Cardinals electing a new pope will be cut off from the outside world for however long it takes, starting Wednesday morning. The duration of their participation in the conclave remains to be seen.
As cardinals and reporters from around the world converge on Vatican City, many are wondering who the leading contenders are to be the next pope.
One hundred thirty-three cardinals will soon be sequestered, but before the conclave begins, some cardinals are speaking with reporters, including His Eminence Cardinal William Goh Seng Chye from Singapore.
"By listening to all the interventions, we need to pray," Goh Seng Chye said about how he is preparing for the conclave.
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The cardinals are not publicly revealing whom they are voting for, nor are they disclosing whether they themselves actually want to be pope.
Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo from Indonesia told Scripps News how long he thinks this conclave will last, saying he doesn't believe it will take weeks.
"I think all three days we will be alright," he said. "Maybe two days, three days."
Conversations that Scripps News has had with Vatican insiders indicate that one of the most talked-about contenders is Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who would be the first pope from Italy since 1978. Parolin was close to Pope Francis; some even called him the deputy pope, as he took on many international issues.
Around 80% of all popes in the church's history have been Italian.
Another leading contender is Cardinal Luis Tagle from the Philippines, who would be the first South Asian pope.
"Of course, it would be a proud moment for us Filipinos to have a Filipino pope," said Hanna Salva, a Filipino Catholic.
There is also a possibility that the new pope may come from Africa, where the church is growing rapidly in numbers. On the list of contenders are several African cardinals, who are generally considered more conservative than cardinals from other parts of the world.
