On Wednesday, May 7, the cardinals of the Catholic Church convened in the Sistine Chapel to elect a successor to Pope Francis.
This is reported by Reuters, according to Censor.NET.
After the solemn Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, the cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel to hold a secret conclave behind closed doors. This year’s conclave is notable for having a record attendance of 133 cardinals from 70 countries. During the voting sessions, as has been the tradition for centuries, there will be a strict ban on external communication. The Vatican has even implemented high-tech measures, including signal jamming, to ensure confidentiality.
Typically, only one vote is conducted on the first day, with up to four votes allowed per day thereafter. If a vote is unsuccessful, black smoke will rise from the chapel, whereas white smoke accompanied by bells will indicate the election of a new pope.
Potential candidates for the papacy include Cardinals Pietro Parolin (Italy), Luis Antonio Tagle (Philippines), Peter Erdo (Hungary), Robert Prevost (USA), Jean-Marc Aveline (France), and Pierbattista Pizzaballa (Italy). Currently, there is no clear favorite among them.