THE 135 cardinals eligible to elect the next pope will enter the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave on May 7, the Vatican announced.  The cardinals will first celebrate the “Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff” in St Peter’s Basilica that morning before processing into the Sistine Chapel that evening.

Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle are considered top contenders, according to The Associated Press. Parolin, who served as Pope Francis' Secretary of State, is well-known among the cardinals. Tagle, head of the Vatican's evangelization office, is often mentioned as a potential first Asian pope.