Cardinals of the Catholic Church held their ninth and final preparatory meeting at the Vatican on Saturday ahead of next week’s conclave to elect a new pope following the death of Pope Francis on April 21.
The closed-door “general congregations” provide a space for the cardinals — often referred to as the “Princes of the Church” — to discuss the state of the Church and the challenges awaiting the next pontiff. These discussions take place before the cardinal-electors are sealed inside the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday to begin the papal election.
Cardinal William Seng Chye Goh, Archbishop of Singapore, who is viewed as one of the more conservative voices in the College of Cardinals, offered a brief comment as he made his way through a crowd of pilgrims and media: “We do not know, we just wait for the Lord to tell us.”
The Vatican confirmed that 177 cardinals attended Saturday’s session, including 127 under the age of 80, making them eligible to vote in the conclave. In total, 133 voting cardinals will participate in the secret ballots required to elect the next pope — a process that continues until a candidate receives a two-thirds majority.
While many cardinals remained tight-lipped about potential successors or the duration of the conclave, some did express hopes for the qualities the next pope should embody.
Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, Archbishop of Algiers, said he hopes the conclave will choose a leader aligned with Pope Francis’s progressive vision. “We must discover the one the Lord has already chosen,” he said. “We will give the Church the pope that the Lord has wanted.”
Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni noted that the meetings are not intended to promote specific candidates, but to reflect on the direction of the Church. Topics discussed included global peace efforts and the role of the Roman Curia in supporting the new pontiff.
According to Bruni, the cardinals expressed a desire for the next pope to have “a prophetic spirit, capable of leading a Church that does not close in on herself, but is able to go out and bring light to a world marked by despair.”
The death of Pope Francis marked the end of a 12-year papacy defined by reform and outreach. As the conclave approaches, the eyes of the Catholic world — and even some outside it — remain fixed on Rome. In a surprising moment of levity, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a digitally altered image of himself dressed as the pope on social media, jokingly suggesting he’d like the role.
Two more general congregation meetings are scheduled for Monday before the conclave begins on Wednesday.