All cardinals have arrived for papal conclave

All cardinals who are eligible to elect the next head of the Catholic Church have arrived in Rome two days before the conclave begins.

On Wednesday, a total of 133 Catholic dignitaries will begin the process of electing a successor to Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday. The meeting or conclave will be held in the Sistine Chapel.

The most promising candidate is considered to be the current number two in the Church, 70-year-old Pietro Parolin from Italy. However, more than a dozen candidates are now being discussed.

On Tuesday, a final preparatory meeting of the College of Cardinals, known as a General Congregation, will take place before the conclave.

Cardinals over the age of 80 who are no longer eligible to participate in the conclave, due to exceeding the age limit, can attend the Tuesday meeting.

Francis had been the head of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide since March 2013. He died at the age of 88.

During the conclave, according to Church rules, the cardinals are not allowed to have any contact with the outside world until they have agreed on a new pontiff by a two-thirds majority.

White smoke rising from the chimney on the roof of the chapel signals that a new pope has been chosen. He then appears on the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica and presents himself.