It's a ritual shrouded in secrecy. It goes back centuries.

Right now, we are watching the cardinals, 133 of them, process from the Pauline to the Sistine Chapel.

Today in Rome, Catholic Cardinals from around the world gathered to begin the process known as a conclave.

They are singing the litany of saints. There's over a hundred saints' names that they are singing as they do this to seek assistance from the saints, from the Holy Spirit,

and guidance for selecting a pope.

The goal elect a new leader to shepherd a flock of 1.4 billion Catholic believers worldwide.

It's a closed-door election that begins with an oath of secrecy,

and it will not end until a two-thirds majority agree,

and the conclave announces Habibus Popham, or we have a new Pope.

Well, we have black smoke tonight.

It billowed out from the chimney and the Sistine Chapel.

CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb has been covering the Vatican for the better half of a decade,

and he has been on the ground for us in Rome watching all of this unfold.

This really was expected after the first ballot of the Cardinals who weren't expecting there to be

white smoke or a decision on who was going to be Pope after just one ballot.

But that didn't stop people gathering in St Peter's Square in big numbers.

There were tens of thousands waiting and looking up at the chimney to see if a decision had been made. There was a real sense of anticipation

and excitement in the square. And when the black smoke came out, people actually dissipated and

disappeared pretty quickly. Now, the first vote in a conclave is very important.

It is the time when the cards are put on the table.

People see who the frontrunners might be, and also of course who outsiders might be.

There are obviously those who might be getting a lot of votes, but then there may be other

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