Who Is the New Pope Now That Pope Francis Has Died?

Catholics around the world are wondering who the new pope will be now that Pope Francis has passed away.

Francis, who was elected as the 266th pope in 2013 following former Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation, died in the early morning on Monday (April 21) in Vatican City. He was 88 years old.

Hailing from Buenos Aires, Argentina, he was the first Latin American pope to be elected, and served as pope for 12 years.

A liturgy service is scheduled for this evening, which will include the confirmation of Francis’ death and the placement of his body in the coffin, which later this week will be moved to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City for public viewing.

It’s currently unclear who will succeed Pope Francis as a new pope has yet to be elected.

How Is a New Pope Chosen?

After Pope Francis’ funeral, a new pope will be elected by the Catholic Church via a secretive and ancient ritual known as the conclave.

The conclave is a centuries-old ritual in which the cardinals, who are the most senior members of the Roman Catholic Church, gather privately to elect a new pope.

The cardinals will lock themselves away in complete seclusion from the outside world at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City while they determine a new pope through a somber voting process.

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The cardinals will vote privately via ballot until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority.

There are currently 138 cardinals, but only those who are under 80 years of age are eligible to participate in the conclave.

Each day, if a pope is not successfully chosen, black smoke will billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel to indicate to the outside world that the conclave is still ongoing.

When a pope is finally determined, white smoke and ringing bells will signal his successful election to the world.

Technically, any baptized Roman Catholic male is eligible to be elected pope, however, for centuries the pope has been selected from the pool of cardinals.

According to NPR, the conclave typically must begin within 20 days of a pope’s death of resignation. That means that the upcoming conclave will likely take place by May 11.