Who are the main contenders to be the next pope?

Cardinals from around the world will meet this week to formally begin selecting the next pope in a secret ballot after the late Pope Francis‘s funeral on April 26. The vote itself will take place behind the sealed doors of the Sistine Chapel sometime after May 7.

Selecting the next leader of the Catholic Church is a momentous and highly anticipated task. The church counts some 1.4 billion baptised Roman Catholics around the world as members.

Elections in the Vatican are not immune to lobbying and campaigning. First, the cardinals must hold a series of congregazioni – special meetings at which they will discuss what sort of leader they are looking for. While only 135 cardinals will be able to vote, as they are below the age of 80, as per the voting rules, all cardinals can attend these meetings irrespective of age.

Roberto Regoli, a professor of Catholic Church history at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University, said that unlike in a normal election, none of the top contenders in the Vatican is openly canvassing to be elected. Most people would say they do not want the post if asked, he said.

“It’s a lot of work,” Regoli told media. “You have no time to do anything for yourself.”

Results can often be surprising, and experts are wary of speculating in advance. In 2013, for example, Pope Francis was not even counted as a favourite in the media. It was only after a speech he gave at one of the congregazioni that he was noticed.

Here’s what we know about some of the possible candidates.

The College of Cardinals will ultimately elect one of their number to be the next pope. There are currently 252 cardinals, 135 of whom are cardinal electors as they are under the age of 80 – the cut-off date for papal elections.

After a few days of meetings, the 135 voting cardinals will be sequestered in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel on May 7 in what is known as a “conclave”. They will have no access to phones, the internet, or the outside world. No cardinal can leave until a name is pronounced, barring exceptional circumstances.