirds majority.

Already, attention is turning towards six leading contenders who have been tipped as possible successors.

They include Cardinal Peter Erdo of Hungary, Cardinal Pietro Parolin of Venezuela, Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, Cardinal Luis Tagle of the Philippines, Cardinal Mario Grech of Malta, and Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Italy.

Each of the likely successors brings different strengths and visions to the global Catholic Church, with analysts predicting a fiercely contested election reflective of the Church’s diverse and complex challenges.

Throughout the conclave, the cardinal electors will be cut off from the outside world, barred from sending or receiving messages, accessing newspapers, or following any form of media broadcasts. If after three days no candidate secures the required majority, a day of prayer and discussion will be observed to facilitate consensus.

The traditional sign of success – white smoke – will billow from the Sistine Chapel chimney once a new pope is elected. In the event of an inconclusive ballot, black smoke will be seen instead.

The next pope will be the 267th pontiff and will face the daunting task of uniting a divided church while addressing various global issues confronting the faithful.