Feature

The 135 cardinals eligible to elect the next pope will enter the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave May 7, the Vatican announced.

A list of the U.S. cardinals who are under the age of 80 and eligible to enter the conclave May 7 to elect a new pope.

Members of the College of Cardinals had a chance to take a quick bus tour through Rome on their way to visit the tomb of Pope Francis, who wanted to be buried in a Marian basilica three and a half miles from the Vatican.

The casket bearing the body of Pope Francis made its final journey through the streets of Rome accompanied by applause and shouts of gratitude from thousands of mourners.

From the first moments of his papacy, Pope Francis was heard using one particular word in his pontifical speeches. For him, it was a reminder that God is not the one who punishes, but the one who loves, and that the church, led by him, should seek to be the same — the church of “tenderness.”

The pre-conclave gatherings give an opportunity for cardinals to emerge as possible papal candidates as the cardinals discuss the issues facing the church and qualities desired in the next pope. The following figures are potential contenders to become the 267th successor of St. Peter.