Conclave to Choose New Pope Will Start May 7, Vatican Says

About 130 cardinals will be able to vote on a successor for Francis, and a two-thirds majority is needed to elect the new head of the Roman Catholic Church.

The conclave to elect the next pope will start on May 7, the Vatican said on Monday, setting up a vote that will decide the future of the Roman Catholic Church after the death of Pope Francis last week at the age of 88.

Now cardinals have little over a week to discuss, campaign, and get to know all the potential contenders — some of whom would most likely seek to build on Francis’ emphasis on a pastoral approach, while others would represent a return to a more traditional style.

Scores of cardinals have been gathering since the pope’s death to decide on logistical details about the pope’s mourning, but also to discuss major issues facing the church and to pick a date when cardinal-electors will meet in the Sistine Chapel to vote for Francis’ successor.

The cardinals will next meet on Tuesday morning, and the politicking is only set to intensify now that a date has been chosen to elect the next pontiff.

That was apparent on Monday, when the cardinals discussed the church’s relationship with the rest of the world and other religions, evangelization, sexual abuse in the church and other challenges, as well as the date for the conclave. The meeting, a spokesman for the Vatican added, tackled the qualities the new pope must have to respond to these issues. Aside from the candidates’ positions, their age and country of origin will also factor into the deliberations, Vatican experts said.

Only about 100 of the 130 or so cardinals who can vote in the secret ballot — those under the age of 80 — participated in the meetings, the Vatican said. Others are set to arrive in Rome in the coming days.

A two-thirds majority is needed to elect a new pope, and cardinals are not allowed to leave the conclave until a successor is named, except in rare cases.

Generally, a conclave must begin 15 to 20 days after the pope’s death; this one will start 16 days after Francis died. In 2013, Francis was elected in two days.

May 7 was chosen in part because it would allow enough time for preparations, Matteo Bruni, the Vatican’s spokesman, said during a news conference. Making arrangements for the gathering in the Sistine Chapel, which includes installing the burners in which the ballots will be incinerated after each round of voting, will now begin, Mr. Bruni added.

During the conclave, onlookers outside watch a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel to learn if a new pope has been elected. If a consensus has not been reached after a vote, black smoke is emitted. When a pope has been chosen, the smoke is white.

On May 7, the day will start with a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, after which cardinals will enter the Sistine Chapel to vote.

The word “conclave” — from the Latin “with key” — refers to the isolation imposed on them, which is meant to keep the electoral process from dragging on.

Most of the cardinals will stay in Casa Santa Marta, which was built on Pope John Paul II’s orders to replace the improvised rooming arrangements in the papal palace that had previously housed them. But since Francis named many more cardinals than his two predecessors, some have questioned whether there will be enough room for everyone.

Mr. Bruni did not seem worried. “No one will be left on the street,” he said.

More on Pope Francis

• Unpublished Writings by Francis: In a foreword to a book, he articulated the church’s position on marriage.
• Will Francis Be Made a Saint?: Three of the five popes before Francis have become saints, but merely serving as pontiff is no longer a guarantee of canonization.
• Faithful Descend on St. Peter’s Square: Cardinals, royals and heads of state attended Francis’s funeral. But many mourners, some of whom slept on the streets overnight, said they came for a pope who had cared for the poor and marginalized. Explore a photo of world leaders who were at the funeral.
• An Old Friend Bids a Unique Farewell: Sister Geneviève Jeanningros left the queue of mourners and approached the body of the pope as it lay in state. A video captured the last tender moments she shared with the man with whom she was known to be a confidante.
• The Digital Legacy of an Approachable Pope: Many of the Catholics Francis counseled were much younger, but he made a habit of trying to meet them where they were.
• A Church of the Poor: Around St. Peter’s Square, the pope offered services to the homeless and migrants, in ways that often did not go down well with his fellow clerics.
• Whither Progressive Christians After Francis?: Millions of progressive Christians in the United States considered Francis to be a powerful counterweight to a rising conservative Christian power. Where do they go from here?