The Papal election may take place on May 5

The conclave to elect a new Pope may begin on May 5. This date follows from the ritual calendar adopted at the congregation of cardinals, although the final decision will be made only after the funeral on April 26, reports TUT.AZ.

The Holy See Press Office informed that at the meeting of the congregation of cardinals on Wednesday, the period of novendiale was established - a nine-day mourning for the Pope, which will last from the day of the funeral until May 4. The first mourning ceremony will take place on the day of burial, after which rituals will be performed daily in St. Peter's Basilica under the leadership of different cardinals and with the participation of representatives from various structures of the Roman Catholic Church.

Currently, 103 cardinals are participating in the congregation that decides current issues during the vacant Apostolic See period, as clarified by the Press Office. The arrival of other church hierarchs to the Vatican is expected.

In total, the College of Cardinals counts 252 princes of the church, but only 135 cardinals with voting rights - those who have not yet turned 80 years old - will participate in the conclave. Each of them can be considered as a potential candidate for the papal throne. The election takes place in the Sistine Chapel, where four votes are held daily. To elect a new pontiff, it is necessary to receive at least two-thirds of the votes. The successful completion of the election is announced to the world by white smoke from a special pipe, clearly visible from St. Peter's Square.

Pope Francis, who had led the Roman Catholic Church since 2013, died on April 21 at the age of 88 from a stroke that led to a coma and cardiac arrest. Currently, a farewell ceremony for the pontiff is taking place in St. Peter's Basilica. According to Francis's will, he will be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major). The funeral is scheduled for April 26. In the Pope's homeland, Argentina, a week of mourning has been declared in connection with his death.