Cardinals began the process of electing a new pope behind closed doors at the Vatican

The conclave has begun in the Vatican, during which 133 cardinals will have to elect a new pope.

The cardinals arrived in Rome at 10:00 local time and visited St. Peter's Basilica. After that, they returned to the residence of Santa Maria for lunch and at 16:30 they went to the Sistine Chapel, where the conclave will take place.

Before the election of the pope, the cardinals handed over their electronic devices. In the Sistine Chapel, the cardinals took an oath of secrecy, Diego Ravelli, who presided over the papal election, said the words "Extra Omnes" ("All of you go out"), after which those not participating in the conclave were asked to leave the room. After the doors were closed, secret voting began.

During the election, several voting sessions are held, and after each of them, ballots are lit. Smoke rises from the Sistine Chapel ceiling, indicating that a new pope has been elected. If the smoke is black, it means that one of the candidates has not received the required number of votes (two-thirds of the total votes plus one - that is, 89 votes), while if it is white, it means that the election has taken place.

On the first day of the conclave, only one round of voting will be held. The first smoke is expected to be after 19:00 local time.

Up to four voting sessions can be held each day during the first four days of the conclave: two in the morning and two in the afternoon. On the fifth day, voting is suspended, allowing the cardinals time for prayer and informal discussion. Voting is resumed within a day, and seven more rounds will be held before the next break. If no one has received the required number of votes within 33 rounds, the cardinals choose the two leaders who received the most votes in the previous rounds. The winner of the conclave simply needs to receive the most votes.

Pope Francis died on April 21 at the age of 88. He was elected in March 2013, succeeding Benedict XVI, who resigned due to health problems.

The conclave to elect a new pope can last from a few hours to days, weeks or even months. The longest conclave in Catholic history was held in the 13th century, when cardinals took 1,006 days to elect a successor to Pope Clement IV. The shortest conclave lasted just a few hours, was the election of Julius II in 1503.

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