(ROME) -- There have been 266 popes in the Catholic Church's roughly 2,000-year history, which spans three millennia. With the death of Pope Francis, a series of formal events was immediately set into motion to elect the Church's next Supreme Pontiff.
That storied process is a mix of tradition, pageantry and practical necessity, one that has undergone many changes over the centuries but that has remained largely the same in modern history.
It begins, and ends, with what's known as the conclave.
With all eyes now on the Vatican, here's a look at the conclave and its role in electing the next head of the Catholic Church.
What is the conclave?
Simply put, a conclave is the assembly of cardinals that elects a pope. The word itself comes from the Latin "com" and "clavis," meaning "together" and "key," respectively – highlighting the absolute, behind-closed-doors secrecy with which the cardinals conduct their discussions and balloting.
The conclave assembles during the interregnum, which is the time period that begins upon the pontiff's passing and ends with the election of his successor, and generally convenes between 15 and 20 days after the pope's death. The same period of time, during which the papacy is vacant, is also known as the sede vacante, Latin for "vacant seat."
A pope’s body usually lies in state for three to five days to allow sufficient time for mourners to pay their respects. The funeral mass and burial must take place between the fourth and sixth day after the pope’s death. Out of respect for the late pope, formal decisions and conversations about the conclave do not begin until after the funeral, but it is safe to say that behind the scenes the cardinal electors and those who quietly would like to be pope have already started to discuss what type of pope the cardinals think best for the role.
What's a cardinal?
Cardinals are the highest-ranking clergy of the Catholic Church, after the pope. Originally, cardinals were the princes of the papal court. They often came from the powerful families of the Papal States. They wear red as a sign of their willingness to shed their blood for the pope and the Church.
Only the pope can make a clergy member a cardinal and, once appointed, they typically hold that title and position for life. As cardinals, they serve as advisors to the pope regardless of where they reside and often hold elevated positions within the Vatican.
Any member of Catholic clergy can be a cardinal but the appointment is traditionally reserved for high-ranking clergy such as bishops and archbishops. The pope reserves the right to make any member of the church a cardinal, including laity. Francis expanded the College of Cardinals beyond the large dioceses and archdioceses to create geographic and cultural diversity and to better represent the makeup of the laity and where the church is growing.
Selecting a pope as part of the conclave is considered a cardinal's highest duty. Those who do so are known as cardinal electors.
How many cardinals are in the conclave?
It varies. While all cardinals are summoned to the Vatican upon the pope's death, only those under the age of 80 are eligible to participate in the conclave. Those aged 80 and older can decline the summons if they wish, since they aren't allowed to be conclave members.
There are currently 252 cardinals worldwide. The preparatory meetings they have daily during the interregnum are collectively known as the General Congregation. Of the total number of cardinals, 135 are eligible to enter the conclave as cardinal electors. This will be the largest number of cardinals to participate in a conclave.
Who's in charge of the Vatican during the sede vacante?
The camerlengo, or chamberlain, of the Church runs things during the conclave, including overseeing the conclave itself.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, 77, the senior Vatican official who announced Pope Francis' death on Monday, April 21, will serve as the interim manager of the Vatican until a new pope is elected, according to Church officials. Pope Francis appointed Farrell as camerlengo in 2019.
Who's eligible to be elected pope?
Canon law says any unmarried, baptized male Catholic, clergy or not, is eligible to be pope. That said, only cardinals have been elected for the last 600-plus years, so being considered for the position in this case is very much the result of whom you know.
All likely or potential papal candidates are collectively known as "papabile." Politics and personalities aside, one of the paramount considerations when determining papabile is a candidate's age.
The ideal papal candidate is between 60 and 70 years old, with the ideal time in office considered to be from 10 to 12 years. If too young a pope is elected, he could end up overseeing and influencing church doctrine for decades, since only death or resignation would end their time in the office. Conversely, if too old a candidate is elected they may have little time to make an impact.
John Paul II, at 58, was young when elected and Francis, at 76, was considered old.
How secret are the conclave's discussions?
In a word? Very. Balloting takes place in the Sistine Chapel amid a level of security that wouldn't be out of place in a government situation room. Recording technology of any kind is forbidden, with technicians checking to ensure there are no secretly installed bugs or other like devices inside the Sistine Chapel or adjacent areas. Any handwritten notes cardinals may take during the proceedings are burned after each morning and afternoon session, along with that session's ballots.
