The Cardinals participating in 11th general congregation have arrived the Vatican ahead of conclave. About 135 cardinals are qualified by the governing rules to elect the next Pope and leader of the Catholic Church on Wednesday, May 7.
The new Pope will be the 26th in the history of leadership of the Church.
As of Tuesday, the election of Pope Francis successor has entered its final preparatory phase.
Catholic News Agency reports that as the College of Cardinals prepares to gather in the conclave, the global Church enters a moment of discernment — and of speculation.
Behind closed doors, names are floated, alliances weighed, and expectations quietly shaped. Some hope for a return to an Italian pope, others call for a voice from the peripheries. Many, amid the noise, turn to prayer, trusting the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
For Christians in the Middle East, this moment carries particular significance.
These ancient communities, rooted in lands marked by instability and loss, have not seen a pope from their region since the seventh century. And yet their presence endures — reduced in number but not in faith; marginalized politically, yet vital to the universal Church.
