Uganda will not be represented in the conclave to elect a new pope following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday.
According to the papal envoy to Uganda, Archbishop Luigi Bianco, the Church Code introduced by Pope Paul IV in 1559 states that any cardinal over the age of 80 is ineligible to participate in the election of a new pope.
Currently, Uganda’s only surviving cardinal, His Eminence Emmanuel Wamala, is 98 years old.
Whereas cardinals over 80 years old are not eligible to vote in papal conclaves, they still have a role in the College of Cardinals. They serve as advisors to the pope and participate in General Congregations, which shape the profile of qualities needed for the next pontiff.
Out of the current 252 cardinals worldwide, only 138 who are under the age of 80 will converge at the Vatican to participate in the papal conclave, the secretive and centuries-old process of choosing the next pope.
The conclave, expected to begin between 10 and 20 days after Pope Francis’ burial, will take place within the historic walls of the Sistine Chapel. Pope Francis will be buried on Saturday inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Once the conclave begins, no communication devices, newspapers, or internet access are permitted until a new pope is elected and publicly announced.
To be elected, a candidate must receive a two-thirds majority. If no one reaches that threshold in a given round, the ballots are burned. The black smoke that rises from the Sistine Chapel chimney signals to observers that no decision has been made. Once a consensus is achieved, white smoke will appear, indicating that a new pope has been chosen.
As the Church prepares for the conclave, several high-ranking cardinals have emerged as potential successors to Pope Francis. 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 conclave concludes and white smoke rises above the Sistine Chapel, the identity of the next pope will remain a matter of global anticipation.
