Intrigue and politics: How cardinals vote in secret for Pope's successor

AS tens of thousands of mourners flock to the Vatican in Rome to pay tribute to Pope Francis, the complicated and mysterious ritual of picking his successor begins.

- By Chris Riches

Viewers of hit movie Conclave will already have a rough idea of how the head of the Catholic Church is selected by cardinals.

The secrecy and intrigue of the process were popularised in the Bafta-winning and Oscar nominated film starring Ralph Fiennes.

Based on Robert Harris's novel, the 2024 thriller tries to depict the politics and ancient rites behind the Sistine Chapel's locked doors.

Now, having piqued curiosity among and beyond the Church's 1.4 billion followers, it has ended up coinciding with real life.

The new pope's election will give a fascinating insight into which direction the next papacy will head - towards modern liberal thinking or back to traditionalism.

Pope Francis was elected in 2013 and was more progressive than his predecessors - marking a change in tone on homosexuality, apologising for sex-abuse priests and holding sympathetic views on refugees and the environment.

Yet he held conservative opinions on abortion, gender reassignment, contraception and surrogacy. Cardinals who are in the running to be the next pontiff include liberals such as Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, of Manila, who would be the first Asian pope.

There are also centrists like Peter Turkson, 76, of Ghana, who would be the first black man in the role.

Hardliners include Peter Erdo, 72, of Hungary, or French Guinea's Robert Sarah, 79.

The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, the Holy Father.

Roman Catholics believe he represents a direct line back to Jesus Christ. He is considered a living successor to St Peter, who was chief among Christ's initial disciples, the Apostles.

That gives him full and unhindered power over the entire Church. While many Catholics often consult the Bible for guidance, they can also turn to the teachings of the Pope, which govern beliefs and practices.