Cardinals begin conclave voting process inside Sistine Chapel to elect Pope Francis's successor

The cardinals conscionable finished singing a profound Latin hymn, Veni Creator, alongside a choir successful the Sistine Chapel.

Following this is simply a infinitesimal of soundless prayer. Then, a corporate oath among the cardinals. Each cardinal besides takes their ain idiosyncratic oath connected the gospel, Perlich explains.

You tin spot each of the 133 cardinals approaching the gospel and placing his manus connected it portion taking the oath.

“This volition hap again and again successful the procedure,” Perlich says.

As Reuters explains, aft the cardinals person pronounced their oath, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the Vatican's maestro of ceremonies, volition pronounce the Latin command: "Extra omnes!" (All out!), telling each those not progressive successful the gathering to leave.

Cardinals taking their places

The cardinals, inactive chanting, are starting to basal astatine their places down agelong tables.

Each cardinal is fixed a conclave regularisation book, notebook, blotter and pens, Perlich explains. At the extremity of conclave, each the notes are burned.

As the CBC’s Vatican expert David Perlich explained connected News Network, the cardinals deterioration reddish — scarlet, to beryllium circumstantial — to symbolize their willingness to dice for their religion and for their church.

The procession of the 133 cardinals is inactive continuing.

Prayers person started, signalling the opening of the procession into the Sistine Chapel. The cardinals are singing The Litany of the Saints arsenic they walk, a supplication to inquire for assistance successful the conclave process.

You tin spot the seriousness and solemnness connected the faces of the cardinals arsenic they participate the chapel.

How agelong could voting take?

Officially, arsenic agelong arsenic it takes.

The archetypal ballot is expected to beryllium formed this evening (early day ET), according to the Vatican News, If the fume is black, the cardinals volition discontinue for the evening and get backmost to voting tomorrow, with the 4 ballots per day.

For the past century, it has taken betwixt 3 and 8 ballots to find a pope. Pope Francis, for instance, was elected connected the 5th ballot successful 2013.

But the longest conclave? That took astir 3 years. We person to spell backmost to the 13th century, but the conclave to take Pope Clement IV's successor took 1,006 days.

The citizens of Viterbo, northbound of Rome (where that conclave took place) were truthful frustrated by the process that they really locked the cardinals successful the room.

Which is however we got the sanction conclave, which again, means “locked room.”

We tin expect this conclave to determination on much quickly. It’s been astir 200 years since conclave took longer than a week.

Hi, I'm Verity, and I'll beryllium curating your unrecorded updates contiguous arsenic we travel the conclave — the secretive process by which the Roman Catholic Church elects a caller pope.

Here's a small spot astir however the conclave works: 133 cardinal electors from astir the satellite are gathering successful the Vatican this year. Typically, the fig of electors is capped astatine 120 and this twelvemonth is the largest fig of electors successful history.

Only cardinals nether the property of 80 are eligible to vote. When the voting process begins, they each constitute a sanction connected a insubstantial ballot and spot it successful a chalice astatine the altar of the Sistine Chapel. Their ballots are secret.

To beryllium elected, a cardinal indispensable person two-thirds of the votes — oregon 89 ballots. Ballots are burned, resulting successful the celebrated smoke. Black fume means nary caller pope yet. White fume means a pope has been elected. The cardinals ballot successful up to 4 rounds each time until 1 sanction reaches the two-thirds threshold.

Once, and if, the elected cardinal accepts, helium indispensable take a papal name. Then, helium changes retired of his reddish garments into achromatic papal robes and is presented to the satellite connected the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, with the announcement: Habemus papam — We person a pope.

Good morning,

I’m a elder writer with CBC News and I’ll beryllium helping with our unrecorded sum today. I’m reporting from Kingston, Ont., wherever similar galore of you, I’ll beryllium watching our chimney cam for signs of achromatic smoke.

Why don’t we commencement with immoderate basics and what we tin expect to happen:

Conclave is the gathering of cardinals to elite a caller pope. The papal conclave voting is intentionally shrouded successful secrecy — the word itself is Latin for "locked room."

The conclave's archetypal time begins with a peculiar mass, a procession of voting-age cardinals into the Sistine Chapel (which volition hap astatine 10:30 a.m. ET), an oath to support the upcoming proceedings a secret, and past the doors are sealed.

After that, there’s nary existent timeline to prime a caller pope, though cardinals person said they expect this conclave to beryllium short.

The cardinals don't person to instrumentality a archetypal ballot connected Wednesday, but they usually do. Assuming nary victor is found, the Vatican said achromatic fume could beryllium expected retired of the Sistine Chapel chimney astatine astir 1 p.m. ET.