Francis’ successor will be selected by cardinals at the conclave that began on May 7. Cardinals, known as the “princes of the church,” rank just below the pope in the Roman Catholic Church; together, they are known as the College of Cardinals. When a pope dies, the college chooses a successor.

Following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, cardinals are meeting for a second day to elect his successor. The first vote of the conclave resulted in black smoke and no new pope. DW has the latest news.

White smoke billowed over the Vatican on Thursday to signal a cardinal has been elected as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church. Why it matters: The newly elected pope, who has not yet been publicly named,

All eyes are on Vatican City Tuesday with just over a day to go until the start of the papal conclave to elect the 267th pope.