"The Slum Pope has died. Long live the pope of the poor, the marginalised, the disenfranchised," the world cried. Now that Pope Francis' funeral is done, the Vatican—one of the world’s oldest continually operating organisations—prepares for its most sacred act of political theatre: the papal conclave.

Black smoke – fumata nera in Italian – indicates an inconclusive vote, while white smoke – fumata bianca – will signify that a new pope has been elected. If three days pass with no pope elected, voting can be suspended for a day to allow the cardinals time for reflection before the next round of ballots are cast.