Following the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88, the Vatican will go into a period of mourning, ushering in the selection of a new pontiff.

The selection process, which is very much a traditional one, has been updated in modern times and will see cardinals from around the globe converge for the conclave.

Typically taking place between two and three weeks, the choice of a new pope could stretch beyond that if the cardinals fail to agree on a successor promptly.

While the voting process is reportedly a secret affair, the world will bear witness to developing events in the Vatican amid intense scrutiny.

The mourning period

The period of the passing of one pope and the election of another is called the “Papal Interregnum”, and it began on Monday, April 21.

The decision on whether or not the funeral will take place rests with the cardinals, after which the conclave begins.

The mourning takes place for nine days and is known as the Novendiales.

According to tradition, the pope must be laid to rest between the fourth and sixth day after death.

Furthermore, the pope’s body must be displayed t St. Peter’s Basilica for mourning, and a mass will take place on each day.

The mourning period will be marked by a large funeral Mass at St. Peter’s, a historical event featuring notable dignitaries from around the world.

The election of a new pope

Traditionally, when a pope dies, a meeting is called by the dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals.

The gathering will have all cardinals eligible to vote (i.e. those below the age of 80). They usually travel to the Vatican to do this. According to reports, there are 136 eligible cardinals.

However, the maximum number of cardinals allowed to participate was set at 120 by John Paul II in 1996.

Conclave commences no later than 20 days after the pope’s demise.

Paper ballots are passed out to each cardinal within the Sistine Chapel, the codified home of the conclave.

The cardinals put down the name of their preferred candidate below the words “Eligo in Summum Pontificem” (Latin for “I elect as supreme pontiff”).

After the above, each cardinal, in order of seniority, walks to the altar to place his folded ballot into a chalice. The votes are then counted, and the result is read to the cardinals.

A cardinal who gets two-thirds of the vote becomes the new pope.