Now all eyes are on who will be the next Pope in the Vatican

According to the news in Vatican News, the official publication of the Vatican, the cardinals who were in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis and the Conclave held a meeting this morning.

The cardinals present at the meeting decided that the Conclave would begin on Wednesday, May 7th in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Vatican Press Spokesperson Matteo Bruni announced to the press that the first session in the Conclave will be held on the afternoon of May 7.

Bruni shared the information that the Dean of the Conclave, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, will conduct the opening mass of the Conclave and then leave the building because he is over 80 years old, while the Vatican Secretary of State (Prime Minister) during the Pope Francis period, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, will preside over the inside sessions.

The Vatican Museums Directorate also announced that the historical building will be closed to tourists as of today due to the Conclave to be held in the Sistine Chapel and that preparations for the Papal Election have begun.

Accordingly, following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, the Vatican declared "Sede Vacante", meaning "vacant" in Latin, in accordance with church law, and the process of determining a new pope will begin on May 7, at the end of the 9-day mourning period following the funeral on April 26.

While 135 cardinals under the age of 80 are supposed to attend the Conclave, the Italian press reports that this number could be 133. It is stated that one cardinal is seriously ill and that Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu may withdraw from attending the Conclave due to his sentence in 2023 for embezzling money from the sale of real estate in London.

According to church law, the cardinal who receives a two-thirds majority in the vote at the Conclave will become the new spiritual leader of the 1.4 billion Catholic world, in other words, the Pope and the President of the Vatican, if he accepts the position.

If the pope is elected at the Conclave, the first message to the world that a new pope has been determined will be sent by white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel. Then, the new pope will be presented to the world from the lodge of St. Peter's Basilica.