Vatican City: The Vatican announced on Monday that the conclave to elect a new pope will begin on May 7.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the election will be conducted in secret, requiring a two-thirds majority to elect a new pope. Some 135 cardinals, younger than 80 years of age, will be responsible for electing the new pope.
In the event that a new pope is not elected after three rounds of voting, the ballots are burned, and black smoke is emitted above St. Peter's Basilica, indicating a lack of unanimity among the cardinals. The conclave then resumes, and the election process starts anew.
If a candidate reaches the required majority, the ballots are burned in a manner that emits white smoke, signaling the successful appointment of a new pope, who would later appear on the balcony.