After the death of a Pope, a papal conclave—an incredibly secretive and important process—takes place in the Vatican as cardinals determine who will next lead the Catholic Church.Following the passing of Pope Francis on April 21,

The conclave to choose the next pope begins Wednesday, with cardinals from around the world gathering in the Vatican to partake in the centuries-old tradition. Cardinal electors are walking in procession to the Sistine Chapel,

White smoke from the Sistine Chapel on Thursday signaled that the cardinals have selected the next leader of the Catholic Church.

The first thing the new pope will do is choose a name. In the history of the papacy, the most commonly used name has been John, first chosen in 523 by Saint John I, the Vatican says. The last pope to choose that name was Italian Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, elected Pope John XXIII, in 1958. Roncalli was proclaimed a saint by Pope Francis in 2014.

Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost, 69, was elected and accepted his fate as the next Bishop of Rome, leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. Prevost — the first pope ever from the United States — chose Leo XIV as his papal name.