The papal conclave, the process to elect a new Pope, is set to begin on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, following Pope Francis' death.
The event takes place within the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City and involves the College of Cardinals.
The conclave is a secret process, where cardinals vote to choose the next leader of the Catholic Church.
Associated Press reported on Monday that there are currently 135 cardinals who are under 80 and eligible to vote in the conclave.
AP noted that the cardinals hail from '71 different countries in the most geographically diverse conclave in history.'
'Already two have formally told the Holy See that they cannot attend for health reasons, bringing the number of men who will enter the Sistine Chapel down to 133,' AP reported.
'A two-thirds majority is needed to be elected pope, meaning that if the number of electors holds at 133, the winner must secure 89 votes,' AP added.
IMAGE: Cardinal Oswald Gracias, 80, stepped down as archbishop of Mumbai a couple of months ago. The cardinal was Mumbai's archbishop from 2006 to 2025. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, arrives for a general congregation meeting ahead of the conclave to elect the next pope. Photograph: Murad Sezer/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Francis Arinze, from Nigeria, is 92 and ineligible to vote. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez -- who is from Salvador, is 82 and ineligible to vote -- greets a child near St Peter's Square at the Vatican. Photograph: Marko Djurica/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Santos Abril y Castello, from Spain, is 90 and ineligible to vote. Photograph: Remo Casilli/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Peter Ebere Okpaleke, 63, from Nigeria, is the bishop of Ekwulobia. Will the Conclave elected an African Pope? Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, from Italy, is 82 and ineligible to vote. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Fernando Garib, 68, is the archbishop of Santiago de Chile. Photograph: Murad Sezer/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe, who turns 80 in August, is, Wikipedia informs us, the only friar of the Dominican Order's English Province to hold the office of master-general. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Robert Sarah is from Guinea and is eligible to vote because he only turns 80 on June 15. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Salazar Gomez, 82, Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Bogotà (Colombia) will not vote in the election to select Pope Francis' successor. Photograph: Murad Sezer/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Angel Sixto Rossi, 66, like Pope Francis, is Argentinean and the current archbishop of Córdoba. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Rueda Aparicio, 63, is the current archbishop of Bogotá. Photograph: Murad Sezer/Reuters
IMAGE: Amritsar-born Cardinal Joseph Coutts turns 80 in July so he can vote in this papal election. The cardinal served as archbishop of Karachi from 2012 to 2021. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, 78, is from Brazil. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Mueller, 77, is from Germany. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda, 82, is from Italy and can't vote to pick a new pope. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Jose Cobo Cano, 59, is the archbishop of Madrid. Photograph: Amanda Perobelli/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Vicente Bokalic, 72, is the archbishop of Santiago del Estero in Argentina. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Stephen Brislin, 68, is the archbishop of Johannesburg. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Jose Tolentino de Mendonca, 59, is from Portugal. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, 84, served as secretary general of the Synod of Bishops from September 21, 2013 until September 15, 2020. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, 81, is from Italy and can't vote this papal election. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
IMAGE: Cardinal Arthur Roche, 75, is from Britain and served as secretary of the congregation from 2012 to 2021. Photograph: Remo Casilli/Reuters
IMAGE: Nuns queue to enter St Peter's Basilica ahead of the conclave to elect the next pope. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
IMAGE: Officials, members of the clergy and Conclave staff take the oath of ecrecy in Pauline Chapel at the Vatican. Photograph: Vatican Media/Handout/Reuters
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
© 2025