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By Andrew Stanton
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The death of Pope Francis on Monday commenced the process to elect a new leader of the Catholic Church. The election will be held among the 135 cardinals who are eligible to serve in the papal conclave that will meet in the coming weeks.
Why It Matters
There are more than 1.3 billion Catholics across the globe who will be led by the new pope. Whoever becomes pope will play a key role in shaping the church by overseeing theological matters and making appointments to critical roles. He will also become a key figure in international relations, as well as being a leader on social and political matters.
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What To Know
The papal conclave is the process in which the College of Cardinals pick the new pope. Cardinals who are younger than age 80—the age limit was put in place in 1970 by Pope Paul VI—meet in secrecy at the Sistine Chapel to cast their votes for the new pope. Any baptized Catholic male is eligible to become the next pope. But for centuries, all popes have come from the College of Cardinals.
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There are 135 eligible cardinals who are eligible for the conclave this time around.
The majority—108—were appointed by Pope Francis, 22 by Pope Benedict XVI and five by Pope John Paul II.
The average age of the papal conclave is just under 70.5 years old. The youngest is Cardinal Mykola Bychok, 45, of Ukraine. Pope Francis appointed him to the post in December 2024.
Where Are The Cardinals In The Conclave From?
A notable feature of the conclave is the increase in geographical diversity compared to the last one in 2013, when Pope Francis was appointed to succeed Pope Benedict.
There are 19 eligible cardinals from Africa and 21 from Asia, compared to only 11 and 10, respectively, in the last conclave. Italy, meanwhile, has seen its numbers decline from 28 to 16, though it still remains the most represented nation in the conclave.
The United States, Brazil, Spain and France follow Italy with the most cardinals represented.
Here is a look at where all 135 cardinals are from.
Pope Francis, during his tenure, appointed cardinals from Africa, Asia and South America, diversifying the College of Cardinals. Many of his appointees notably share some of his more progressive views on matters like LGBTQ+ rights, immigration and climate change. He made history as the first pope from Latin America.
Many of his appointees came from countries that had never been represented in the College of Cardinals, such as Rwanda, Cape Verde and Mongolia.
What People Are Saying
Vice President JD Vance, on X, formerly Twitter: "I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I'll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful."
Former President Barack Obama, on X: "Pope Francis was the rare leader who made us want to be better people. In his humility and his gestures at once simple and profound—embracing the sick, ministering to the homeless, washing the feet of young prisoners—he shook us out of our complacency and reminded us that we are all bound by moral obligations to God and one another."
What Happens Next
The church has entered a phase known as Sede Vacante, which triggers a sequence of events designed to honor the deceased pope and prepare for the election. The College of Cardinals is expected to meet this week to make formal funeral plans for Pope Francis.
The election of a new pope will take place after the funeral. The cardinals vote by secret ballot up to four times each day until a new pope is chosen. This will go on until two-thirds of the cardinals agree on a new pope.
Each time a pope is not chosen, the ballots will be burned with chemicals to produce black smoke to signify that voting will continue. Once the pope is chosen, the ballots will be burned with chemicals to produce white smoke.
The most recent elections have taken only a few days. Pope Francis was elected after five ballots, while it took only four ballots to elect Pope Benedict XVI in 2005.
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