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Uganda Will Not Participate in Conclave to Elect New Pope Following Death of Pope Francis
Uganda will not be represented in the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday.
According to Archbishop Luigi Bianco, the papal envoy to Uganda, Church law introduced by Pope Paul IV in 1559 disqualifies any cardinal over the age of 80 from participating in the election of a new pope. Uganda’s only surviving cardinal, His Eminence Emmanuel Wamala, is currently 98 years old, making him ineligible to vote.
While cardinals over 80 are barred from voting in the conclave, they still retain important roles within the College of Cardinals. They serve as advisors to the papacy and participate in General Congregations, which help outline the qualities needed in the next pontiff.
Out of the 252 cardinals worldwide, only 138 are under the age of 80 and eligible to vote. These electors will gather at the Vatican between 10 and 20 days after Pope Francis’ burial to begin the centuries-old process of selecting a new leader of the Catholic Church. The conclave will take place in the historic Sistine Chapel, under strict secrecy — with no access to communication devices, newspapers, or the internet until a new pope is chosen and announced.
To be elected, a candidate must secure a two-thirds majority vote. If no candidate achieves this in a given round, the ballots are burned, and black smoke rises from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling no decision has been made. When white smoke appears, it will announce to the world that a new pope has been chosen.
Pope Francis will be laid to rest on Saturday inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
As the Church prepares for the conclave, speculation is already mounting around potential successors. Among the most talked-about candidates are three prominent African cardinals: Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea, and Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Until the white smoke rises, the world will watch and wait for the announcement of the next leader of the Catholic Church.
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