How is a new Pope chosen? Papal conclave rules, traditions, who votes, smoke, and how long will it take?

The new Pope will be chosen in the Sistine Chapel, in the Vatican City. | Canva/Getty Images

On Saturday (April 26) Pope Francis was laid to rest at Santa Maria Maggiore basilica following a funeral in the Vatican.

Politicians, royalty and around 400,000 were in attendance to say farewell to the pontiff.

He had served as the Bishop of Rome since 2013 and was the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, as well as being the first born or raised outside of Europe since the 8th-century.

The process to appoint his successor will begin next week - in a process known as a papal conclave.

Here’s what will happen. You can check out the leading candidates here.

When does the conclave to elect a new Pope start?

It has been announced that the conclave will start on Wednesday, May 7.

Where does the conclave take place?

The conclave will take place in the Sistine Chapel, beneath the famous ceiling painted by Michelangelo. The chapel is location in the Vatican City.

Who votes for the new Pope?

The rules of the conclave say that cardinals under the age of 80 are invited to take part in the conclave. That means that the identity of the new Pope will be decided by 133 cardinals (out of a total of 252) from 71 countries. Italy has the most number of eligible cardinals (17), followed by the US (10) and Brazil (7).

Why is it called a conclave?

The word conclave comes gfrom the Latin for ‘key’, indicating that the cardinals are pretty much locked in until they pick a new Pope. Once they are assembled in the Sistine Chapel, "Extra Omnes" is proclaimed, meaning “Everyone else out” and the proceedings take place without any further contact with the outside world. Anyone who attempts to interfere can be excommunicated from the church.

Where do the cardinals sleep?

The cardinals clearly can’t debate 24 hours-a-day. They sleep in the Casa Santa Marta - a guesthouse inside the Vatican's grounds.

How long will the conclave last?

How long is a piece of string? Sometimes they take less than a day, while in 1268 the process took and unhelpfully-long time - nearly three years.

Expect it to take around three days if the last few conclaves are an indication.

How many votes are held?

On the first day only one vote is held, then four votes a day are held - two in the morning and two in the afternoon.

If no decision has been reached after three days, voting is suspended for up to one day to allow prayer.

How many votes are needed to become Pope?

A candidate must have a majority of two-thirds plus one to become Pope. That means that in the 2025 conclave the magic number is 89.

Does anybody know who voted for which candidate?

No. The cardinals are sworn to secrecy about the voting.

What happens when a decision is made?

After each vote the voting cards and tally sheets are placed in a stove and burned, with the resulting smoke appearing from the top of the Sistine Chapel.

If no decision has been reached then an additive is placed alongside the cards to produce black smoke, if a new Pope has successfully been elected then a different substance is added and the smoke will be white.

Huge crowds gather in St Peter’s Square to see the smoke after each vote.

What happen after the new Pope is elected?

Once the requisite number of votes have been obtained, the successful candidate will chose the name by which he would like to be know.

The new Pope then dresses in his new papal vestments (the right sizes for all prospective candidates are kept available) and sits on a throne in the Sistine Chapel to allow the cardinals to swear obedience to their new leader.

The senior cardinal deacon then makes an official announcement on central balcony of St Peter's Basilica, after which the Pope makes his firt public appearance to bless the crowds in St Peter's Square.