- Pope Francis passed away in Vatican City on April 20, 2025, which was Easter Sunday.
- He was laid to rest on April 26, and buried at Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, Italy.
- A conclave will start on May 7 to name his successor.
The world came to a standstill on Easter Sunday, April 20, when Pope Francis passed away. The leader of the Catholic Church had been the Pope for over 12 years, and his loss was felt across the globe.
It has been revealed that a conclave will begin on May 7 as the Catholic Church aims to name his successor, and there are many candidates.
250,000 People Attend Funeral of “People’s Pope”
It was reported by several news sources that the conclave to select the next Pope will start on May 7, 2025.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 17, 1936. He rose through the Catholic Church and became Pope on March 13, 2013. He was beloved around the world, and also helped to bring the United States and Cuba together in 2015.
The funeral of Pope Francis was attended by leaders from around the world, and there were over 250,000 people overall. It was a fitting send-off to a man who was referred to as “the people’s pope”. But now, the search for the 267th Pope begins on May 7.
Who are the Favorites for the Next Papacy?
You can wager on the next Pope odds at online sportsbooks, as well as the papal name and the nationality of the next Pope. You can also find odds on the number of rounds it’ll take to elect the next Pope. It hasn’t taken long for the last two Popes, who were elected in two days.
Luis Antonio Tagle, Pietro Parolin, and Fridolin Ambongo Besungu are the favorites for the next papacy, and now the conclave will start. The conclave process got a ton of attention in 2024 and earlier this year, when the film, Conclave, surged up the Oscars odds.
The film, starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini, received eight Academy Award nominations, including for Best Picture. It would only win for Peter Straughan’s Best Adapted Screenplay, as it was based on a novel by Robert Harris. You can probably expect many people to watch Conclave between now and the next papacy announcement.
As the College of Cardinals gets further into the selection process, candidates will be whittled off the list. We’ll keep you updated on the latest odds and news surrounding this process. The entire world will be waiting to see the famous “white smoke” emerging from the Sistine Chapel.
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