More than 130 cardinals will begin tomorrow morning in the Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, to elect a successor to the late Pope Francis.
This follows the formal entry of the cardinals into the Conclave on Wednesday, a day after the twelfth and final General Congregation of Cardinals was held.
Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88 on Easter Monday at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.
Ahead of the vote, the Catholic Church has called on the faithful to intensify prayers for a process guided by the Holy Spirit.
The papal election will begin with the Mass Pro Eligendo Pontifice — a special Mass for the election of a new pope — after which the cardinals will proceed in choir dress to the Apostolic Palace for the Conclave.
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“At 7:45 a.m. on Thursday, the Cardinals will depart from Santa Marta to the Apostolic Palace. By 8:15 a.m., they will celebrate Mass and Lauds in the Pauline Chapel.
At 9:15 a.m., there will be a mid-morning prayer in the Sistine Chapel, followed by the first vote,” a statement by the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, read.
