Conclave to select a new Pope begins today
As the Papal conclave begins, what is it and how long might it take?
The secret and elaborate voting tradition of electing a new Pope is going to begin in the Vatican City today.
It's an ancient and anonymous voting system to select the new leader of the Catholic church following the death of Pope Francis last month.
Here's everything you need to know about how it works:
What is a conclave?
This secret vote is carried out by cardinals and takes place in the Sistine Chapel, the term "conclave" is derived from Latin, meaning a room that locks up snugly.
Vatican News reports that 133 cardinals will take part in this conclave starting today (May 7th).
The day starts with a mass in St Peter’s Basilica before cardinals make their way to the Sistine Chapel and cut off all outside communication before casting their votes by the afternoon.
How long will this take?
Well, no-one knows, Cardinals can vote four times a day, twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon, except for the first day.
The past conclaves in 2005 and 2013 were relatively speedy affairs, lasting just two days each.
Who's likely to be the new pope?
Technically, any baptised Catholic man could be chosen. But realistically, it’s almost always a cardinal. While only cardinals under 80 years old at the pope's passing get voting rights, older non-voting cardinals could theoretically still be picked.
This conclave has been described as unpredictable, UK theologian Professor Anna Rowlands said this is because the make-up of this College of Cardinals is “very different from anyone that’s been here to elect a pope before”, with higher than usual numbers of electors from Africa and Asia, chosen by Pope Francis.
Catholic commentator Georgia Clarke said there is “a tension between wanting a scholar and wanting a pastor”.
She told PA: “We saw with Pope Benedict we very much had a scholar, and then in Pope Francis we very much had a pastor. Obviously it would be great if we could have both.”
Are there any favorites?
As the meeting is secret, it really is just speculation. But among the names being mentioned upon as possible successors are Cardinal Luis Tagle, a 67-year-old from the Philippines who was said to be Francis’s pick for the first Asian pope.
Others include Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, the Archbishop of Budapest; Cardinal Reinhard Marx, 71, the Archbishop of Munich and Freising; and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, an Italian who has served as Pope Francis’s secretary of state since 2014.
How about the UK and Ireland’s cardinals?
None from the UK or Ireland seem to be likely successors. Cardinal Sean Brady from Ireland and Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald from Birmingham, due to age, can’t vote. Cardinal Vincent Nichols from Liverpool and Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe from London, both taking part, have ruled themselves out as candidates already.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who's Irish-born but seen as an American cardinal, has been the organiser until a new pope is elected, ensuring everything goes smoothly during the transition.
When will we know a pope has been elected?
Eyes will be on the Sistine Chapel’s chimney. The ballots are burned after voting – with black smoke being emitted to indicate no-one has been elected while white confirms a new pontiff.
A two-thirds majority is required for a new pope to be elected.
Once a new pope accepts his election, it is usual that he would appear fairly quickly thereafter on the front balcony of St Peter’s Basilica which overlooks St Peter’s Square.
An announcement in Latin of “Habemus Papam” – meaning “we have a pope” is made alongside the new pontiff’s appearance.