The 133 cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church have entered the traditional conclave to elect a new pope, where they will remain in seclusion until a new spiritual leader is chosen.
The historic process to elect a new pope began after the death of Pope Francis last month.
The cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel after a prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican to begin the secret ballot. Only one vote will be cast on the first day, after which a maximum of four votes can be cast each day.
Smoke from burning ballots will rise from the chapel’s roof after the vote. Black smoke will mean no election, while white smoke and the sound of bells will indicate the election of a new pope.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, prayed that the new pope would be someone who “looks intently at the world.”
A record 133 cardinals from 70 countries are taking part in the conclave, up from 115 when Pope Francis was elected in 2013.
This suggests that Pope Francis has sought to expand the church to the far corners of the world.
No clear candidate has emerged so far, but Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are considered strong candidates.
Other possible names include Jean-Marc Evelyn of France, Peter Erdo of Hungary, Robert Provost of the United States and Italian Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa of Jerusalem.
The Vatican has used advanced technology to prevent the leakage of any information during the conclave, including jammers to prevent any confidential conversations from being leaked.
Several cardinals have expressed hope that the election will be completed quickly so as not to create the impression of division or disorientation within the church.
80% of the cardinals in the current conclave were appointed by Pope Francis, so it is likely that the new pope will continue his reforms.
