Conclave begins on May 7

The cardinals of the Catholic Church gathered in Rome have agreed on a start date for the conclave . The assembly, at which a new pope will be elected, is scheduled to begin on May 7. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni announced this on Monday. The cardinals agreed on the date this Monday. They met for the fifth so-called general congregation since Pope Francis's death on Easter Monday .

The conclave may begin at the earliest after a nine-day mourning period prescribed by canon law. The earliest date would have been May 5. No later than 20 days after the death, the eligible cardinals must gather in the Sistine Chapel to elect the 267th pope. The chapel is already being prepared for the upcoming conclave. It has been closed to visitors since this Monday. 135 cardinals are eligible to vote in the upcoming papal election.

Cardinals are rushing to Rome from all over the world. They will hold the final say in the Church after the Pope's death and will elect his successor. However, the most important discussions take place before the conclave. A look behind the walls of the Vatican.

The new pope requires a two-thirds majority. The first round of voting takes place on the first afternoon, followed by two rounds in the morning and two in the afternoon. Ballots are burned after unsuccessful ballots. Then, black smoke rises from the chimney visible on the roof of the Sistine Chapel. After a successful ballot, whitening chemicals are added, causing white smoke to rise—the sign to the faithful in St. Peter's Square and around the world that there is a new pope. In Latin: Habemus Papam.

These strictly controlled election assemblies are being led by Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Even though there is no official candidate to succeed Francis, speculation about favorites and outsiders has been raging for days . Parolin, who until now served as Cardinal Secretary of State, the unofficial number two in the Vatican, and was considered a confidant of Francis, is being touted as "papabile"—that is, someone capable of handling the papacy. On Sunday, the 70-year-old presided over the first Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square since Francis's death.

Because Francis has appointed many new cardinals from distant countries who don't know each other very well, the election this time is likely to be more open than in previous conclaves. Since the 1960s, elections have always been decided after three days at most.