Chart of the week: Time taken to elect a new Pope

Conclave takes place 12 years after Pope Francis was elected

It has been two weeks since the death of Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio), the 266th pope and the first Latin American pontiff. On Wednesday the conclave, a centuries-old ritual to elect his successor, will begin.

What is the conclave?

After the death of a Pope, cardinals from all over the world arrive at Vatican City to elect the next head of the Catholic church. The conclave was established to prevent a prolonged period without a Pope, also known as the sede vacante.

Conclave comes from two Latin words: cum (with) and clavis (key). The process takes place behind closed doors with the cardinals isolated from the outside world, without a mobile phone signal.

How long does it take?

There is no specific duration for this process. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, the conclave used to take several days or months. The longest it took was six months, to elect Pope Benedict XIV in August 1740.

However, it has taken no more than five days in the current and previous century. The election of Pope Francis took two days.

Who votes?

Only cardinals under 80 years old are eligible to vote or be chosen as the new pontiff. They vote in secret, and after each vote, the ballots are burned.

Dark smoke rising from Vatican City's Sistine Chapel chimney indicates the conclave is continuing. When a cardinal wins two-thirds of the votes, the conclave ends. The ballots are burned, but this time the smoke is white, indicating "habemus papam" (we have a pope).