The unofficial conclave has started, with cardinals privately chatting about Pope Francis successor

The unofficial conclave has already begun.Cardinals in Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral have been having informal discussions about the future leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, a Vatican observer told The Post.“What’s happening now is they’re having conversations — some of these cardinals may have only met each other in passing, so they’re really getting to know each other first,” said Rev.

Patrick Flanagan, chair of St.John’s University’s theology department.“But they’re also having these informal sessions where they are speaking about how they hope that the next pope will meet the needs that are going to be facing the church.”Any male baptized Catholic can be elected His Holiness, but for centuries only cardinals have been selected.Candidates will be judged at the official conclave — a protocol dating back to the 13th century.“People are taking bets on who he’s going to be, how long the conclave is going to be, what his name is going to be,” said Flanagan.

“But I have no idea.”Here is how the process will play out:The procedure for electing a new pontiff begins with “novemdiales,” nine days of mourning, which begins on the day of Francis’ funeral on April 26.Conclave commences 15 to 20 days after a pope dies or resigns. The church enters a period known as “sede vacante” — a Latin phrase that translates to “vacant seat” — which lasts until “the moment the new guy says yes,” Flanagan explained.During this time, the College of Cardinals will temporarily take over the Church, led by the camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell.“He was chosen by the pope in 2019 as the one who would oversee the church,” explained Flanagan.“He’s actually from Ireland, and when he emigrated to the United States, he became bishop of Dallas.”Major Vatican decision-making is put on hold during this period.Only 138 of the world’s 253 cardinals will be able to serve as electors in the conclave, as no cardinal...