Cardinals tasked with electing the 267th pope of the Catholic Church gathered Wednesday afternoon at the Apostolic Palace, marking the commencement of the papal conclave.

The gathering is exclusive to cardinals under the age of 80, with 133 eligible to vote out of a total of 252.

Notably, two cardinals, Antonio Canizares from Spain and John Njue from Kenya, have withdrawn from participation due to health issues.

A two-thirds majority is required for the selection of the new pope, necessitating at least 89 votes in favor of a single candidate from the participating cardinals.

At 16:35 local time, the cardinals commenced a procession from the Chapel of St. Paul, located within the Apostolic Palace, to the Sistine Chapel.

This procession was preceded by a litany of All Saints and featured the ancient hymn 'Veni Creator Spiritus.' Following the oath-taking ceremony, the first round of voting is scheduled for Wednesday evening, with subsequent votes occurring four times daily: twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon.

The atmosphere in St. Peter's Square is heightened with security measures, including the deployment of 4,000 police officers.

Entry to the Vatican is strictly regulated through security checkpoints, and due to security protocols, parking in the vicinity has been restricted.

The schedule for the first day includes:
- A morning mass at St. Peter's Basilica, celebrated by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, at 10:00 AM.
- A gathering of the 133 eligible cardinals at 16:30 in St. Paul’s Chapel.

- A formal oath-taking ceremony, followed by the declaration of 'Extra omnes,' signaling that all non-participants must vacate the Sistine Chapel.

The initial vote will be cast by the last cardinal to enter the Sistine Chapel, who is 51-year-old George Jacob Koovakad from India, recently elevated to the cardinalate by Pope Francis.

Upon completion of the oath-taking, the Sistine Chapel doors were secured, remaining closed until either black or white smoke is produced during the voting process, indicating the outcome of the selection.

Traditionally, the process involves appointing nine cardinals to three key duties, including overseeing the voting, collecting ballots from absent participants, and verifying the voting results.

Live coverage from Vatican News has begun, occasionally displaying the chimney that will indicate the result of the conclave.

Voting will involve prayer, during which cardinals inscribe their chosen candidates' names on slips marked 'Eligo in Summum Pontificem,' placing these into a gold chalice.

If no candidate achieves the necessary two-thirds majority, the ballots will be burned with a substance that produces black smoke, signaling that a pope has yet to be elected.

Conversely, if a candidate is confirmed, a different substance will create white smoke to announce the election of a new pope, the spiritual leader for approximately 1.5 billion Catholic faithful worldwide.

Following the selection, the newly elected pope will be asked for acceptance of the position and may choose a papal name.

He will then be installed on the papal throne, where other cardinals will pledge their allegiance.

An official announcement, 'Habemus Papam,' will be made by the protodeacon of the College of Cardinals, currently Dominique Mamberti from France, from the loggia of the Sistine Chapel.

Subsequently, the new pope will greet the crowds from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The pope traditionally resides in the Apostolic Palace, breaking with the recent precedent set by Pope Francis, who stayed in the Santa Marta residence.

Presently, a long queue has formed outside the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, where Pope Francis is interred.

As of 20:45, there has yet to be any smoke visible from the chimney, prompting speculation about potential delays in the voting process.