Pallade Veneta - Cardinals set to pick conclave date to elect new pope

Dozens of so-called "Princes of the Church" from across the world have been gathering at the Vatican since the 88-year-old Argentine pontiff died on April 21.

But so far there are few clues as to who they might choose next.

"I believe that if Francis has been the pope of surprises, this conclave will be too, as it is not at all predictable," Spanish Cardinal Jose Cobo said in an interview published Sunday.

In previous conclaves, "you can see where things might go", he told El Pais newspaper, whereas this time many cardinals hail from beyond Europe and have not even met each other before.

Francis was laid to rest Saturday with a funeral and burial ceremony that drew 400,000 people to St Peter's Square and beyond, including royalty, world leaders and ordinary pilgrims.

Vast crowds also gathered Sunday to view his marble tomb in the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome, after the "pope of the poor" opted to be buried outside the Vatican's walls.

With conflicts and diplomatic crises raging around the world, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who under Francis was secretary of state -- the pope's number two -- is for many the favourite to succeed him.

British bookmakers William Hill put him slightly ahead of Filipino Luis Antonio Tagle, the Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Manila, followed by Ghana's Cardinal Peter Turkson.

Next in their odds comes Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, then Guinea's Cardinal Robert Sarah, and Matteo Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna.

- 'Right pope' -

Ricardo Cruz, 44, a data and artificial intelligence specialist who came to see Francis's tomb on Sunday, said that as a Filipino he hoped the next pope would be from Asia, but as a Catholic he just hoped the cardinals would pick the "right pope".

While Francis's efforts to create a more compassionate Church earned him widespread affection and respect, some of his reforms angered the Church's conservative wing, particularly in the United States and Africa.

Roberto Regoli, a professor of Church history and culture at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, told AFP the cardinals would be looking "to find someone who knows how to forge greater unity".

"We are in a period in which Catholicism is experiencing various polarisations, so I don't imagine it will be a very, very quick conclave," he said.

The cardinals have held general meetings since Francis's death to make decisions about the funeral and beyond.

At 9:00 am (0700 GMT) on Monday, they will hold their fifth meeting, at which they are likely to fix a conclave date.

Experts have suggested it may take place on May 5 or 6 -- shortly after the nine days of papal mourning, which ends on May 4.

So far, there has been an atmosphere of "great openness", Italian Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi told La Repubblica newspaper.

"There are different opinions, but there is a more spiritual than political or combative climate," he said Sunday.

- 'Courageous leader' -

There are 252 cardinals but only 135 of them are aged under 80 and therefore eligible to vote for a new pope.

Some 80 percent of the cardinal electors were appointed by Francis -- though that is no guarantee they will pick a successor in his likeness.

Most are relatively young, and for many it is their first conclave.

The vote, held in the Sistine Chapel with its 16th-century ceiling frescoed by Michelangelo, is highly secretive and follows strict rules and ceremonial procedures.

The process could take several days, or potentially longer.

There are four votes per day -- two in the morning and two in the afternoon -- until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority.

Fewer than half of those eligible to vote are European.

"We need a courageous leader, a bold one, capable of speaking forcefully, of holding the helm of the Church steady even in storms... offering stability in an era of great uncertainty."

R.Lagomarsino--PV