Cardinals, including Dominik Duka, are to begin the process of electing a new pope

Cardinals meeting in Rome have begun proceedings to elect the next Pope. Voting by cardinal-electors, all under the age of 80, including Czech Cardinal Dominik Duka, 69, will take place behind locked doors in the Sistine Chapel and is expected to take several days. The cardinals are looking for a candidate to succeed Pope Benedict XVI who announced unexpectedly in February that he was stepping down – the first pope in more than six centuries to resign. The successful resolution of the vote in Rome, indicating a new pope has been chosen, will be signalled by white smoke.