The cardinals have settled into their Vatican residences, where they will remain during the conclave, which begins on May 7.

Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 133 cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel to elect from among themselves the new leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.

They usually stay at the Santa Marta guesthouse in the Vatican, which has private bathrooms and hotel-style room service, but there are not enough rooms for all of them.

As a result, some of the cardinals will be accommodated in Santa Marta Vecchia, a neighboring building that is usually used to house Vatican officials, with rooms allocated by lottery.

With representatives from 70 countries on five continents, this conclave is the largest and most international to date.

About 80% of the cardinals were chosen by Francis, an energetic reformer from Buenos Aires who helped open up the Church during his 12-year papacy.

However, experts caution against assuming that they will choose a progressive figure in his mold, and many conservatives are hoping for someone who will refocus attention on key doctrines.

The 2,000-year-old Catholic Church has enormous global influence but is struggling to adapt to the modern world and restore its reputation after a scandal involving widespread sexual abuse of children by priests. | BGNES