From The Pillar:
Pope Francis has delegated Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda to develop draft revisions to the papal election process, in light of the approach to dialogue used during the synod on synodality, according to sources close to the Vatican’s Secretariat of State.
In a move that could see questions raised by members of the Church’s College of Cardinals, the pope has reportedly asked his senior ranking canon lawyer to develop possible amendments to Universi dominici gregis, Pope St. John Paul II’s 1996 apostolic constitution governing the events surrounding the death of a pope, and the election of his successor in a conclave.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, there are two key reforms under consideration for the papal election process. Both pertain to the “general congregations” of cardinals which precede the voting process for a new pope…
… According to senior sources, one proposed change would limit general congregations to the cardinals eligible to participate in the conclave election — those under 80 years of age.
The other prospective change would reportedly modify the format of the general congregation — limiting the opportunity for speeches to the whole College of Cardinals, which would be replaced by sessions of similar style to the synod of synodality, in which participants sit at round tables of 10 or so participants for “spiritual conversations,” followed by reports to the entire assembly summarizing those table discussions.
