BEHIND THE VATICAN WALLS CONCLAVE EXPLAINED

WHO WILL BE VOTED IN AS THE 277TH POPE?

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With the world’s eyes currently trained on the Vatican, a sea of red cloaks entering the Sistine Chapel means one thing — a new pope is about to be elected.

Around 135 cardinals from all corners of the globe will meet in a conclave this week on May 7 to discuss the future of the Catholic church. They will then cast their vote on who will next take the reins of the religious institution.

The closed-door meeting comes 16 days after the death of Pope Francis. The 88-year-old died on April 21 following a stroke. Vatican legislation states the conclave must meet within 20 days of the Pope’s death to participate in the secret ballot.

While there is no timescale for how long it can take to elect the next pope, the previous two conclaves finalised their decision in just two days.

As explained by Darius von Güttner Sporzynski, Historian and Dean of the Australian Catholic University’s Canberra campus, cardinals will cast two ballots each morning and two each afternoon, until a consensus of two-thirds majority is reached.