On Monday, April 28, 2025, at 9 a.m., the cardinals began their fifth general congregation. These are meetings in which all the cardinals are invited (including non-electors) and gives them a chance to get to know each other and also take care of practical matters to prepare for the conclave. They could decide this morning on the date of the conclave to elect the next pontiff.
On Saturday, more than 190 cardinals gathered in St. Peter's Square for the funeral Mass of Pope Francis, and the last "princes of the Church" continue to arrive in Rome. The dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, celebrated the funeral and leads these events. At 91, he is not able to vote, but brings years of experience and gravitas to the meetings.
The cardinals are assailed by the press upon their arrival at the Vatican.
Some gave brief interviews, such as Salvadoran Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chávez — who is not eligible to vote. He assured reporters that the meetings are proceeding “in harmony.” The 82-year-old cardinal expressed his conviction that the next pope “will be like Francis, with the same vision, the same dreams, but with his own style.”
Cardinal Rosa
Antoine Mekary | ALETEIA
A portrait yet to be drawn
For Spanish Cardinal José Cobo Cano, the next pontiff must also continue the work of his predecessor.
“Pope Francis has been very skillful in promoting the themes of peace, care for creation, and dialogue with our world. I believe he has opened many doors and that we must persevere along this path!” said the 59-year-old Archbishop of Madrid.
He added: ”Pope Francis is certainly helping us to find a common mindset for choosing the next pope.”
Continuity, but moving forward
The profile of the future pope “is difficult to say because we still have to define the contours,” said Italian Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi. At 81, the non-elector imagines a pontificate “in continuity” but one that will also “move forward” with a “style of its own.”
The criteria “are not only human,” insisted the Italian, assuring that “there is a different atmosphere when you enter the Sistine Chapel.”
“We are seeking the good of the Church, which is the supreme norm for the Church and for the world above all,” continued the former prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education.
The profile of the future head of the Catholic Church will be first and foremost in continuity with Peter, emphasized 79-year-old Italian Cardinal Fernando Filoni.
A long conclave?
“We are calm; we must get to know each other,” said 76-year-old Iraqi Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako, referring to the large number of cardinal electors: 135, while the theoretical threshold is set at 120.
“We are not here to play politics but to choose a pope,” said Nigerian Cardinal John Onaiyekan, who will not take part in the election as he is now 81 years old.
For the time being, no one is venturing any predictions on how long the conclave will last.
“I don't know, it's the first time I've been in a conclave, but I think it will be a bit long because the cardinals don't know each other very well,” said 75-year-old Swedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius.
"If you read the history of conclaves [...] they have often been difficult," added Cardinal Versaldi.
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