Pope Francis's death at the age of 88 means the Catholic Church must choose a new leader. Here's how cardinals elect the next pontiff at the conclave.

Simply put, a conclave is the assembly of cardinals that elects a pope. The word itself comes from the Latin "com" and "clavis," meaning "together" and "key," respectively – highlighting the absolute, behind-closed-doors secrecy with which the cardinals conduct their discussions and balloting.

The shortest conclave history was in 1503, when Pope Julius II was elected in just under 10 hours. The 2013 papal conclave, when Pope Francis was elected, was one of the shortest in history, lasting just over 24 hours.