India, May 7 -- Pope Francis, the Argentinian pontiff who died at the age of 88 last month, was laid to rest at Rome's Santa Maria Maggiore on April 26. With this, the Vatican Conclave is all set to gather to elect a new pope.

The Vatican announced that the secret conclave, where all the cardinals will gather to elect the next pope, will begin on May 7, Wednesday.

The pope, also known as the Bishop of Rome, is the head of the worldwide Catholic Church and the sovereign of the Vatican City.

The pope's duties are on both a spiritual and a political level. They give blessings, lead religious gatherings and celebrations, and meet with bishops from across the globe.

According to Canon 332 of the Church's Code of Canon Law, "The Roman Ponti...