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.
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