The date was decided during a closed-door meeting of Cardinals at the church’s headquarters at the Vatican, in Italy. The Cardinals had met for the first time since the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday. An official announcement was expected later in the week.

Some 135 cardinals, all under the age of 80 and from across the world, are eligible to take part in the conclave and decide who should be the next leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church.

The previous two conclaves, held in 2005 and 2013, lasted just two days.

---Reuters---