Conclave to elect new pope to start on May 7, cardinals meet

By Philip Pullella, Joshua McElwee and Crispian Balmer

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Roman Catholic cardinals will begin their secret conclave to elect the new leader of the global Church on May 7, the Vatican said on Monday, confirming what a source had previously told Reuters.

The date was decided during a closed-door meeting of cardinals at the Vatican, the first since the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday.

Some 135 cardinals, all under the age of 80 and from all corners of the world, are eligible to take part in the vote for the next head of the 1.4-billion-member Church, which is beset by concerns over its finances and divisions over doctrine.

The 16th-century Sistine Chapel, where conclaves are held beneath the gaze of Michelangelo's masterpiece frescoes, was closed to tourists on Monday to ready the space for an election that mixes ancient ritual with modern, anti-spying technologies.

The previous two conclaves, held in 2005 and 2013, lasted just two days. But Swedish cardinal Anders Arborelius said on Monday that the coming ballot may take longer, as many of the cardinals appointed by Pope Francis have never met each other.

Francis made a priority of appointing the red-hatted "Princes of the Church" from countries that had never had them, such as Myanmar, Haiti, Rwanda and Arborelius' own Sweden.

"We don't know each other," said Arborelius.

The earliest the conclave could have begun was May 6, the Vatican said. Starting it a day later means cardinals will have slightly more time for their daily general discussions ahead of the momentous ballot.

Around 190 cardinals took part in Monday's meeting, including roughly 100 electors, the Vatican said.

Among the questions raised were the issue of sexual abuse, that has rocked the Church for years, as well as the need to spread the Christian faith, relations with other religions and the qualities the new pope needed to respond to such challenges.

DIFFERING VISIONS

Francis, pope since 2013, died aged 88 on April 21. His funeral on Saturday and a procession through Rome to his burial place at the Basilica of St. Mary Major attracted crowds estimated at more than 400,000.

German cardinal Walter Kasper told La Repubblica newspaper that the outpouring of mourning for Francis indicated that Catholics wanted the next pope to continue with his reforming style of papacy.

Francis, the first pope from Latin America, tried to open up the often staid Church to some new conversations. He allowed debate on issues such as ordaining women as clergy and outreach to LGBTQ Catholics.

"The People of God voted with their feet," said Kasper, who is 92 and will not take part in the conclave. "I am convinced that we must go ahead in the footsteps of Francis."

Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez from El Salvador, echoed that sentiment: "I am sure the new pope will be as Franciscus, the same vision, the same dreams," he said, referring to Francis by his Latin name.

However, a bloc of conservative cardinals are certain to push back against this and seek a pope who reasserts traditions and reins in Francis' push for a more inclusive Church.

German Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Mueller, who is known for his traditionalist views and often clashed with Francis, has spoken daily about the need to reverse course.

"The strength of the Church lies in the truth, not in compromises," he told La Stampa newspaper on Monday.

(Additional reporting by Alvise Armellini and Giulia Segreti; Editing by Crispian Balmer, Janet Lawrence, Kevin Liffey and Andrew Heavens)