When is a new pope chosen? Here's how long the selection process generally takes

The most senior figures of the Catholic Church in the coming days will arrive in Italy and lock themselves in the Vatican for the papal conclave – the highly secretive process by which the next representative of God on Earth is chosen.

The word conclave is derived from the Latin meaning "with key," indicating its strict secrecy. The last time the centuries-old ritual occurred was in 2013, when Pope Francis was chosen after Pope Benedict stepped down from the papacy.

Francis, the 266th pope, died at age 88 on Easter Monday. He was the first pope from the Americas and the first born outside of Europe in over a millennia.

The papal conclave – which has remained virtually unchanged after more than 800 years – takes as long as needed. Over the centuries, it has taken hours, days, months and even years for a successor to be named.

In the 13th century, it took cardinals three years to elect Pope Gregory X. But in modern times, papal conclaves have skewed much shorter: The longest conclave in the 20th century lasted five days. Francis was elected the day after the conclave began in 2013.

Here's a breakdown of how papal conclave works.

Death of pope sets off unique conclave process

Following the death or retirement of a pope, the most senior figures in the Catholic Church, known as the College of Cardinals, will convene in Rome. This typically happens within about 15 to 20 days after a papal vacancy.

The cardinals will gather in St. Peter's Basilica for a mass "invoking the guidance of the Holy Spirit in electing a new pope," according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. As of April 21, there were 252 cardinals, of whom 135 are electors, according to the Vatican. Cardinals over the age of 80 are excluded from voting.

The cardinal electors then enter the Sistine Chapel and take an oath of "absolute secrecy" before the voting begins.

Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote. If after the voting round no one receives two-thirds of the vote, ballots are burned in a stove with a mixture of chemicals to produce black smoke, a sign that tells those outside that the voting process will continue.

Once a cardinal receives the two-thirds vote and accepts his election, the ballots will be burned with chemicals producing white smoke, signaling to the outside world that a new leader of the Catholic Church will soon be named.

When will Pope Francis' funeral be?

The death of a pope triggers a series of elaborate rituals and rites marking the end of one papacy and the start of the next, including a certification of death, a public display of the body for mourners to pay respects, a funeral and a burial, followed by the papal conclave.

Mourning rites last nine days, with the date of the funeral and burial to be decided by the cardinals. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, and three assistants will decide when the pope's body is taken to St. Peter's Basilica for the public to pay their respects.

Last year, Francis simplified the papal rites, announcing that he will be buried in a simple wooden casket instead of the cypress, lead and oak interlocking caskets chosen by his predecessors. He also asked that his body not be placed atop a raised platform in St. Peter's Basilica. It will instead be left inside the casket with the lid off for mourners to visit and pay their respects.

Francis will be buried at Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major instead of St. Peter's Basilica, making him the first pope in more than a century to be buried outside the Vatican. Basilica of St. Mary Major, which is dedicated to Mary, the mother of God, is where Francis would pray before and after each of his foreign trips.