The Vatican has confirmed the process of electing the successor to Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, will begin on May 7. Some 135 cardinal electors will take part in a so-called "conclave,” a secretive gathering to appoint the next pope. The conclave will meet in the Sistine Chapel, which has been closed to tourists in preparation. The cardinals will vote until a candidate gains a majority. Each round of unsuccessful voting is signaled to the outside world by black smoke emerging from a