The world’s Catholic cardinals met on Monday for the first time after the funeral of Pope Francis to discuss a possible date to enter a secret conclave and elect the next leader of the global Church.
Any decision could be announced around mid-day (1000 GMT). The conclave is not expected to begin before May 6.
The 16th-century Sistine Chapel, where conclaves are held, was closed to tourists on Monday to allow for preparations for the vote. The past two conclaves, in 2005 and 2013, lasted just two days.
With Pope Francis' passing, speculation over his successor turns to a diverse group of "papabili" cardinals.
But Swedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius said on Monday he expects this conclave may take longer, as many of the cardinals appointed by Pope Francis have never met each other before.
Francis made a priority of appointing cardinals from places that had never had them, such as Myanmar, Haiti, and Rwanda. “We don't know each other,” Arborelius, one of about 135 cardinals under the age of 80 who will enter the conclave, said.
Francis, pope since 2013, died aged 88 on April 21. His funeral on Saturday and a procession through Rome to his burial place at the Basilica of St Mary Major attracted crowds estimated at more than 400,000.
The late pontiff stands apart in terms of his vocal advocacy for the Palestinians mainly because he lived through Israel’s war that wreaked “unprecedented level of violence” on Gaza.
German Cardinal Walter Kasper told La Repubblica newspaper that the outpouring of mourners for Francis indicated that Catholics wanted the next pope to continue with his reforming style of papacy.
Francis, the first pope from Latin America, largely tried to open up the often-staid Church to new conversations. He allowed debate on issues such as ordaining women as clergy.
“The People of God voted with their feet,” said Kasper, who is 92 and will not take part in the conclave. “I am convinced that we must go ahead in the footsteps of Francis.” However, a bloc of conservative cardinals are certain to push back against this and seek a pope who reasserts traditions and restricts Francis’ vision of a more inclusive Church.
