The conclave to elect a new pope officially begins as the doors to the Sistine Chapel close

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The great doors of the Sistine Chapel shut Wednesday after the cry of "extra omnes" — Latin for "all out" — and 133 cardinals began the secretive, centuries-old ritual of electing a new pope to lead the Catholic Church, opening the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith's 2,000-year history.

The red-robed cardinals entered the Sistine Chapel in pairs, chanting the meditative "Litany of the Saints" as Swiss Guards stood at attention. The hymn implores the saints to help the cardinals find a successor to Pope Francis to lead the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state under Francis and himself a leading contender to succeed him as pope, assumed the leadership of the proceedings as the senior cardinal under age 80.

Speaking in Latin, Parolin stood before Michelangelo's vision of heaven and hell, "The Last Judgment," and led the cardinals in a lengthy oath. Each one followed, placing his hand on the Gospel and promising in Latin to maintain utmost secrecy.

The dramatic ritual was more colourful than even Hollywood could create, a wash of colours, chants, incense and solemnity that underscored the seriousness of the moment. Outside in St Peter's Square, the scene was almost festive, as hundreds of people watched the proceedings on giant video screens, applauding when the Sistine Chapel's doors shut and the Vatican feed cut off.

They were waiting until later Wednesday to see the first puffs of smoke from the chapel chimney to learn whether a pope had been elected or not.

"My hope is that cardinals will choose a man who can be a peacemaker and could reunify the church," said Gabriel Capry, a 27-year-old from London.

Hailing from 70 countries, the cardinals have been sequestered from the outside world, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican jammed to prevent all communications until they find a new pope.

Francis named 108 of the 133 "princes of the church," choosing many pastors in his image from far-flung countries like Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga that had never had a cardinal before.

His decision to surpass the usual limit of 120 cardinal electors and include younger ones from the "global south" — often marginalised countries with lower economic clout — has injected an unusual degree of uncertainty in a process that is always full of mystery and suspense.

Many cardinals hadn't met until last week and lamented they needed more time to get to know one another, raising questions about how long it might take for one man to secure the two-thirds majority, or 89 ballots, necessary to become the 267th pope.

"Wait and see, a little patience, wait and see," said Cardinal Mario Zenari, the Vatican's ambassador to Syria.

Earlier in the day, the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, presided over a morning Mass in St Peter's Basilica urging the voters to set aside all personal interests and find a pope who prizes unity. He prayed for a pope who could awaken the conscience of the world.

He reminded the cardinals that the awesomeness of the Sistine Chapel's frescoes, and Michelangelo's in particular, is meant to remind the cardinals of the weighty responsibility they bear. In his regulations for the conclave, St John Paul II wrote that in the Sistine Chapel, "everything is conducive to an awareness of the presence of God."

After the cardinals took their oaths, the master of papal liturgical ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, called out "extra omnes," and anyone not eligible to vote left before the chapel doors closed. An elderly cardinal remained to deliver a meditation, but after it was finished he, too, had to leave.

The cardinals don't have to take a first vote Wednesday, but they were expected to. Assuming no winner is found, the Vatican said black smoke could be expected out of the Sistine Chapel chimney about 7 p.m.

The cardinals retire for the night and return Thursday morning. They can hold up to two ballots in the morning and two in the afternoon until a winner is found.

While cardinals this week said they expected a short conclave, it will likely take at least a few rounds of voting. For much of the past century, it has taken between three and 14 ballots to find a pope. John Paul I — the pope who reigned for 33 days in 1978 — was elected on the fourth ballot. His successor, John Paul II, needed eight. Francis was elected on the fifth in 2013.

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