Cardinals from around the world are gathering in the Vatican for the secret conclave to elect the next head of the Roman Catholic Church. Whoever emerges as pope will have to face issues such as the Vatican's dwindling finances as well as whether to continue the progressive direction of Pope Francis or revert to more traditional doctrine.
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00:00Two weeks after burying one of the most popular popes in modern history,
00:05more than a hundred cardinals from around the world are set to elect his replacement in Rome.
00:11The late Pope Francis leaves big shoes to fill,
00:14and with a following of more than a billion people,
00:17the new head of the Roman Catholic Church will have his work cut out for him.
00:21For Francis, the world is always developing.
00:28Every day there are new things.
00:31The Pope must read the signs of the times to have a right response
00:37and not be closed in his palace.
00:41Hundreds of faithful have gathered in St. Peter's Square,
00:44optimistic that the cardinals will make the right choice.
00:47Pautada para nuestro nuevo Papa.
00:50Ojalá sea un proceso dirigido y guiado por el Santo EspĂritu de Dios,
00:54y que le dé a todos esos cardenales que van a estar ahà reunidos
00:57esa sabidurĂa, ese discernimiento para escoger a nuestro sucesor de Papa Francisco,
01:04el cual con mucha tristeza, verdad, extrañamos.
01:08The papal conclave is a closed-door assembly in the Sistine Chapel,
01:12where cardinals under the age of 80 vote in secret for the next pontiff.
01:16They are secluded for the duration of the process.
01:20To be elected, a two-thirds majority will be needed.
01:24The vote can last from as little as two days to a few weeks.
01:28Compared to previous conclaves, this one is more diverse,
01:32with 15 nations represented for the first time by their cardinal electors,
01:36most of them from the Global South.
01:39Many of the cardinals who now make up the electing body were appointed by Pope Francis,
01:45and have never met each other.
01:47Leading some to suggest that this conclave might take longer than previous ones.
01:52What it seems to mean is that they have agreed among themselves that they need more time to get to know each other.
01:59Because they could have started earlier, they decided to stretch it out.
02:02The next pope will face multiple pressing issues.
02:06The Vatican is facing a budget shortfall and growing liabilities for its pension fund.
02:12With Pope Francis creating a fundraising commission earlier this year to address the matter,
02:17the church is also seeing a shift in its demographics.
02:21Though there's been a slight rise in membership, the new faithful are from non-Western nations,
02:26whereas the church is seeing a decline in numbers in the Global North, particularly across Europe.
02:32Pope Francis also opened the church to new discussions around the ordination of women and inclusion of LGBTQ plus people.
02:40And he elevated climate change to a moral issue and denounced unchecked capitalism.
02:46While some Catholics have criticized Pope Francis' reforms, others have celebrated them,
02:52and hope for a new pope who will continue his legacy.
02:55Observers say that no matter which direction the papacy will take,
02:59he who fills the role will carry great influence, especially amid ongoing turmoil around the world.
03:06The pope is also very well listened and respected in the civil world.
03:13So for example, negotiation on wars and peace, you know, the pope is always one of the leaders that will help nations have a dialogue instead of war.
03:26For now, the Roman Catholic Church prayerfully waits, hoping it won't be too long before the white smoke rises from the Sistine Chapel,
03:35signaling in a centuries-old tradition that the conclave has made its choice.
03:41Justin Wu and Gina Lopez for Taiwan Plus.
03:43Justin Wu and Gina Lopez for Taiwan Plus.