Black or white smoke? Cardinals prepare to elect 276th pope
Cardinals and senior members of the Catholic church will gather on Wednesday for a conclave to determine the next pope.
FILE: Cardinals attend the late Pope Francis' funeral ceremony at St Peter's Square at the Vatican on 26 April 2025. Picture: AFP
JOHANNESBURG - It's the start of a defining week for the Catholic community as Vatican workers and church leaders get the final preparations underway before a new pope is announced.
Cardinals and senior Catholic church members will gather on Wednesday for a conclave to determine the next pope.
Over the weekend, a chimney was installed atop the Sistine Chapel to give hints to the public about how the papal selection process for selecting a successor for the late Pope Francis is going.
Pope Francis, the first non-European pontiff in nearly 1,300 years, succumbed to illness on Easter Monday at the age of 88.
READ: Cardinals meet ahead of vote for new pope
The 135 cardinals, all under 80 years old, will gather this week at the Vatican for a locked-door process that will pave the way for the Catholic Church.
Secretary of State for the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has been tipped to succeed Pope Francis, but more than a dozen others are in the running, including three from Africa.
Cardinal Robert Sarah from Guinea is the most high-profile of the trio, with the 79-year-old being an ally of the previous pope, Benedict, and having served as president of his Pontifical Council.
The College of Cardinals must vote until they reach a two-thirds majority.
With each vote, they burn their ballots on a stove.
Black smoke indicates that the Cardinals don't agree and must vote again.
When white smoke is seen from the chimney, it is a signal to the public that the Roman Catholic Church has a new leader.