With the end of the funeral services of Pope Francis there is no concrete schedule for choosing a new pontiff, known as Conclave.
There is still much mystery around who will be the successor of Francis.
This conclave will be crucial to decide the direction of the Catholic Church, and the number of candidates is broad thanks to Francisco’s reforms, which made the body responsible for the election more representative.
The conclave should not start before 15 days or after 20 days after the Pope’s death, probably for the first weeks of May.
The process is a combination of ancient tradition, religious and political ritual. Voting occurs at closed doors, and only cardinals under 80 – just over half of the total – have a voice in the decision.
Once the 135 members of the Cardinal College are gathered in Rome, they will meet in the Sistine Chapel to start the decision -making process.
The conclaves last the time necessary for one of the cardinals to receive two thirds of the votes. Over the centuries, it took hours, days, weeks, and even years for a new Pope to be chosen.
The scheme below shows the steps of what happened, so far, and what comes next:
Pope Francis dies at 88
As the next few days will be
The period between pontiffs is known as the “interregnum papal,” when the church is without a spiritual leader. During this period of “vacant thirst” or “empty chair”, the church follows a clear set of rules, as established in the Universi Dominici Gregis Apostolic Constitution.
- Death: The death of the pontiff triggers an elaborate series of rituals that will be orchestrated by Camerlengo, a high Vatican employee.
- Body Exposure: Pope Francis’ body will initially rest for private visits to the Papal House, Vatican officials, heads of state and religious leaders. He will then be taken to St. Peter’s Basilica to be veiled and allow the audience to pay their honors.
- General Congregations: On a day defined by Camerlengo and until the beginning of the conclave, the cardinals gather daily to manage the church’s daily business, as well as coordinate the funeral, the funeral and the conclave.
- Nine days of mourning: The Church observes an ancient Roman ritual known as “Noveliales”, which predicts nine days of mourning. Starting with the present body mass, a different cardinal celebrates a public funeral rite for the pontiff every day.
- Conclave: A secret vote to elect the next Pope is held in the Sistine Chapel, the headquarters of the Conclave. The banknotes are burned after the votes, with crowds waiting outside, in St. Peter’s Square, the white smoke that comes out of the chaminy of the chapel, signaling the arrival of the new pontiff.
- Inauguration: A mass is celebrated to switch the 267th Pope, usually a few days after its election. Although it is he who chooses when and where to perform the mass, it is usually held in St. Peter’s Basilica.
This content was originally published in Pope Francis’ funeral: see what is expected for the next few days on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
