The world’s Roman Catholic cardinals begin selecting the next pope at the Vatican today.
A total of 133 cardinals from 70 countries are now in Rome for the papal conclave. They are sequestering themselves behind the Vatican’s medieval walls with no outside communication as they seek to elect the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
The cardinals took part in a mass in St. Peter’s Cathedral this morning before going to the Sistine Chapel to begin the voting.
They’re expected to vote just once today, but can vote up to four times a day – twice in the morning and twice in the evening. The electors cast paper ballots, and voting continues until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority, or 89 votes.
Assuming no one is elected on the first round of voting, black smoke would be expected to be seen coming from the Sistine Chapel chimney at around 7 p.m.
But the Catholic faithful will be hoping to see white smoke, which signifies their new leader has been chosen.
The first vote is significant because it should reveal the frontrunners. The voting should wrap up by the end of the week.
Whoever is chosen will be the successor to Pope Francis, who died in April at the age of 88.
