A commencement date for the conclave to elect a successor to the late Pope Francis was announced Monday by the Vatican.
Wednesday, May 7, has been confirmed as the starting point for the ritual open election to decide who will succeed Francis after his 12-year papacy.
It will be held in the Sistine Chapel of the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City.
AP reports the date of the conclave was chief on the agenda of cardinals holding informal meetings to hash out church business following the April 21 death of Pope Francis.
They held off on announcing the opening of the conclave until after his funeral on Saturday, AP set out in its report.
The Vatican said more than 180 participated in the fifth informal meeting in Rome on Monday while smaller group of 135, known as the College of Cardinals, is eligible to elect a new pope.
Only cardinals under 80 are eligible to vote, and it is not clear how many of the 135 will participate.
File/Italy, 1903, Vatican conclave of August 4, 1903, The cardinals assembled in the Sistine Chapel for the election of Leo XIII’s (Leone XIII) successor. (Photo by Photo12/UIG/Getty Images)
No communication with the outside world is allowed during the process. The vote itself is secret and was introduced on 1621 by Gregory XV to try and avoid overt politicking.
The term conclave comes from the Latin phrase cum clave, meaning “with a key.”
Papal succession has evolved considerably since the early church and current rules of this procedure were not codified until the early 20th century.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
