The Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto told TorontoToday Cardinal Frank Leo and retired archbishop Cardinal Thomas Collins are eligible to vote in the conclave As Toronto’s Catholic community mourns the death of Pope Francis, two of the city’s cardinals are likely preparing to journey to Vatican City to elect a new pope. Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, died on Monday at 88 years old. He was hospitalized in February for a respiratory illness that developed into double pneumonia. Today across Toronto, Catholics are attending prayer services and remembrance events for the former pope. Cardinal Francesco “Frank” Leo, one of two Toronto cardinals who will be eligible to vote to elect a new pope, invited the local community to pray for Pope Francis. “Since 2013, our shepherd has guided the flock lovingly and served as a global ambassador of peace, hope and love,” he wrote in a statement. “The Holy Father’s humility, compassion and care for others, most especially the poor and marginalized, has served as a powerful witness and a reminder of our daily call to reflect the face of Jesus to all those whom we encounter.” In March, the Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto confirmed to TorontoToday Cardinal Leo and retired archbishop Cardinal Thomas Collins are eligible to vote in the conclave. In Canada, two other cardinals will also be eligible to vote, Quebec’s Cardinal Gérald Lacroix and Cardinal Michael Czerny, who works at the Vatican. What is a conclave? Time will tell which Catholic cardinal will become the next pope and the bishop of Rome. As is tradition, the cardinals will gather in Vatican City to enter the conclave in order to elect a new pope. Cardinals under the age of 80 can cast a ballot after swearing an oath of secrecy. Cardinal Leo, 53, and Cardinal Collins, 78, are eligible to participate — though contact with the outside world is forbidden once they enter the conclave. A pope will be elected after a two-thirds majority of the cardinals vote for the same person. If two-thirds is not immediately reached, no pope is elected and voting continues until the 33rd round. At this point, if a pope has still not been elected, one of the two cardinals with the most votes will be elected in a runoff. A new pope is then announced via white smoke from a chimney on the Sistine Chapel. Bells are also rung at St. Peter’s Basilica. There has never been a Canadian pope. Who was Pope Francis? Pope Francis was the leader of the Catholic Church for 12 years after being elected in 2013. He was born Jorge Mario Bergolio in 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As well as being Latin America’s first pope, he was the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years. In Canada, Catholics are likely to remember Pope Francis for his historic apology for the legacy of residential schools in the country. Residential schools were government-sponsored religious institutions designed to assimilate Indigenous children throughout Canada. Students, who were ripped away from their families and cultures, faced incredible discrimination and violence. About 6,000 children are estimated to have died at residential schools, though records are incomplete. The last residential school closed in 1996, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia. During a trip to Canada in 2022, Pope Francis apologized and said members of the church carried out abuse, cultural destruction and forced assimilation of Indigenous Peoples. Pope Francis was the 266th pope in history. He is remembered by many as a progressive leader on issues like LGBTQ+ acceptance, women in religious leadership and his insistence the church should be for everyone. A 2021 census determined 11 million Canadians identified as Catholic, the second most popular response second only to those who said they do not have a religious affiliation.