Following the death of Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) on April 21, the College of Cardinals is scheduled to convene in the Sistine Chapel in Rome on May 7 to elect his successor. Given the Vatican`s location in Rome and the anticipation of large crowds of pilgrims gathering for the conclave and the election of the new Bishop of Rome, Italy`s Serie A football league has already decided to postpone matches originally scheduled for that Monday. There is also a possibility that one match this upcoming weekend could face delay due to potential public security considerations arising from the event.
Understanding the Conclave
A conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals called to elect a new Pope after the death or resignation of the previous one. The word `conclave` comes from the Latin `cum clave,` meaning `with a key.` This term refers to the historical tradition of locking the participating cardinals inside the Sistine Chapel to ensure privacy and prevent any contact with the outside world until a new Pope is elected. Only cardinals under 80 years old are eligible to participate in the vote; 133 cardinals are expected to be eligible to elect Pope Francis`s successor.
The election process involves secret ballots, and a two-thirds majority is required for a successful outcome. The ballots are burned after every two rounds of voting. Black smoke rising indicates that a decision has not been reached, while white smoke signifies that a new Pope has been elected. The conclave concludes only when a new Pope is successfully elected, who then chooses his papal name. The most recent conclave took place in 2013 after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and elected Pope Francis within two days.
Serie A Schedule Considerations
Experts anticipate that the new Pope should be elected between Thursday and Friday. However, if the process takes longer, the Serie A match between Lazio and Juventus, scheduled for Saturday at 12:00 p.m. ET, might be impacted for public security reasons. As of now, there are no concrete indications that this scenario will occur.
All times U.S./Eastern
Friday, May 9
AC Milan vs. Bologna, 2:45 p.m. (Paramount+)
Saturday, May 10
Como vs. Cagliari, 9 a.m. (Paramount+)
Lazio vs. Juventus, 12 p.m. (Paramount+)
Empoli vs. Parma, 2:45 p.m. (Paramount+)
Sunday, May 11
Udinese vs. Monza, 6:30 a.m. (Paramount+)
Verona vs. Lecce, 9 a.m. (Paramount+)
Torino vs. Inter, 12 p.m. (Paramount+)
Napoli vs. Genoa, 2:45 p.m. (Paramount+)
Monday, May 12
Venezia vs. Fiorentina, 12:30 p.m. (Paramount+)
Atalanta vs. AS Roma, 2:45 p.m. (Paramount+)
