Conclave to elect new pope readied in Sistine Chapel, Rome

The conclave to choose the next pope begins over in Rome on Tuesday local time.

The coming conclave is expected to be the largest in the history of the Catholic Church, with 133 cardinals from 70 countries set to gather in the Sistine Chapel.

Smoke from the chimney at the end of the day shows whether there has been a decision, with black smoke if no candidate has secured a two-thirds majority or white smoke if a new pope is selected.

If a pope is not chosen after three days of voting, cardinals take a break from voting for up to one day for prayer.

It took two days to elect Pope Francis back in 2013.