The chimney on the Sistine Chapel is up, and voting to elect the next pope will begin on Wednesday afternoon, May 7.
There will be 133 cardinals who participate in the conclave and they will elect among themselves Pope Francis’ successor. Eighty-nine is the magic number to pass the two-thirds majority mark required to be elected pope.
While there is no official nominating process — and it is generally perceived to be a wide-open race — here is the National Catholic Reporter’s final roundup of the 12 leading front-runners. (All 12 NCR papal front-runners can also be found here.)
To continue reading this article, click here.
With thanks to the National Catholic Reporter (NCR) and Christopher White, where this article originally appeared.
