Roman Catholic cardinals from across the globe are gathered at the Sistine Chapel to choose a new pope. He will head the 1.4 billion Catholic population around the world.
There are 133 cardinals who will cast secret ballots to elect a successor for Pope Francis who passed away recently. The cardinals will not have any contact with the outside world during this process called the conclave and they will not be allowed to leave until they reach an agreement.
Once the conclave reaches a decision, it will be signalled with a plume of white smoke from the Vatican roof. This will be the announcement of a new pontiff from a balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square and will be watched by governments and the faithful.
The papal conclave will start with a single ballot on the first day with four rounds of voting each day afterward until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote.This process could take weeks or maybe even more. The election of Pope Francis took only a few days and he was elected on the fifth ballot.
