All 133 cardinals eligible to vote in the upcoming papal conclave have arrived in Rome, the Vatican confirmed on Monday, just two days before they are set to begin the sacred process of selecting the next pope, AFP reported.
Summoned following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, the cardinals바카라known as the 바카라Princes of the Church바카라바카라hail from 70 countries across five continents, making this the largest and most internationally diverse conclave in the Catholic Church's 2,000-year history.
The conclave, AFP said, is to be held under Michelangelo바카라s famed frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, begins Wednesday afternoon. Only cardinals under the age of 80 are permitted to vote, with two absentees excused for health reasons. The group will cast their votes once on the first day and up to four times daily thereafter until a candidate secures the required two-thirds majority.
During the conclave, the cardinals will reside at the Santa Marta guesthouse, entirely cut off from external communication, AFP said. The world will receive updates through the traditional smoke signals바카라black for no decision, white for the election of a new pope.
Technicians were seen Monday morning preparing St. Peter바카라s Basilica for the announcement, installing the iconic red curtains on the balcony where the new pontiff will first appear.
The election comes at a pivotal moment for the Church, which continues to confront internal divisions, the challenge of modernization, and its recovery from decades of clerical abuse scandals. Central to the conclave is the question of direction: whether the cardinals will elect a pope who continues Francis바카라s progressive approach, or steer the Church back toward conservative traditions.
