How is a new Pope elected? Details explored in the wake of white smoke emerging from Sistine Chapel

White smoke has emanated from the Sistine Chapel chimney, indicating that a new pope has been elected.

On the second day of their conclave, cardinals elected their 267th pope to lead the Catholic Church and its 1.4 billion members, prompting bells to be rung from St Peter’s Basilica on Thursday evening, Al Jazeera has reported.

In the wake of the leading pope's demise, a papal conclave takes place, which is the gathering of the College of Cardinals who convene to appoint its successor.

The centuries-old tradition involves the selection of nine cardinals, all chosen at random, to bear the following roles: Three Scrutineers to oversee the voting, Three Infirmarii to collect votes from all those too sick to be in the chapel, and Three Revisers to verify the results.

In order of seniority, the cardinals approach the table in front of the altar, where the Scrutineers sit, to cast their ballot. After this, the first Scrutineer shakes the urn to mix the votes up, while the third counts the ballots.

If the number of ballots isn't aligned with the number of electors, voting is redone. If it is in order, the first Scrutineer unfolds the ballot, notes down the name, and hands it over to the second Scrutineer.

The second Scrutineer also notes down the name and hands it over to the third Scrutineer, who, in turn, reads the name out loud for all the cardinals to hear. As the name is read out, the third cardinal pierces the ballot with a needle through the word “Eligo” (“I elect”) and ties it to the other ballots.

Once this is done, the cardinals learn if they have a new pope, and the sewn-up ballots are then placed into a third urn, which is later burned. The smoke that billows from that fire tells the world if a new pope has been elected. A two-thirds supermajority vote is required to do this.

Everything we know about the new pope who will lead 1.4 billion Catholics across the globe

133 cardinals engaged in the conclave, though at the time of writing, the name of the new pontiff remains unclear. The new pope has been elected by at least 89 votes, or a two-thirds majority.

He will soon step out onto the balcony of St Peter's Basilica and wave to his constituents. This traditionally takes place within 30 to 60 minutes after the signal.

A cardinal will first step forward to announce the words “Habemus papam!” (We have a pope!), and the elected individual's birth name will be read aloud in Latin, followed by his elected papal name. The new pope will then briefly address the crowd and say a prayer.

His formal coronation will take place within days, though it remains to be seen if he follows in the footsteps of his last two predecessors, who were both inaugurated in St. Peter’s Square.

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When Pope Francis stepped out onto the balcony in 2013, he opted for simple white robes. He chose the name “Francis," a nod to Francis of Assisi, an Italian saint who renounced his lavish lifestyle to care for the poor and needy. At the time, he greeted the crowd with “Buona sera,” meaning “good evening.”

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