With the mourning period for Pope Francis over, Cardinals from around the world, on Wednesday (May 7), gathered at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

Advertisment

This gathering was the last rite ahead of the conclave that will select the next pope. After this mass, the cardinals, aka the 'princes' of the church would be locked in to elect Pope Francis' successor.

Also read | Pope Francis' final wish: Pontiff's iconic Popemobile to serve as mobile clinic for Gaza’s children

'Difficult and complex' point in history

Advertisment

Giovanni Battista Re is the dean of the College of Cardinals and will preside over the conclave. Addressing the cardinals during the last mass, he urged his peers to choose someone capable of protecting the Catholic Church's unity and leading it at a "difficult and complex" point in history.

"We are here to invoke the help of the Holy Spirit, to implore his light and strength so that the pope elected may be he whom the Church and humanity need at this difficult and complex turning point in history," Giovanni Battista Re, said during the mass.

Also read | Next pope to be selected tomorrow: Cardinals move into Vatican on eve of 'mysterious' conclave | Here's all you need to know

Advertisment

"This is also a strong call to maintain the unity of the Church... a unity that does not mean uniformity, but a firm and profound communion in diversity," he added.

Calling it a choice of "exceptional importance," he said that the cardinals must set aside "every personal consideration".

He also urged the cardinals to pray for "a pope who knows how best to awaken the consciences of all... in today's society, characterised by great technological progress but which tends to forget God".

Who is the frontrunner to be the next pope?

133 cardinals from five continents and 70 countries will soon be shut in to pick the successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21 after a 12-year papacy.

Among the contenders to be the Catholic Church's 267th pope are cardinals who represent a range of progressive and conservative traditions within the Church, reports AFP. However, the contest to lead the 2,000-year-old institution of Catholic Church remains wide open and without a front-runner.

Also read | Who is Cardinal Tagle, aka 'Asian Francis,' top contender to be next Pope?

The decision could take several days. Interestingly, the longest time taken to elect a pope was 1,006 days when the conclave deliberated from 1268 to 1271 before announcing their decision with the traditional white smoke.