By Peter Omopo
Vatican City – Catholic cardinals gathered on Saturday for their ninth closed-door meeting at the Vatican as preparations intensify for the election of a new pope following the death of Pope Francis on April 21.
The meetings, known as “general congregations,” are being held daily in the lead-up to the conclave, which will begin on Wednesday, May 7. The sessions provide an opportunity for the cardinals to reflect on the challenges the next pope will face and to exchange views before being locked inside the Sistine Chapel to cast their votes.
Cardinals from across the globe have arrived in Rome, with Vatican press director Matteo Bruni confirming that 177 cardinals attended Saturday’s session — including 127 under the age of 80 who are eligible to vote in the conclave.
The voting process requires a two-thirds majority to elect the new pontiff. A total of 133 cardinal electors will participate in the conclave, held under the frescoed ceilings of Michelangelo’s famed Sistine Chapel.
As they walked through crowds of pilgrims and media outside the Apostolic Palace, the cardinals remained tight-lipped about any frontrunners or the expected duration of the conclave.
“We do not know, we just wait for the Lord to tell us,” said Cardinal William Seng Chye Goh, Archbishop of Singapore, considered among the more conservative voices in the Church.
Reflecting on the legacy of Pope Francis, Cardinal Goh noted, “We recognise his achievement, but no pope is perfect. No one is able to do everything, so we will find the best person to succeed St. Peter.”
Meanwhile, Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers, expressed hope that the next pope would continue in the progressive path laid by Francis. “We need a pope with a prophetic spirit, one who will keep the Church connected to the modern world while staying rooted in faith,” he said.
The conclave is expected to draw global attention as the Church prepares for a new chapter in its 2,000-year history.
