Pope Francis’ emphasis on reaching out to the “peripheries" of the church and world will result in the most diverse collection of church leaders in history gathering to select the new pope.

With all eyes now on the Vatican, here's a look at the conclave and its role in electing the next head of the Catholic Church. Simply put, a conclave is the assembly of cardinals that elects a pope. The word itself comes from the Latin "com" and "clavis,

The Holy See was expected to release details of the upcoming conclave — the cardinals’ vote for the next pope — after Francis’ funeral has finished. The conclave is unlikely to start before May 6, although that’s not guaranteed.