Cardinals have started arriving in Rome to prepare to elect a new Pope. 

The Conclave, the ancient and tightly choreographed ritual to elect a new pontiff, will begin on Wednesday, May 7, as they prepare to elect a new leader.

They have started moving into the Vatican accommodation, where they will stay during the conclave.

The group normally stays in the Vatican’s Santa Marta guesthouse, which has en-suite bathrooms and hotel-style room service, but there are not enough rooms for them all. 

On Monday afternoon, Vatican News confirmed that 170 Cardinals, including 132 with the right to vote, participated in the 11th General Congregation, a high-level pre-conclave meeting. 

According to Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, key themes included the faith of migrants, ethnocentrism, ongoing conflicts across Asia and Africa, and the Church’s future in a fractured world. 

‘The cardinals outlined the figure of a pastoral Pope,’ Bruni noted, ‘with a focus on dialogue and building relationships.’