The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has died.
After a period of official mourning, a process called the papal conclave will begin, where senior Catholic officials meet to elect the next head of the Church.
Voting is held behind closed doors and could take several days.
Here’s how it works.
Pope
Catholics believe the Pope is God’s representative on Earth, and that any official declarations by the Pope cannot be wrong because they come through him from God. The role of the Pope has existed since the earliest days of the Church. Catholics believe the first pope was Jesus Christ’s disciple Saint Peter.
Today, the Pope is the head of state of Vatican City, a city-state inside Rome.
The Vatican is both a sacred site for Catholics and the Church’s headquarters. It has observer status at the United Nations and its population is mostly Church staff.
Conclave
The next Pope will be selected by the College of Cardinals. While any Catholic man can become Pope under Church law, in practice, only members of the College are nominated.
Cardinals are senior advisors to the Pope, chosen by him and his predecessors from around the world.
During the voting period, called a ‘conclave’, members of the College will not be allowed to speak to anyone in the outside world. Only cardinals under the age of 80 can vote, meaning about half of the College will decide the next Pope.
Voting takes place in the Sistine Chapel until one cardinal secures a two-thirds majority of votes. The process typically takes days.
At the end of each round, the world is told whether or not the College has reached a consensus through different colours of smoke, produced partly by the ballots being burned.
If the cardinals have not elected a new pope, black smoke is sent into the sky. If they have chosen a pope, white smoke is sent up.
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A cardinal will then appear on a balcony at St Peter’s Basilica and announce the Latin phrase “habemus papam” — “we have a pope”.
Next steps
Following the announcement, the new Pope will appear on the balcony to gathered crowds of Catholics and the press.
He will take a new name representing how he plans to approach the role. For example, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became Pope Francis I because he said he wanted to emulate Saint Francis of Assisi’s care for the poor.
Popes can take the same name as previous pontiffs, adding a Roman numeral. For example, if the new Pope takes the name John, he will be John XXIV (the 24th).
Contenders
It is impossible to know who the frontrunners will be when the cardinals actually begin voting, because the conclave is held behind closed doors.
International media outlets have proposed some possibilities, however.
Cardinal Luis Tagle, former archbishop of Manila, is widely considered the closest to Francis in terms of social justice and Church leadership. Aged 67, if elected, he would be the first Pope from East Asia.
Cardinal Péter Erdő, the archbishop of Budapest, is a conservative who worked effectively with the progressive Francis. The 72-year-old has strong connections with European and African bishops, who could vote as a bloc to elect him.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin was the Pope’s second-in-command. Parolin, 70, previously worked as a Church diplomat, negotiating key agreements. He met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance last week. A Vatican statement said the meeting included “an exchange of opinions” about “migrants, refugees, and prisoners.”
There is some speculation about how the makeup of the College of Cardinals could influence voting.
Pope Francis appointed the majority of the members of the College who are eligible to vote in this conclave.
It is possible the cardinals Francis appointed share his worldview, leading to the election of another progressive Pope.
Francis appointed Australia’s only cardinal, Mykola Bychok, in 2024. Bychok, 44, is the youngest member of the College. He was born in Ukraine and moved to Australia in 2020.
