The First General Congregation Brought Together 60 Cardinals

Pope Francis appointed 108 out of 135 cardinals who will elect his successor.

On Tuesday, 60 cardinals approved the details of the procedures to follow after the death of Pope Francis during a meeting that lasted an hour and a half.

The first congregation of cardinals began with a prayer for the repose of Pope Francis’ soul. Then, paragraphs 12 and 13 of Universi Dominici Gregis (the Apostolic Constitution on the Vacant See) were read, the cardinals took their oath, and the will of Pope Francis was read aloud.

The second congregation will take place on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. These congregations are the meetings that precede the conclave and during which certain posthumous steps are decided.

The first decisions approved were the transfer of Pope Francis’ casket this Wednesday so that it may lie in state for the faithful, and the funeral in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time.

The Vatican Conclave will commence soon, and these are the prime contenders 

The cardinals present in Rome crossed St. Peter’s Square to head toward the Synod Hall, where these meetings are taking place, although many have yet to arrive, as on Monday they were celebrating Mass for the Pope in their respective countries.

Pope Francis leaves behind the legacy of a more universal Church, having appointed 80% of the 135 cardinals from 71 countries who will participate in the conclave that will enter the Sistine Chapel to elect his successor. It will be the largest conclave in recent history, as the usual number was 120.

On Monday, the rite of confirmation of death was carried out in Francis’ residence, and his body was then placed in the casket to lie in repose in the chapel of that building, as specified by the Argentine pontiff, who simplified the traditional protocol.

Vatican doctors have determined that the cause of death was a stroke, which led to a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory failure. Francis, the first Latin American pope, stated in his will his desire to be buried in a chapel in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, in a simple tomb.

After the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican will proceed to hold a conclave, the event that will allow the election of the new Supreme Pontiff who will rule the Catholic Church. The conclave has a series of steps and requirements to be carried out, we explain below