Attention Shifts to Conclave as Pope Francis is Laid to Rest
With Pope Francis now resting, the focus is on the conclave, the highly secretive gathering of cardinals set to begin shortly to elect the next leader of the Catholic Church.
On Saturday, nearly 400,000 mourners, including heads of state and royalty, attended the Argentine pontiff’s funeral at the Vatican, followed by his burial in Rome.
The massive turnout reflected the lasting influence of Pope Francis as a reformer and passionate advocate for the marginalized and impoverished.
Many mourners, especially those who admired the late pope, expressed concerns over his successor. “He transformed the Church into something more human,” said Romina Cacciatore, 48, an Argentine translator in Italy. “I’m anxious about what comes next.”
On Monday morning, at 9:00 a.m. (0700 GMT), cardinals will convene for their fifth general meeting since the pope’s death, where they are expected to announce the date for the conclave.
Held behind the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel, the papal election has been a subject of fascination for centuries. Cardinal-electors will cast four ballots each day until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority, a result signaled by white smoke from the chapel’s chimney.
Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich from Luxembourg indicated that the conclave could begin on May 5 or 6, after the nine days of mourning end on May 4. German Cardinal Reinhard Marx added that the conclave would likely only last “a few days.”
A Lasting Legacy
The funeral was held in St. Peter’s Square under a bright spring sun, with both solemn ceremony and emotional tributes for the first Latin American pope. Crowds are expected to visit his simple marble tomb at Santa Maria Maggiore, his preferred church in Rome, starting today.
Francis was buried in a niche at the church, making him the first pope in over a century to be interred outside the Vatican.
In his homily, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re emphasized Francis’s unwavering support for migrants, his advocacy for peace, and his vision of the Church as a “home for all.” Many mourners expressed hope that the next pope would carry on Francis’s values amid global conflict and rising right-wing populism.
“I hope the new pope continues the path Pope Francis set for us,” said Evelyn Villalta, 74, from Guatemala. “He left a strong mark on our generation,” said Marine De Parcevaux, a 21-year-old French student attending the mass.
Debate on the Next Pope
Cardinal Marx noted that the conversation surrounding the next pope is not about conservatism or progressivism, but rather the need for a leader with a universal vision.
More than 220 of the Church’s 252 cardinals attended Saturday’s funeral and will meet again today at Santa Maria Maggiore to pay their respects at Francis’s tomb. A mass will follow at St. Peter’s Basilica at 10:30 a.m. (0830 GMT), led by Pietro Parolin, former Secretary of State under Pope Francis and a frontrunner for the papacy.
Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote, with 135 currently able to participate. Most of these cardinals were appointed by Francis himself. However, experts warn that his successor might not necessarily be like him.
Francis, a former archbishop of Buenos Aires, was far different in personality from his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian. Benedict, in turn, differed from the charismatic John Paul II, the pope who had a significant global following.
Francis’s reforms sparked anger among conservative Catholics, many of whom hope the next pope will return focus to traditional doctrine.
Cardinals have expressed the weight of their responsibility in choosing the next leader. “We feel very small,” said Hollerich. “We have to make decisions for the entire Church, so we must pray for guidance.”
