VATICAN CITY - The Vatican is preparing for an unprecedented papal conclave following the death of Pope Francis, with a record 135 cardinal electors set to gather in Rome to choose the next Vicar of Christ.
Although
Pope Francis did not change the rule limiting the number of cardinal
electors to 120, he in fact appointed this historic number, the largest
in modern Church history, thus creating a logistical problem for the
conclave — particularly the capacity of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the
Vatican residence built to host the cardinal electors. ---More...