The Vatican confirmed that all 133 cardinals who will vote for the new pope have arrived in Rome ahead of the conclave this week.
The Vatican reported that the cardinals will begin gathering in private at the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday at 4:30 pm (1430 GMT).
The cardinals will continue voting until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority and is chosen as the new leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
The conclave will begin on Wednesday morning with a special Mass held in St. Peter’s Basilica.
In the afternoon, the cardinals will march into the Sistine Chapel, which is known for its famous Michelangelo frescoes, to begin the voting process for the next pope.
The cardinals will vote once on Wednesday afternoon. After that, they will cast two votes each day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. A two-thirds majority is required to elect a pope.
If no pope is elected after three days of voting, the cardinals will pause for a day of prayer before continuing the election process.
To inform the public of the results, the cardinals will burn their ballots in the chimney above the chapel. The color of the smoke will indicate the outcome: black smoke means no decision was made, and white smoke means a pope has been chosen.
