Some 133 cardinals from around the globe will come together in Vatican City to elect the next pope, in a conclave starting on 7 May.
When white smoke rises from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney, the world will know a new pontiff has been chosen.
The BBC has taken a look back at archive footage from the outcomes of previous conclaves, as far back as Pope Pius XII in 1939 through to Pope Francis in 2013.
See the moment each pope’s election was announced, and how long it took cardinals to select them.
Video edited by Ian Aikman.
