The conclave that will elect the new pope will have the presence of 135 cardinals under 80 years old eligible to vote, coming from 71 diverse countries. The start date is scheduled for May 7 at 4:30 PM local time in the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican, following the 'Pro Eligendo Pontifice' mass at 10:00 AM local time and the meeting in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace at 4:15 PM.
There is a noted increase in the number of electors compared to the conclave twelve years ago, rising from 115 to 133 this time. However, two cardinals have already informed the Holy See of their inability to attend for health reasons, reducing the number of voters to 133. A two-thirds majority will be required for the election of the new pope, which amounts to 89 votes with the current number of electors.
The countries with the most representatives in the conclave are Italy (17), the United States (10), Brazil (7), France and Spain (5), closely followed by Argentina, Canada, India, Poland, and Portugal (4). The distribution of the 135 electors by region is as follows: Europe has 53, Asia (including the Middle East) has 23, Africa has 18, South America has 17, North America has 16, Central America has 4, and Oceania has 4.
Although there is no rule that requires cardinals to vote according to their nationality or region, understanding the geographical diversity of the conclave can shed light on the possible priorities of each one in the election of the new leader of the Catholic Church. The wide range of origins of the electors this time marks a milestone in the history of papal conclaves, evidencing the global nature of the Catholic faith and the plurality of contexts to consider in the selection of the future pope.