During the conclave, the cardinals reside in private rooms in the Domus Marthae Sanctae, aka Saint Martha's House – essentially a hotel in the Vatican with dining facilities that typically houses visiting clergy and laity. Conclave members are sworn to absolute secrecy and have minimal contact with the outside world: Televisions, radios, phones, cameras, computers, newspapers and magazines are banned, and no written or verbal correspondence with anyone outside the conclave is allowed. Likewise, the Sistine Chapel, Domus Marthae Sanctae and other areas are off limits during the conclave to everyone other than cardinals and those people who have specific business there, such as service staff, support personnel and physicians.
Also, don't expect a cardinal to share any inside scoop after balloting is complete and the new pope is elected. That expectation of secrecy continues indefinitely, with only the pope himself possessing the authority to make exceptions.
What is the actual voting process like?
Though wreathed in centuries of elaborate ceremony and tradition, the balloting process itself is straightforward. Each conclave member writes his choice on a paper ballot slip, folds it once in half and carries it held aloft between two fingers as he walks to the altar and deposits it in an special urn placed there that is used only for that purpose. In order to make the balloting secret, conclave members are instructed to write their votes “as far as possible in handwriting that cannot be identified as his.”
Any conclave member who cannot make it in person to the Sistine Chapel due to illness or infirmity will cast their ballot from their room in the Domus Marthae Sanctae, where they're collected, placed in a lockbox and carried to the Sistine Chapel.
The votes are then counted by three scrutineers who affirm what is written on each ballot and then announce it to the conclave, so the cardinals can record the votes themselves. If the number of ballots cast is different than the number of cardinal electors, those ballots are discarded and burned and a new vote taken.
The candidate who first secures two-thirds of the votes is elected pope.
How long does it take to elect a pope?
A pope could be elected as soon as the first ballot, or the process could continue indefinitely. That said, since 1831 no conclave has lasted more than four days.
Up to four rounds of voting can typically take place in a day. If no clear choice has emerged after three days, balloting is suspended for 24 hours to allow cardinal electors time to reflect. Another seven rounds of balloting then takes place, followed by another break, and so on.
If no pope is elected after 33 or 34 votes – generally about 13 days – then a new rule introduced by Pope Benedict XVI decrees that the two leading candidates as determined by previous ballots engage in a runoff vote. The candidates themselves, if members of the conclave, cannot vote in the runoff but are present for it. Whichever candidate receives the necessary two-thirds majority of the votes is the new pope.
How does the conclave signal that they've elected a new pope?
Of all the ceremonies associated with electing a new pope, the one most familiar to the general public is the smoke that emanates from a stovepipe chimney atop the Sistine Chapel after every round of balloting.
Black smoke – fumata nera in Italian – indicates an inconclusive vote, while white smoke – fumata bianca – will signify that a new pope has been elected. Along with the white smoke, the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica will ring to proclaim the event to the world.
However, that ceremonial smoke isn't created by the burning of the ballots, as commonly believed – that's done in a stove that dates back to the 1922 conclave and is set up for the occasion in the Sistine Chapel. The smoke that wafts from the chimney is created using chemical pellets that are burned in another stove that's connected to the stovepipe chimney, which is temporarily erected atop the Sistine Chapel just for that purpose.
When is the pope's identity publicly revealed?
Assuming the elected cardinal accepts the office, the new pope's identity is revealed within an hour of the final ballot.
Before he's presented to the public, the new pope is also asked by what name he will be known. While popes have the option of keeping their baptismal name, every pope for the last 470 years has chosen to change his name, usually to honor a predecessor and to signal their intention to emulate his example. Pope Francis was a notable exception, instead choosing his name to honor St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th century cleric now celebrated in the church as the patron saint of animals and the environment.
The new pope is then attired in temporary vestments prepared in various sizes for the occasion and awaits his formal introduction by the senior cardinal deacon, who stands on the balcony on the facade of St. Peter's Basilica, overlooking St. Peter's Square, and declares in Latin: "Nuntio vobis gaudium magnum: habemus papam" – "I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope."
The new pope then emerges onto the balcony to present himself to the world and deliver his first blessing to the crowd gathered below in St. Peter's Square.
Although the elected pope immediately has full authority and jurisdiction, a ceremonial mass to install the new pope is held about a week after his election, either in St. Peter’s Square or St. Peter's Basilica, with cardinals, bishops and other international dignitaries present. Up until the middle of the last century the installation was a coronation with a three-tiered crown.
When does the conclave end?
As soon as the new pontiff has assented to his election, the conclave is over, though the assembled cardinals will remain at the Vatican until the attendant ceremonies are over. In 2013, Francis asked the cardinals to stay in the conclave for an extra day to pray with him.
ABC News' Phoebe Natanson contributed to this report.
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