Video Trends As Cardinals Hold Ninth Meeting Ahead of Vote for New Pope, “We Are Getting Closer”

• The Catholic Church’s cardinals held their ninth general congregation on Saturday, May 3, ahead of the conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor
• A total of 177 cardinals gathered at the Vatican, with 127 eligible to vote in the papal election set for Wednesday, May 7, in the Sistine Chapel
• The closed-door sessions, known as “general congregations,” have focused on Church reform and the direction of the Catholic Church following Francis' demise

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements

Vatican City, Rome - On Saturday, May 3, the cardinals of the Catholic Church held their ninth in a series of near-daily meetings at the Vatican ahead of the election of a new pope.

The closed-door “general congregations” allow them to discuss the challenges the successor to Pope Francis will face before they are locked into the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, May 7, for the vote.

Read also

“Make Vatican great again?” Trump posts AI picture of himself dressed as pope

Walking through crowds of pilgrims and journalists for the morning meeting, the so-called “Princes of the Church” gave little away, not even speculating how long the conclave would last.

“We do not know, we just wait for the Lord to tell us,” said Cardinal William Seng Chye Goh, Archbishop of Singapore, seen as one of the more conservative prelates.

“We recognise his achievement, but no pope is perfect, no one is able to do everything so we will find the best person to succeed St Peter,” Goh told reporters.

Vatican releases video as cardinals meeting on Saturday

The Vatican confirmed in a video released on Saturday and shared on its official website via X.

Meanwhile, the cardinals were called to Rome from around the world after the death of Poe Francis, on April 21, an energetic reformer from Argentina who led the Catholic Church for 12 years.

According to Vatican press director Matteo Bruni, 177 cardinals, including 127 aged under 80 and thus eligible to vote in the conclave, attended Saturday’s meeting.

Read also

US President Donald Trump says he would 'like to be pope', video trends

On Wednesday, 133 cardinal electors will enter the Sistine Chapel and not leave until they have — after a series of secret ballots — given a two-thirds majority to Francis’s successor.

The Vatican tweeted:

"The College of Cardinals held their ninth General Congregation on Saturday morning, as they continue their discernment on the state of the Church and the qualities required for the next Pope.

"The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, told reporters that 177 Cardinals were present, of whom 127 are electors.

"Cardinals Francis Prevost and Marcello Semeraro were drawn by lot to join Cardinal Reinhard Marx in assisting Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Farrell in the Particular Congregations."

As reported by Reuters, the average length of the last 10 conclaves was 3.2 days and none went on for more than five. The last two elections -- in 2005 when Pope Benedict was picked and in 2013 when Francis emerged -- were wrapped up in just two days.

Read also

Selection process for the next Pope scheduled to commence as date is confirmed

Election of new pope: ‘Prophetic spirit’

Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, archbishop of Algiers, said he hoped the conclave would choose a pope to follow in Francis’s progressive footsteps.

“We could have had much more time praying together, but I am sure that at the right moment we will be ready and we will give the Church the pope that the Lord has wanted.”

Watch the video below as cardinals meet;

Read more about Trump, Pope here:

• “Make Vatican great again?” Trump posts AI picture of himself dressed as pope
• Past popes from Africa introduced new changes to Christianity, invented Valentine's Day

Food Cardinals eat before choosing new pope

Legit.ng earlier reported that for more than 750 years, strict rules have governed the food served to cardinals during a papal conclave to prevent any possibility of hidden messages influencing the election.

During the secret election for a new pope—scheduled to begin on 7 May—135 cardinals will be secluded inside the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel with no external communication allowed except for the traditional smoke signals indicating voting results.

Source: Legit.ng