On Wednesday evening, under the domed ceiling of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, 133 cardinals will vote to elect the Catholic Church's 267th pope.

Axar.az reports, citing BBC, the day will begin at 12:00 Baku time (09:00 BST) with a mass in St Peter's Basilica. The service, which will be televised, will be presided over by Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old Cardinal Dean who was also the celebrant of Pope Francis' funeral.

In the early afternoon, mobile signal within the territory of the Vatican will be deactivated to prevent anyone taking part in the conclave from contacting the outside world.

Around 18:15 Baku time (15:15 BST), the 133 cardinal electors will gather in the Pauline Chapel and form a procession to the Sistine Chapel.

All of the cardinals will take an oath of secrecy before beginning to vote twice daily, two times in the morning and two times in the evening and will continue voting until two-thirds of the cardinals have agreed on a pope.

The ballots are burned after each vote and the smoke will emanate from the chimney that is being built on top of the Sistine Chapel. Black smoke means a majority has not been reached and the voting will continue. White smoke means a new holy leader of the Roman Catholic Church has been confirmed.