Conclave begins in Vatican: Cardinals vote for new Pope
Photo: The conclave begins at Vatican (Getty Images)
On Wednesday, May 7, the conclave began in the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican. 133 cardinals from 71 countries gathered to elect a new Pope, according to The Gurdian and Sky News.
"The doors to the Sistine Chapel have been closed - and the conclave to elect a new pope is underway," Sky News reports.
The procession was led not by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re (as he is too old to participate in the conclave), but by Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State. He is also one of the main contenders for the position of the next Pope.
Before the conclave began, the cardinals took solemn oaths to maintain strict confidentiality - violating this oath is punishable by excommunication.
Death of Pope Francis and the election of a New Pope
It is worth noting that Pope Francis died on April 21. The cause of death was a stroke.
On April 26, the Vatican bid farewell to Pope Francis, and he was buried in the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome. Around 400,000 people attended the pontiff's funeral.
Today, May 7, cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church began the conclave to elect a new Pope.
