The cardinals eligible to vote for the new pope will gather in the coming weeks and enter seclusion to secretly vote for the new bishop of Rome.

Pope Francis's death at the age of 88 means the Catholic Church must choose a new leader. Here's how cardinals elect the next pontiff at the conclave.

Red-hatted cardinals were expected to pick a date Monday for the conclave to elect a new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, following the death of Pope Francis.Dozens of so-called "Princes of the Church" from across the world have been gathering at the Vatican since the 88-year-old Argentine pontiff died on April 21.