With Pope Francis’ funeral services having drawn to a close, there is no concrete timeline for the choosing of a new pope, known as conclave, and plenty of mystery surrounds who will serve as Pope Francis’ successor.
This Conclave is going to be crucial for deciding the direction of the Roman Catholic Church, and the field of candidates is wide open, thanks to Pope Francis’ reforms, which made the body in charge of the election more representative of the worldwide Church.
Conclave is not expected to begin earlier than 15 days, nor later than 20 days, after the pope’s death, likely placing it sometime in early May.
The process is a combination of ancient tradition, religious ritual and politics. The voting takes place behind closed doors, and only cardinals under the age of 80 — slightly over half the total number — have a say in the decision.
Once the 135 members of the College of Cardinals are assembled in Rome, they meet in the Sistine Chapel to begin the decision-making process.
Conclaves go on for as long as it takes for one of the cardinals to receive two-thirds of the vote. Over the centuries, it has taken hours, days, weeks and even years for a new pope to be chosen.
It is however hoped that this one will not last interminably.
