Cardinals meet ahead of vote for new pope

Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church gathered for the ninth time Saturday in a series of closed-door meetings ahead of next week's conclave to elect a new pope, following the death of Pope Francis.

The so-called “general congregations” are intended to reflect on the Church's challenges and the qualities required of its next leader, who will be elected inside the Sistine Chapel beginning Wednesday.

Pope Francis, who died April 21, served for 12 years and was widely seen as an energetic reformer.

Walking through crowds of reporters and pilgrims, the cardinals — often called the “Princes of the Church” — remained tight-lipped about their deliberations and declined to speculate on how long the conclave might last.

“We do not know, we just wait for the Lord to tell us,” said Cardinal William Seng Chye Goh, the Archbishop of Singapore and a prominent conservative voice.

According to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, 177 cardinals attended Saturday’s session, including 127 under the age of 80 who are eligible to vote.

By Wednesday, 133 cardinal electors will be sealed inside the Sistine Chapel, where they will remain until a new pope receives a two-thirds majority through a series of secret ballots.

Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco of Algiers expressed hope that the conclave would produce a pontiff in the progressive spirit of Francis. “We must discover the one the Lord has already chosen,” Vesco said.

Saturday’s gathering was focused not on papal candidates but on broader issues, including global peace-building and the role of the Curia, the Vatican’s administrative body.

Bruni said the cardinals shared a desire for a pope with a “prophetic spirit, capable of leading a Church that does not close in on herself.”

Two further congregation meetings are scheduled for Monday. The election is being closely watched by the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, as well as some non-Catholics.

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a doctored image of himself dressed as the pope on his Truth Social platform, joking that he would be interested in the job.