Greeting the faithful: Pope Francis as he arrived in Vatican City's St. Peter's Square on Tuesday for his inaugural mass. Valdrin Xhemaj/EPA /LANDOV hide caption
The Papal Succession Benedict XVI's papacy ended in February. The task of choosing the next pope falls to 115 red-robed cardinals known as the "princes" of the Catholic Church. Here, NPR's coverage of the selection of the next pope.
Special Series
The Papal Succession
Here, NPR's coverage of the selection of a new pope to replace Benedict XVI.
Pope Francis as he visits the papal residence at the Vatican on Thursday. Vatican/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
A man in San Salvador sells a newspaper with the announcement of the election of Argentina's cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the new Pope Francis. Jose Cabezas/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
The San Lorenzo football club is very excited to have "Papa Crow" on its side. Web image of San Lorenzo club's website hide caption
Jesuit Mission in Santa Catalina in Cordoba in Argentina. Luis Davilla/Getty Images hide caption
Pope Francis — then Argentine Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio — on Ash Wednesday in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Feb. 13. Juan Mabromata/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Pope Francis on Thursday as he left Rome's Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters /Landov hide caption
The newly elected Pope Francis appears on the main balcony of St Peter's Basilica. His name was chosen after St. Francis of Assisi, the Vatican says. L'Osservatore Romano/Getty Images hide caption
Crowds at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican celebrate Wednesday after seeing white smoke billow from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, indicating the election of a new pope. The new pontiff, Francis, is the first from Latin America, a reflection that the Catholic Church is now strongest in the Southern Hemisphere. Oded Balilty/AP hide caption
Pope Francis waves to the crowd in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Wednesday. Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images hide caption
Pope Francis blesses the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Wednesday. Dmitry Lovetsky/AP hide caption
After Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th pontiff, he chose the name Pope Francis. His installation Mass could come early next week. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images hide caption
Faithful react after the announcement that Buenos Aires archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis I, at Metropolitan Cathedral in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. Juan Mabromata/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Argentine Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio during a mass for Ash Wednesday, opening Lent on February 13, 2013 at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Juan Mabromata/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Pope Francis as he waved to the crowd in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Wednesday. Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images hide caption
A procession begins a Mass of Remembrance at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in 2011 in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption
Black smoke rose from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel at midday Wednesday in Vatican City. That means the cardinals have not yet chosen a new pope. Pool/Reuters /Landov hide caption
Pope John II, whose name at birth was Mercurius. When he became pope in 533 he changed his name — starting a tradition that continues. Hulton Archive/Getty Images hide caption
As the black smoke rose from the Vatican chimney Tuesday, some of the nuns and others gathered in St. Peter's Square were singing. Eric Gaillard/Reuters /Landov hide caption
Cardinals gathered in Vatican City on Monday, a day before the papal selection process known as the conclave begins. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images hide caption
Roman Catholic cardinals have been meeting at the Vatican to get to know each other better and to set a date for the start of the conclave that will choose the next pope. On Thursday, this cardinal was walking to one of those meetings. Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images hide caption