7, May 2025

World awaits white smoke as cardinals begin conclave to elect new pope 0

by • Headline News, News, Religion, World, World

Roman Catholic cardinals begin the task of electing a successor to Pope Francis on Wednesday, locking themselves away from the world until they choose the man they hope can unite the 1.4 billion-strong Church. Follow our live coverage for the latest developments.

The “princes” of the Catholic Church sequester themselves Wednesday behind the Vatican’s medieval walls for the start of a conclave to elect the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, a successor to Pope Francis who died last month at the age of 88. 

The 133 cardinals from 70 countries will be locked inside the Sistine Chapel, where they will vote in secret and silence, having first surrendered their cellphones to be free from outside interference, until they find a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member church.

Source: France 24