The conclave to elect a new Pope will begin on May 7th

The secret conclave (election process) to elect a new pope will take place on May 7, a senior Vatican official told Reuters.

According to the agency's source, the date was set at a closed meeting of cardinals in the Vatican.

About 135 cardinals from around the world are eligible to participate in the conclave and decide who will be the next pope.

The previous two conclaves, in 2005 and 2013, lasted two days.

The Vatican's Sistine Chapel has reportedly been closed in preparation for the conclave to elect a new pope.

For this purpose, a chimney will be installed from which smoke will come out to show the voting process: if the smoke is black, it will mean that the pope has not yet been elected, while white smoke will announce the election of the pope.

Recall that Pope Francis died on the morning of April 21 at the age of 88. The cause of death was a stroke.