117 cardinals will form the conclave that will elect the successor of Pope Benedict when his resignation becomes official at the end of the month.
61 cardinals are from Europe, 19 from Latin America, 14 from North America, 11 Africans, 11 Asians and one from Oceania.Pope Benedict will not take part on the vote.
From March 1 until the new Pope is elected, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone will run the Church as the cardinal camerlengo but for major decisions needs to consult the college of cardinals.
The Conclave starts in mid-March.
During the Conclave, the Cardinals live in the Vatican and meet in the Sistine Chapel for prayers and to vote.
The new Pope will be chosen with a two-third majority.
The vote is secret and the bulletins are burned at the end of each voting session.
Black smoke indicates that the vote was inconclusive while white smoke shows that the new pope was elected.
The cardinals are not allowed to communicate with the exterior at any time and by any means until the new pope is elected.
The word Conclave Ð that designates the process for the election of a new pope Ð comes from Latin and means under key, meaning that the cardinals are kept under key in the Vatican.
The Catholic community should have a new leader before Easter.