More than 130 cardinals from across the world have gathered in the Vatican to begin the process of electing a new pontiff following the death of Pope Francis, the BBC reports.
This afternoon, they will walk to the Sistine Chapel to cast their votes beneath the famous Renaissance frescoes.
Once cardinals enter the chapel, around 17:30 local time (15:30 BST), they will have no communication with the outside world until a new Pope is elected.
This marks the beginning of the conclave – which comes from the Latin for “cum clave”, or “locked with key.”
After the first vote later today, smoke will emerge from the Sistine Chapel chimney – black smoke means more voting will take place tomorrow, white means we have a new pope.
The are no rules that forbid the Pope from being elected in the first vote, but it has not happened in centuries.
That first ballot is very important though, as the election is a numbers game: a two-thirds majority is needed to elect a new pope so cardinals will have to concentrate on candidates with a certain level of support.
