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    Conclave to elect new Pope to begin May 7

    David GreatBy David GreatApril 28, 2025No Comments4 Mins Read
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    Cardinals begin conclave to elect new pope in majesty of Sistine Chapel
    Cardinals begin conclave to elect new pope in majesty of Sistine Chapel
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    Catholic cardinals will begin voting for a new pope on May 7, the Vatican announced Monday, a week after the passing of Pope Francis.

    Cardinals under the age of 80, known as the “Princes of the Church,” will gather in the Sistine Chapel to select the next leader for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

    The decision was reached during a Monday meeting involving cardinals of all ages, held two days after the funeral of Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88.

    Following the Argentine pope’s death, all 252 cardinals were summoned to Rome, although only 135 are eligible to participate in the conclave.

    Coming from various parts of the world, many cardinals are meeting each other for the first time. However, they have already held four “general congregations” last week, aimed at fostering familiarity among them.

    • Pope Francis buried in Santa Maria Maggiore basilica

    Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, 83, former head of the Italian bishops’ conference, described the atmosphere as a “beautiful, fraternal atmosphere.” He added, “Of course, there may be some difficulties because the voters have never been so numerous and not everyone knows each other,” speaking to Italy’s Corriere della Sera.

    The Vatican has closed the Sistine Chapel to prepare for the voting, which will occur under Michelangelo’s iconic 16th-century ceiling frescoes.

    So far, little information has emerged regarding the potential front-runners. Spanish Cardinal Jose Cobo reflected on the uncertainty in an interview with El Pais, saying, “I believe that if Francis has been the pope of surprises, this conclave will be too, as it is not at all predictable.”

    Pope Francis was laid to rest on Saturday, drawing an estimated 400,000 mourners, including heads of state, royalty, and countless pilgrims, to St Peter’s Square. On Sunday, around 70,000 people visited his tomb at the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome, where he had chosen to be buried outside the Vatican’s traditional confines.

    Leading contenders and bookmakers’ predictions

    In the midst of global conflict and diplomatic crises, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who served as Francis’ secretary of state, is widely considered a leading candidate to succeed him. According to British bookmakers William Hill, Parolin narrowly edges out Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, followed by Ghana’s Cardinal Peter Turkson.

    Conclave to elect new Pope to begin May 7
    Cardinal Peter Turkson

    Others ranked closely include Matteo Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna; Guinea’s Cardinal Robert Sarah; and Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.

    Conclave to elect new Pope to begin May 7
    Cardinal Robert Sarah

    Francis’s papacy, marked by efforts to build a more compassionate Church, endeared him to many but also provoked opposition among conservative factions, particularly in the United States and Africa.

    Roberto Regoli, a professor of Church history and culture at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University, explained that unity will be a priority: “We are in a period in which Catholicism is experiencing various polarisations, so I don’t imagine it will be a very, very quick conclave.”

    However, Cardinal Bassetti, who will not be voting due to his age, believes otherwise: he suggested the process “will not be long.”

    Although Francis appointed about 80 percent of the cardinal electors, this does not guarantee they will select someone exactly in his mold. Many of the electors are attending a conclave for the first time and are relatively young.

    High expectations for new leadership

    The conclave will follow a highly secretive voting process, with strict ceremonial rules. Each day will allow for up to four votes — two in the morning and two in the afternoon — until a candidate secures a two-thirds majority.

    With Europeans now comprising less than half of the eligible voters, many are emphasizing the need for a globally-minded pontiff.

    Cardinal Dieudonne Nzapalainga from the Central African Republic told Il Messaggero: “The future pope must have a universal heart, love all the continents. We must not look at colour, at origin, but at what is proposed.”

    He added, “We need a courageous leader, a bold one, capable of speaking forcefully, of holding the helm of the Church steady even in storms… offering stability in an era of great uncertainty.”

    Meanwhile, Patrizia Spotti, a 68-year-old Italian pilgrim visiting Rome for the upcoming 2026 Jubilee holy year, expressed her hopes for the new pope, saying she wishes he would be “a pope like Francis.”

    Reflecting on the state of the Church, she said, “Churches are empty. And the Church itself has made mistakes, all the scandals with the children,” referencing the devastating revelations of clerical abuse.

     

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    Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities.  The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault.  The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service.  Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said.  The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force.  The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas.  Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her.  Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes.  On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said.  “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.

    Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault

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