What to know about the conclave to elect the next pope

By VANESSA GERA Associated Press VATICAN CITY AP One hundred and thirty-three cardinals are sequestering themselves behind the Vatican s medieval walls for the start of a conclave starting Wednesday to elect a successor to Pope Francis Here are various things to know about the poll of the th pontiff of the Catholic Church which has billion faithful across the world Why is the conclave being held now The conclave was called after Francis died on April at age There was a delay between his death and the conclave to allow time for a funeral burial and a period of mourning It was also necessary to give cardinals time to arrive in Rome from all corners of the Earth and to let them get acquainted before entering the conclave an ancient ritual steeped in mystery and ritual What happens in a conclave The cardinals are cut off from the world at the Vatican between residences and the Sistine Chapel where they vote in secret and in silence beneath Michelangelo s famed ceiling fresco of the Creation and his monumental Last Judgment In this image made available on Tuesday May by Vatican Media Vatican Master of Ceremonies Archbishop Diego Giovanni Ravelli takes the oath of secrecy for all those assigned to the conclave during a ceremony in the Pauline Chapel at the Vatican Monday May Vatican Media via AP The process fictionalized in the political thriller Conclave is explained to be guided by the Holy Spirit and is designed to be both contemplative and free from outside interference Taking no chances the Vatican is asking cardinals to hand over their phones for the duration of the conclave and is deactivating cell phone coverage at the Vatican It also plans to use signal jammers around the Sistine Chapel and the Domus Santa Marta hotel and adjacent residence where the cardinals will sleep in order to prevent surveillance and communication with the outside world White or black smoke signals The electors cast paper ballots and voting continues until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority or votes After two rounds of voting ballots are burned in a special stove black smoke signals no decision while white smoke means a new pope has been chosen The Sistine Chapel where cardinals will gather to elect the new pope is seen Tuesday May Vatican Media via AP Electors must be under years old and are more geographically diverse than ever They represent Catholicism s growing presence in Africa Asia and Latin America as well as its traditional power base in Europe How long does it take The longest conclave in history lasted nearly three years but it s reasonable to assume that this conclave will be much much shorter Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti arrives at the Vatican Monday May to attend the General Congregation of cardinals in the New Synod Hall where they are preparing for the upcoming conclave starting on May to elect the th Roman pontiff AP Photo Andrew Medichini Cardinals this week stated they expect a short conclave though it will likely take at least a scant rounds of voting The conclave opens late afternoon Wednesday Cardinals are expected to hold the first round of voting on Wednesday but there is no requirement that they do so For most of of the past century it has taken between three and eight ballots to find a pope John Paul I the pope who reigned for days was elected on the third ballot in His successor St John Paul II needed eight Francis was elected on the fifth in Who are the contenders There are no official candidates for the papacy but chosen cardinals are considered papabile or possessing the characteristics necessary to become pope Related Articles Cardinals to begin the solemn and secret voting ritual to elect a new pope Watch live Cardinals vote to elect a new pope Top US representatives will meet with Chinese delegation in Switzerland in first major talks of exchange war Trump says only hostages held by Hamas in Gaza now presumed to be alive India fires missiles into Pakistani territory in what Islamabad calls act of war After John Paul II broke the Italian hold on the papacy in the field has broadened considerably such that cardinals from far-flung countries are now seen as contenders The past three popes have hailed from Poland John Paul II Germany Benedict XVI and Argentina Francis Of the cardinals expected to vote at the conclave were appointed by Francis They may feel a loyalty to continuing his legacy even though the late pontiff didn t choose cardinals based on ideology but rather for their pastoral priorities and geographical diversity Beyond that the cardinals will consider practical matters like age Picking a relatively young man say in his s could consequence in a papacy of years or longer Picking a pope from where the church is growing Asia or Africa could bring more upheaval to the Vatican s Italian-heavy bureaucracy that is still smarting from the Argentine pope s go-it-alone style What happens after a new pope is chosen Once a candidate receives the necessary votes and accepts he chooses a papal name and enters the Room of Tears named for the emotional weight of the responsibility ahead to don his papal vestments Papal vestments of three different sizes hang in the Room of the Tears a chamber next to the Sistine Chapel where the new pope dresses before appearing on the balcony at the Vatican Tuesday May Vatican Media via AP Minutes later he is introduced to the world from the balcony of St Peter s Basilica with the proclamation in Latin Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum Habemus Papam I bring you tidings of great pleasure We have a pope That will be right away followed by the revelation of his baptismal name in Latin followed by the papal name he has chosen A line that stretches back to St Peter and Jesus Every new pope is seen as a successor to St Peter the apostle concluded by Catholics to have been appointed by Jesus as the head of the church In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus tells him You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church a verse that forms the biblical basis for the papacy A Vatican employee annuls the papal seal on the pope s seal at the Vatican Tuesday May Vatican Media via AP According to tradition Peter traveled to Rome to spread the Christian message and was martyred there during the reign of the Emperor Nero around A D as Christians were being persecuted He was disclosed to be crucified upside down at his own request considering himself unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus St Peter s Basilica now stands over what is assumed to be his tomb Why does the pope matter beyond the Catholic Church Though the pope leads a religious institution his influence extends far beyond it Pope John Paul II played a pivotal role in supporting the Solidarity movement in his native Poland and encouraging resistance to Soviet domination in Eastern Europe His moral leadership was credited by a large number of with helping to hasten the end of the Cold War The intelligence-generated image of President Donald Trump dressed as pope fills the front-page of an Italian newspaper in Rome Sunday May AP Photo Bernat Armangue Pope Francis the first pontiff from Latin America became a prominent voice on global issues from setting change to migration and economic inequality He called for compassion toward refugees warned against the dangers of nationalism and urged action to protect the planet stances that resonated well beyond church walls and at times put him at odds with political leaders A name to signal a papal direction The first sign of the new pope s priorities will come in the name he chooses A Francis II might signal a new pope s embrace of Francis legacy of prioritizing the poor and marginalized a Pius would hint at a traditionalist restoration From John Paul to Benedict to Francis each name has carried historical weight and theological intent For the th pope it will be his first message to the world Associated Press religion coverage receives encouragement through the AP s collaboration with The Conversation US with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc The AP is solely responsible for this content