All 133 cardinals eligible to elect Pope Francis’s successor have arrived in Rome for the conclave. They will take their oaths to observe ‘absolute and perpetual secrecy’ in the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday,

Francis’ successor will be selected by cardinals at the conclave that begins 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.

By Crispian Balmer, Joshua McElwee and Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Roman Catholic cardinals will begin the task on Wednesday of electing a new pope, locking themselves away from the world until they choose the man they hope can unite a diverse but divided global Church.