Opening the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith’s 2,000-year history, 133 cardinals on Wednesday began the centuries-old, clandestine process to choose a successor to Pope Francis with all the pomp, drama, and seriousness the Catholic Church can conjure.

Until they choose a new head for the church with 1.4 billion members, the cardinals from 70 nations will be isolated from the outside world, have their smartphones turned in, and have the airwaves surrounding the Vatican blocked to prevent them from communicating at all.

Of the 133, Francis named 108 “princes of the church,” selecting several pastors in his likeness from remote nations like Sweden, Tonga, and Mongolia that had never had a cardinal.

In a process that is typically full of mystery and suspense, his decision to go beyond the customary cap of 120 cardinal electors and include younger ones from the “global south,” those often neglected nations with little economic influence, has added an extraordinary amount of uncertainty.

There were concerns about how long it may take for one man to get the two-thirds majority, or 89 votes, required to become the 267th pope, since many had not seen one another until last week and bemoaned the need for additional time to get to know one another.

“Wait and see, a little patience, wait and see,” said Cardinal Mario Zenari, the Vatican’s envoy to Syria, who came for the last day of talks leading up to the vote.

“All out, then a final Mass”
First, the cardinals attend the last pre-conclave Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. The purpose of the Mass, which is said by Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, is to pray for cardinals to have the discernment, knowledge, and understanding necessary to choose a deserving new shepherd.

At Francis’ burial, Re, 91, gave a moving speech remembering the first Latin American pontiff in history and the reformist 12-year pontificate he presided over.

Chanting the Latin hymn “Veni Creator” and the contemplative “Litany of the Saints,” the cardinals enter the frescoed Sistine Chapel gravely at 4:30 p.m. (1430 GMT; 10:30 a.m. EDT), pleading with the saints and the Holy Spirit to assist them in choosing a pope.

They promise not to let “any interference, opposition or any other form of intervention” from outsiders affect their vote and to keep the details of what is about to happen secret until they arrive.

Each cardinal rests his hand on the Gospel while standing in front of Michelangelo’s depiction of heaven and hell in “The Last Judgment,” promising to fulfill his duty “so help me God and these Holy Gospels, which I touch with my hand.”

Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, the former preacher of the papal household, then gives a meditation. Archbishop Diego Ravelli, who is in charge of papal liturgical rites, yells “Extra omnes,” which translates to “all out.” After everyone who isn’t eligible to vote exits, the church doors shut and work can start.

Although they are not required to, the cardinals often conduct a first vote on Wednesday. Black smoke is predicted to emerge from the Sistine Chapel chimney at about 7 p.m., if no winner is discovered, according to the Vatican.

The Cardinals go out for the night and come back on Thursday. Until there is a winner, they may hold up to two ballots in the morning and two in the afternoon.

It will probably need at least a few voting rounds, even though cardinals last week said they anticipated a brief conclave. Finding a pope has required three to eight votes during the last century. On the third ballot, John Paul I, the pope who ruled for 33 days in 1978, was chosen. John Paul II, his successor, required eight. In 2013, Francis was elected on the fifth.

The difficulties a new pope faces
A new pope faces many obstacles, and the cardinals are debating whether to build on Francis’ progressive legacy of supporting women, LGBTQ+ acceptance, the environment, and migrants, or to reverse it in an effort to bring the church together after it became more divided during his pontificate. The pre-conclave discussions were clouded by the clergy sex abuse crisis.

Francis won 80% of the vote, so continuity seems probable, although it’s unclear what shape it will take.

Finding the front-runners has been difficult as a consequence. However, certain names continue to show up on lists of “papabile,” or cardinals who possess the necessary skills to become popes.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, is a prominent Italian by profession. As Francis’ secretary of state, he was known to all cardinals as Vatican No. 2.
– Filipino The 67-year-old Cardinal Luis Tagle is a strong contender to become the first Asian pope in history. He oversaw the Vatican’s evangelizing agency, which was in charge of the Catholic Church throughout much of the developing world, and had a similarly prominent position.
– The 72-year-old archbishop of Budapest, Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo, is a prominent contender who represents the church’s more conservative faction.

Voting is subject to a rigorous choreography that is governed by church law.

On a piece of paper with the inscription “Eligo in summen pontificem,” or “I elect as Supreme Pontiff,” each cardinal writes his selection. One by one, they make their way to the altar and declare: “I call as my witness, Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who, before God, I think should be elected.”

After being folded, the ballot is dipped into an oval silver and gold urn and put on a circular platter. Three distinct “scrutineers,” cardinals chosen at random, open each vote once it has been cast, writing down the names and reading them out loud. At the conclusion of voting, cardinals must give in their notes to be burnt, although they are allowed to maintain their own count on the supplied piece of paper.

The results of each round of voting are then totaled by the scrutineers, whose work is reviewed by other cardinals known as revisors. The results are then recorded on a different piece of paper that is kept in the papal archives.

The scrutineer binds the ballots with thread and knots them after puncturing each vote with a needle through the word “Eligo” as he reads out each name. After that, the votes are set aside and burnt in the chapel furnace with a chemical to either generate white smoke to proclaim the election of a new pope or black smoke to indicate that there is no winner.