The Vatican has announced that a secret conclave of cardinals will convene next month to choose the next pope.
About 135 cardinals from across the globe will participate in the private gathering, which will begin on May 7 inside the Sistine Chapel.
It comes after Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88, and his burial was conducted on Saturday.
Although there is no set timeframe for choosing the next pope, the two conclaves that have already taken place—in 2005 and 2013—have only lasted two days.
Cardinals will participate in a sombre ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica, according to Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni. Those who are eligible to vote will then congregate in the Sistine Chapel for the confidential ballot.
Cardinals are prohibited from communicating with the outside world after they enter the Sistine Chapel until a new Pope is chosen.
The cardinals will vote up to four times each day following the first round on the first day of the conclave.
A two-thirds majority is needed to install a new pope, and that may take some time.
Each cardinal votes on a plain card that reads, "I elect as Supreme Pontiff" in Latin. They then write the name of the candidate they have selected on the card.
The cardinals may take a day off for prayer if the conclave ends its third day without making a decision.
The world will be looking for the smoke coming from the chimney outside the Sistine Chapel.
Another voting round will be held if the smoke is black. The selection of a new pope is indicated by white smoke.
Heads of state, heads of government, and monarchs from all across the globe attended Pope Francis' burial.
Pope Francis' burial was conducted in St. Peter's Square on Saturday, and hundreds of mourners were joined by politicians and members of the royal family.
Before 91-year-old Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re delivered a sermon on the pope's legacy, hymns were played on enormous speakers, periodically overpowered by the sound of helicopters buzzing above.
Following a ceremony, throngs of people gathered in Rome's streets to witness the journey of the Pope's casket to Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, his last burial place.
As the funeral, a converted white popemobile, crossed the Tiber River and passed some of Rome's most recognised landmarks, including the Forum, the Colosseum, and the Altare della Patria national monument on Piazza Venezia, 140,000 people reportedly lined the streets, cheering and waving.
Images of Pope Francis's tomb inside the cathedral were made public on Sunday. They showed a crucifix lit by a single lighting under a single white rose resting on the stone that carries his name throughout his papacy.
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