Cardinals from around the world gathered in the Vatican Wednesday to elect a new pope following the death of Pope Francis.The private, centuries-old ritual began with cardinals taking an oath of secrecy before the official voting process. A total of 133 cardinals under the age of 80, representing over 70 countries, are eligible to vote, including 10 from the United States. "The Church, by the grace of God, does exist in every part of the globe, so it's huge and it's very diverse," Susan Timoney from the Catholic University of America said. "The priorities that we might think of for the Church in the United States aren't necessarily going to be the priorities that guide and direct the election of a new pope."There are more than 250 living cardinals, and a little over half of them, who are under the age of 80, are eligible to vote. Eligible cardinals will elect their new leader from within their ranks with a two-thirds majority vote.Pope Francis named 108 of the 133 cardinals voting for his successor, surpassing the normal 120-person limit as he wanted more remote parts of the world represented in the Church.Opening Mass for the conclave took place Wednesday morning, with voting expected to begin later in the afternoon. Cardinals believe the process won't take long, though historically, it could take anywhere between three to eight rounds of voting, with up to four ballots cast each day. The decision will be signaled by the color of smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney바카라 게임 웹사이트�black smoke indicating no winner and white smoke meaning a new pope has been chosen. The first smoke signal is expected as early as Wednesday afternoon.