Hundreds of thousands of mourners were gathering at the Vatican to honor the life of Pope Francis on Saturday morning. But not long after the celebration of life concludes, senior officials of the Catholic Church will meet to discuss his successor.
After spending the majority of the year at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, Pope Francis died on Easter Monday from a stroke and irreversible heart failure. He was 88 years old.
Francis’ funeral is at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET) on Saturday in St. Peter’s Square, the large plaza in Vatican City. More than 200,000 mourners are expected to be in attendance, USA TODAY previously reported.
As the papacy remains vacant, here’s what to know about the selection of the new pope.
How is a new pope chosen?
The selection of a new pope is completed by what is known as a papal conclave.
A conclave is held by the College of Cardinals, which is made up of bishops and Vatican officials who were selected by the pope. During a conclave, this group of leaders begins by discussing the needs and challenges facing the Catholic Church. Then, the cardinals gather in St. Peter’s Basilica to invoke the guidance of the Holy Spirit about who should be the successor, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Before the election begins, the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel, take an oath of secrecy and seal the church’s doors, meaning only the electors are allowed inside.
More: Papal conclave: The step-by-step process used to elect new pope to succeed Pope Francis
As for the election itself, each cardinal votes by secret ballot. He says a prayer and then drops a twice-folded ballot in a large chalice, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Four rounds of voting are completed each day until one candidate receives two-thirds of the vote.
When will a new pope be chosen?
Typically, a conclave is held 15-20 days after a papal vacancy, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
However, the length of a conclave is dependent on how long it takes for one candidate to receive two-thirds of the cardinals’ votes.
The longest conclave in history lasted nearly three years (34 months, to be exact) with the election of Pope Gregory X in 1271, according to the Vatican’s news agency, EWTN Vatican. On the flip side, Pope Francis was elected just one day after the conclave began in 2013.
How is the public informed of the new pope?
Though conclaves are held in secret, members of the general public are informed of the cardinals’ decision each day by black or white smoke that billows from atop the Sistine Chapel.
If one candidate doesn’t receive the necessary two-thirds vote for the day, the ballots are burned in a stove mixed with chemicals to produce black smoke. This indicates another day of voting ahead.
If a candidate is selected, the ballots are burned with chemicals to produce white smoke.
Afterward, the senior cardinal deacon will announce the new pope from the balcony of St. Peter’s.
Contributing: Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].
