Cardinals from around the world have begun celebrating Mass in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican ahead of the opening of the conclave that will elect Pope Francis' successor, AFP reports.

The Mass, celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Italian Giovanni Battista Re, began at 10:00 local time (11:00 GMT) before the first vote of the 133 cardinal electors at the end of the afternoon.  

The conclave starting today in the Sistine Chapel will elect the new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. With representatives from 70 countries on five continents, this conclave is the largest and most international yet.

The cardinals vote secretly in the chapel for a new pope and reveal the result to the waiting world by burning the ballots in a special stove, with the chimney emitting black smoke if no one is elected, or white smoke if there is a new pope.

The new pope must get two-thirds of the vote - at least 89 votes. | BGNES