Black smoke has poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, indicating no pope was elected on the first ballot of the conclave to choose a new leader of the Catholic

With all the pomp, drama and solemnity that the Catholic Church can muster, 133 cardinals began the centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis.

The 133 cardinals from 70 countries will be locked inside the Sistine Chapel, where they will vote in secret and silence, a process designed to be both contemplative and free from outside