Cardinals from five continents held a final mass at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Wednesday before sealing themselves away to elect a new pope to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics faithful.
The mass was the last rite to be celebrated publicly before the Church’s 267th pope is presented to the world from a balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, likely several days later.
Francis and his predecessor, Benedict XVI, were elected within two days, but the longest papal election in Church history lasted 1,006 days, from 1268 to 1271.
This is the largest conclave ever, and it includes clerics from around 70 countries. The next pontiff must secure at least 89 votes, representing two-third majority.
A total of 133 cardinal electors are expected to participate in the conclave, the voting process to pick a successor to Pope Francis, who died last month after a 12-year papacy.
The cardinals will be sequestered from the outside world, their mobile phones surrendered, and cell connections around the Vatican jammed to prevent them from communicating until they choose a new leader for the Catholic Church.
No clear frontrunner has emerged from among the prelates, who represent a range of progressive and conservative traditions within the Church, and the contest to lead the 2,000-year-old institution appears wide open.
The process of the conclave began at 10:00 CET. At 16:30 CET, the cardinals will walk into the Sistine Chapel, chanting the meditative “Litany of the Saints” and the Latin hymn “Veni Creator,” imploring the saints and the Holy Spirit to help them pick a pope.
Once there, they pledge to maintain secrecy about what is about to transpire and not to allow “any interference, opposition or any other form of intervention” from outsiders to influence their voting.
After that, the retired preacher of the papal household, Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, delivers a meditation.
The master of papal liturgical ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, calls out “Extra omnes,” Latin for “all out.”
Anyone not eligible to vote then leaves, and the chapel doors close, allowing the process to begin.
The first vote is expected by Wednesday evening. Assuming no winner is found, the Vatican said black smoke could be expected from the Sistine Chapel chimney at around 7 pm.
Up to two ballots from Thursday can be held in the morning and two in the afternoon until a winner is found.
While cardinals this week said they expected a short conclave, it will likely take at least a few rounds of voting.
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