Pope Francis has been laid to rest in Rome’s St. Mary Major Basilica, near an icon of the Madonna that he revered because it reflects his humble and simple life. Expected to release details of the upcoming conclave — the cardinals’ vote for the next pope — after Francis’ funeral has finished, the Holy See. The conclave is unlikely to start before May 6, although that’s not guaranteed. Pope John Paul II’s 1996 rules on the election of popes say the cardinals must wait at least 15 days before entering a conclave, to allow the cardinals time to arrive and prepare. In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI added the qualification that conclaves can start earlier if all the cardinal electors have arrived in Rome and decide to move forward the start date. The cardinals set the date for the conclave. Their next meeting is on Monday morning at 9 a.m. Rome time. All the electors must arrive in Rome and swear the oath to observe the rules for the election of a new pope, including maintaining secrecy. We know that 149 cardinals attended last Friday’s meeting. We don’t currently know how many of these are electors, or how many have arrived since yesterday. The Vatican press office may clarify those numbers closer to the conclave. At the time of Pope Francis’ death, there were 135 voting members of the College of Cardinals. The conclave of 2013 started 11 days after Benedict XVI abdicated. The entry date of the conclave was decided after just five days of General Congregations. But Benedict XVI announced his intention to abdicate 17 days before the Sede Vacante, so there had already been discussion about when the conclave should start, and there was no funeral to prepare. Many cardinals had already traveled to Rome for the start of the interregnum. The 2005 conclave started 16 days after the death of John Paul II. And 20 days is still the maximum time allowed after the death of a pope before the election must begin, even if some cardinal electors are not present.
