Conclave LIVE: Secret election for new Pope begins today - see how it will work
An ancient tradition to select the Roman Catholic Church's new Pope will begin today, in a process shrouded in secrecy and ceremony.
Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, announced the sad news the Pope passed away at around 7.30am on April 21. The 88-year-old suffered health issues for several months after being admitted to the Gemelli hospital in Rome for treatment for bronchitis on February 14 which developed into double pneumonia. His death came just hours after the Pope blessed Easter crowds on Sunday from the Popemobile.
And now the secretive process for selecting a leader for the one billion followers of the religion begins. Following a special mass in St Peter's Basilica, a group of cardinals will go into the Sistine Chapel where they will have no contact with the outside world until white smoke rises into the air in Vatican City to confirm there is a new pope.
The term conclave itself is Latin for "locked room" and only cardinals aged under 80 get a chance to vote. The world currently has 252 cardinals, of which 138 fit the age requirement. It's not clear how the 120 are chosen, again another secret only known by those inside the conclave.
Up to four votes will be had each day apart from the first, as proceedings will not get under way until the afternoon. A two-thirds majority is required for someone to be elected. The anonymous ballots are burned after voting, with black smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel indicating no-one has been elected but white smoke confirming a new pope has been chosen.
17:35Sophie Bateman
Eerie photos show Vatican in preparation
Photos inside the Vatican reveal how the holy spaces are prepared for the selection of the next Pope.
Tables and chairs line the Sistine Chapel, which has been closed off to the public for the duration of the conclave, as 133 cardinals are set to gather for a top-secret discussion that will only end when they have chosen the successor to Pope Francis.
The chapel, which is decorated with frescoes by Renaissance painters including Michelangelo and Botticelli, has been swept for hidden cameras and recording equipment to ensure the conclave remains shrouded in secrecy. Even the windows have been coerced to prevent drones from looking inside.
Images also show the "Room of Tears", a small room next to the Sistine Chapel, with the vestments of the next Pope displayed in three different sizes.
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