Mysterious papal conclave is announced: Top Catholics to flock to hallowed Sistine Chapel to choose Francis’ replacement
CARDINALS will gather for a papal conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor on May 7, a Vatican source has revealed.
It comes following the late pontiff's funeral on Saturday, which was attended by thousands of mourners from across the world.
Around 135 cardinals are eligible to take part in the secretive election that will determine the spiritual leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.
Cardinals who are under the age of 80 are allowed to vote in the conclave.
They will travel to Rome from all over the world to participate in the ceremonies.
The process for choosing the next Pope is centuries old, and voting will be held in the Sistine Chapel.
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While the process of choosing Francis' successor is highly secretive, several cardinals have been identified as possible top contenders.
They include Italy's Pietro Parolin, the Philippines' Luis Antonio Tagle, Hugary's Peter Erdo and Ghana's Peter Turkson.
Cardinals are traditionally locked inside until a decision has been reached.
They will cast secret ballots in a series of voting rounds until one of them has received the required two-thirds majority to win.
After each round of voting, the ballots will be burned in the stove at the Sistine Chapel.
Black smoke emerging from the chimney is used to signal that no decision has been made that round.
Once a new Pope has been chosen, white smoke will rise instead.
The date of the conclave falls within the traditional 15-20 day window following the passing of a Pope.
Pope Francis died last Monday aged 88, just hours after his final public appearance on Easter Sunday.
He was elected Pope in 2013 after the resignation of Benedict XVI.
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