Conclave to elect new pope to start on May 7, cardinals meet

Cardinals attend the Vespers prayers after visiting the tomb of Pope Francis in Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore), in Rome, Italy, April 27, 2025. Francesco Sforza/Vatican Media/­Handout via REUTERS

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Roman Catholic cardinals will begin their secret conclave to elect the new leader of the global Church on May 7, the Vatican said on Monday, confirming what a source had previously told Reuters.

The date was decided during a closed-door meeting of cardinals at the Vatican, the first since the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday.