Brutally strict protocol that must be followed when choosing new Pope as secret rules are revealed

Following the death of Pope Francis this week, all eyes are on the Vatican now for who will be announced as his successor.

The Catholic Church shared a statement confirming the death of Pope Francis, 88, on Monday morning (21 April), with Cardinal Kevin Ferrell of the Vatican announcing: "At 7.35 this morning, the bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his church.

"He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised."

There now follows a nine-day period of official mourning, which includes his funeral on Saturday, after which the process to choose a successor can begin.

The act of choosing a new Pope is highly secretive, but there are a few things we do know.

The conclave is a highly secretive process to choose a new pope, which has been revealed following the death of Pope Francis (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

Usually held between 15 and 20 days after the pope's death, a process called the papal conclave begins.

The College of Cardinals will gather in Rome to make a choice, made up of 250 cardinals from more than 90 countries, but only about 135 are cardinal electors due to age requirements.

Those over the age of 80 are excluded from voting.

They will be required to cast a vote four times per day, until a majority is received to choose the follower to Pope Francis.

The successful candidate is the one who receives two-thirds of the vote.

One of the strictest rules has to do with protecting the privacy of the vote.

The College of Cardinals will soon gather in Rome to cast their votes (Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)

The words extra omnes – 'everyone out' – are declared, meaning everyone but the voting cardinals plus a few officials and doctors must leave, with the doors being locked.

The cardinals are then asked to swear an oath of absolute secrecy and not only that, but they are not allowed to have any contact with the outside world while the process takes place - which can take several days.

They are not allowed access to their phones, cannot read newspapers, watch TV, or receive letters, messages, or any form of communication. A sweep to check for listening devices is also done throughout the conclave to ensure that nothing leaves the process.

As it stands, there are several front-runners who are the favourites to be the next Pope.

Pietro Parolin, 70, from Italy, was a close friend to Francis and is thought to be a favourite, being the Vatican's secretary of state since 2013. He is regarded as reliable and to be trusted.

There is a strict process when it comes to selecting a new pope, with absolutely no outside contact (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

Also being considered is Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, from the Philippines, who would be the first ever Asian pope. But he has become less popular recently after he suggested that the Catholic Church's views on gay and divorced couples is too harsh.

Peter Turkson, 76, from Ghana, could also be the next pope, and would be the first Black pope for centuries. He is said to have shared many of the same beliefs as Pope Francis, including the climate crisis, poverty, and economic justice.

The only thing for sure is that the next Pope will be a man.

The longest conclave in recent history took place in 1922, when the cardinals took five days to choose their new leader. Each voter is given a ballot card, and after each round of voting, the cards are burned.

Chemicals are added to make the smoke black or white: black smoke means it was an inconclusive ballot, while white smoke announces that a new pope has been elected.