April 29, 2025 9:14 AM

Conclave to elect new pope to start on May 7, cardinals meet

Roman Catholic cardinals will begin their secret conclave to elect the new leader of the global Church on May 7, the Vatican said on Monday, confirming what a source had previously told Reuters. The date was decided during a closed-door meeting of cardinals at the Vatican, the first since the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday. Some 135 cardinals, all under the age of 80 and from all corners of the world, are eligible to take part in the vote for the next head of the 1.4-billion-member Church...