The solemn and secretive process to elect a new pope will begin Wednesday morning in the Sistine Chapel, following the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at the age of 88.
According to the Vatican News, 173 Cardinals, including 130 Cardinal electors, participated in the twelfth General Congregation. The cardinals, all under the age of 80 and drawn from 71 countries, will enter the conclave after a special Mass in St Peter’s Basilica.
Once inside, they will be cut off from the outside world until a new pontiff is chosen. The conclave, rooted in centuries of ritual, opens with oaths of secrecy under threat of excommunication. Once a pope is elected, he will be asked two questions: acceptance and name choice.