How is new pope chosen after death of Pope Francis?

In the coming days, the most senior members of the Catholic Church will gather behind the locked doors of the Vatican, beginning one of the world’s most secretive and sacred traditions — the papal conclave — to elect the next leader of the Catholic Church.

The ritual, steeped in more than 800 years of tradition, will unfold in the Sistine Chapel, where the College of Cardinals will select a successor to Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88. Francis, the 266th pontiff, was a historic figure — the first pope from the Americas and the first non-European leader of the Church in more than a thousand years.

The term conclave comes from the Latin cum clave, meaning "with key," a reference to the intense secrecy surrounding the process. Once inside, the cardinal electors take a solemn oath of "absolute secrecy" before casting their ballots.

Voting proceeds in up to four rounds per day until a candidate achieves a two-thirds majority. If no consensus is reached, the ballots are burned with special chemicals to release black smoke, a signal to those waiting outside that no pope has been chosen. When a candidate finally secures enough votes and accepts the role, white smoke is released, marking the selection of a new pontiff.

Though historically these deliberations could drag on — the 13th-century conclave that elected Pope Gregory X took nearly three years — modern conclaves tend to be swifter. In fact, the longest conclave of the 20th century lasted only five days. When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, the decision came within just 24 hours of the conclave’s start.

Now, following the end of Francis’ papacy, cardinals from around the world are expected to arrive in Rome within the next two to three weeks. They will carry the weight of choosing the next "representative of God on Earth" — a decision with global spiritual and political implications.

The world watches once again as the Vatican prepares for white smoke to rise.