While no one expects cardinals to vote as geographical blocs for a new pope, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, president of the African bishops’ council, and the presidents of other regional conferences have connections and knowledge that many of their confreres do not.

At the upcoming conclave, of the 133 cardinal electors who will enter the Sistine Chapel, 23 will come from Asia. At least six are on various short lists as “papabile,” or “popeable” candidates.

With less than 48 hours until the beginning of the conclave, the cardinals who will enter the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope discussed war, the need for dialogue and the role of the pope in fostering it.

In a full church on a Monday evening in Rome, just two days before the conclave to elect a new pope was set to begin, Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington shared a confidence: “I have no guess” who will be chosen.

As the College of Cardinals continues to discuss the church’s most pressing issues before the conclave, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors said it was encouraged that protecting children and vulnerable people was a priority in those discussions.

Each step of this conclave process is steeped in meaning and tradition, which is wonderful, but it can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to explain to kids.

As members of the College of Cardinals met May 5, all 133 cardinals who plan to enter the conclave to elect a new pope had arrived in Rome, the Vatican press office said.

The conclave is set to begin May 7, but the public only knows its end by iconic white smoke billowing out of the Sistine Chapel’s chimney.

Only through loving others and accepting love in spite of one’s own failures can Christians truly understand and proclaim the joy of Christ’s victory over death, said French Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille.

Le Figaro had described Cardinal Arborelius as “first and foremost a man of prayer but also a noted theologian, committed to ecumenism.” It also said his leadership of a church in “a highly secularized country where Catholicism is in the minority” is an advantage.