Editor’s note: This article was originally published on April 21. It was updated on April 28 with newly released details on the upcoming conclave.
Pope Francis died last week at age 88. As the world mourns the loss, the Catholic Church is preparing to choose his successor.
New popes are chosen through an event called the conclave, which brings together top Catholic leaders from around the world.
On Monday, the Vatican announced that the conclave to choose Pope Francis’ successor will begin on May 7.
Here’s how the process will work.
How does a conclave work?
A conclave is the gathering of Catholic cardinals that occurs when a new pope needs to be selected.
Ahead of the official start of the conclave, the cardinals meet at the Vatican to discuss challenges facing the church and what type of leader would be best suited to the present and future of Catholicism.
Cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to take part in the conclave. When it starts, they take an oath of secrecy and are secluded in the Sistine Chapel.
This year, 135 cardinals are eligible to take part in the conclave, but one has declined to participate because of his health, according to Religion News Service.
During the conclave, the 134 cardinals will participate in as many rounds of voting as are needed to select a new pope.
“Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote. The result of each ballot are counted aloud and recorded by three cardinals designated as recorders. If no one receives the necessary two-thirds of the vote, the ballots are burned in a stove near the chapel with a mixture of chemicals to produce black smoke,” per the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Once a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote and accepts the role of the pope, the final ballots are also burned, but they’re made to produce white smoke instead of black smoke.
How long will the conclave take?
The upcoming conclave will begin on May 7 and last as long as it takes to select a new pope.
In March 2013, Pope Francis was selected as pope about 24 hours after the conclave began, but there is no guarantee the process will move that quickly this time.
However, it’s unlikely that the process will take longer than a week.
“Since 1900, the average conclave has lasted three days,” per NBC News.