AP PHOTOS: The death of a pope begins a centuries-old ritual to elect his successor
AP PHOTOS: The death of a pope begins a centuries-old ritual to elect his successor
A cardinal walks past the body of Pope Francis, who will lie in state for three days, after it arrived in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
People gather in St. Peter’s Square as they await the arrival of the body of Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
The procession with the body of Pope Francis, who will lie in state for three days, enters St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
People queue to pay their respect to the late Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
People queue in St. Peter’s Square to pay their respect to the late Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
People walk past a wooden board where work in progress is taking place on the spot where Pope Francis will be buried, inside St. Mary Major basilica, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
A woman walks past a wooden board where work in progress is taking place on the spot where Pope Francis will be buried, inside St. Mary Major basilica, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Faithful and nuns walk inside in St. Mary Major basilica, where Pope Francis will be buried, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Faithful pray before the Salus populi Romani (Salvation of the people of Rome), a Byzantine-style painting that features an image of Mary, draped in a blue robe, holding the infant Jesus who in turn is holding a jeweled golden book, inside St. Mary Major basilica, where Pope Francis will be buried, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
In this photo from files taken on April 18, 2005 and released by the Vatican paper L’Osservatore Romano, Cardinals walk in procession to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, at the beginning of the conclave. (Osservatore Romano via AP, File)
Tables and chairs line the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in preparation for the conclave, on April 16, 2005. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito, File)
A visitor walks through the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)
A view of the Cardinals’ tables in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, Aug. 25, 1978. The conclave will celebrate Mass here for prayers for inspiration to elect the successor of the late Pope Paul VI. (AP Photo, File)
Black smoke indicating that no pope is elected emerges from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel at right, behind St. Peter’s Basilica, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, file)
White smoke is seen billowing out from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and announcing that a new pope has been elected on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)
Black smoke emerges from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel as cardinals voted on the second day of the conclave to elect a pope in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
Members of security are silhouetted by the windows of the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, ahead of the arrival of the body of Pope Francis inside the basilica, where he will lie in state for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, Pool)
Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who chose the name of Pope Francis, looks out to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after being elected 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, file)
A cardinal walks past the body of Pope Francis, who will lie in state for three days, after it arrived in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A cardinal walks past the body of Pope Francis, who will lie in state for three days, after it arrived in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
People gather in St. Peter’s Square as they await the arrival of the body of Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
People gather in St. Peter’s Square as they await the arrival of the body of Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
The procession with the body of Pope Francis, who will lie in state for three days, enters St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
The procession with the body of Pope Francis, who will lie in state for three days, enters St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
People queue to pay their respect to the late Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
People queue to pay their respect to the late Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
People queue in St. Peter’s Square to pay their respect to the late Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
People queue in St. Peter’s Square to pay their respect to the late Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
People walk past a wooden board where work in progress is taking place on the spot where Pope Francis will be buried, inside St. Mary Major basilica, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
People walk past a wooden board where work in progress is taking place on the spot where Pope Francis will be buried, inside St. Mary Major basilica, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
A woman walks past a wooden board where work in progress is taking place on the spot where Pope Francis will be buried, inside St. Mary Major basilica, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
A woman walks past a wooden board where work in progress is taking place on the spot where Pope Francis will be buried, inside St. Mary Major basilica, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Faithful and nuns walk inside in St. Mary Major basilica, where Pope Francis will be buried, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Faithful and nuns walk inside in St. Mary Major basilica, where Pope Francis will be buried, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Faithful pray before the Salus populi Romani (Salvation of the people of Rome), a Byzantine-style painting that features an image of Mary, draped in a blue robe, holding the infant Jesus who in turn is holding a jeweled golden book, inside St. Mary Major basilica, where Pope Francis will be buried, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Faithful pray before the Salus populi Romani (Salvation of the people of Rome), a Byzantine-style painting that features an image of Mary, draped in a blue robe, holding the infant Jesus who in turn is holding a jeweled golden book, inside St. Mary Major basilica, where Pope Francis will be buried, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
In this photo from files taken on April 18, 2005 and released by the Vatican paper L’Osservatore Romano, Cardinals walk in procession to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, at the beginning of the conclave. (Osservatore Romano via AP, File)
In this photo from files taken on April 18, 2005 and released by the Vatican paper L’Osservatore Romano, Cardinals walk in procession to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, at the beginning of the conclave. (Osservatore Romano via AP, File)
Tables and chairs line the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in preparation for the conclave, on April 16, 2005. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito, File)
Tables and chairs line the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in preparation for the conclave, on April 16, 2005. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito, File)
A visitor walks through the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)
A visitor walks through the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)
A view of the Cardinals’ tables in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, Aug. 25, 1978. The conclave will celebrate Mass here for prayers for inspiration to elect the successor of the late Pope Paul VI. (AP Photo, File)
A view of the Cardinals’ tables in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, Aug. 25, 1978. The conclave will celebrate Mass here for prayers for inspiration to elect the successor of the late Pope Paul VI. (AP Photo, File)
Black smoke indicating that no pope is elected emerges from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel at right, behind St. Peter’s Basilica, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, file)
Black smoke indicating that no pope is elected emerges from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel at right, behind St. Peter’s Basilica, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, file)
White smoke is seen billowing out from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and announcing that a new pope has been elected on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)
White smoke is seen billowing out from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and announcing that a new pope has been elected on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)
Black smoke emerges from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel as cardinals voted on the second day of the conclave to elect a pope in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
Black smoke emerges from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel as cardinals voted on the second day of the conclave to elect a pope in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
Members of security are silhouetted by the windows of the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, ahead of the arrival of the body of Pope Francis inside the basilica, where he will lie in state for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, Pool)
Members of security are silhouetted by the windows of the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, ahead of the arrival of the body of Pope Francis inside the basilica, where he will lie in state for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, Pool)
Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who chose the name of Pope Francis, looks out to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after being elected 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, file)
Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who chose the name of Pope Francis, looks out to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after being elected 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, file)
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The death of a pope triggers a centuries-old ritual to elect a new one, involving sacred oaths, the piercing of ballots with a needle and the white or black smoke to signal whether cardinals have chosen a new leader for the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.
Pope Francis’ death at 88 early Monday set off the process. His body has been moved to St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing ahead of his funeral on Saturday with world leaders in attendance. Francis will be buried, according to his wishes, in a simple underground tomb at St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome.
Next comes the secretive conclave for the election of the next pope. The gathering begins and ends with ritual words in Latin: “Extra omnes,” or “Everyone out,” expelling all but voting cardinals from the Sistine Chapel where balloting takes place. It ends with the victorious cardinal uttering, “Accepto,” or “I accept,” the two-thirds majority required to become pope. During the conclave, the cardinals gathered beneath Michelangelo’s frescoed ceiling are forbidden from communicating with the outside world.
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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.