Starting Tuesday, the process of choosing the new pope will begin. Whether your catholic or not, the decision impacts everyone. The pope is one of the most recognizable and influential people in the world. Millions of people look to him for religious guidance, but he does more than that. The pope sets examples for people and encourages peace. He also has a large influence on life and death decisions like abortion and birth control. He also shapes people's views on gay rights, divorce, adoption, women's rights and education.
To help you follow along with the process that happens when choosing a new pope, here's a breakdown:
The College of Cardinals will meet at 5 in the morning on Tuesday for a special mass.
Later in the morning, they'll head to the Sistine Chapel to start their decision process.
After deliberating, they'll take one vote tomorrow.
If there is no decision, each day after the cardinals will vote twice in the morning and evening. However, if no decision is made, they will take day breaks for prayer.
Once the votes are counted, they'll burn them.
If black smoke comes out of the chimney, that means a new pope has not been chosen.
If we see white smoke, a new people has been elected.
And within a few hours of that white smoke signal, the new pope is expected to appear on St. Peter's Balcony.
This entire process could all end on Tuesday if the cardinals can reach a decision, or it could last weeks. The average length of the past nine conclaves was about three days. So, it could be short or long, but all in all, a very important decision for all of us.
Once the new pope is elected, he will begin his responsibilities immediately. And in case you're wondering how they color the smoke, they use a cartridge.
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