The conclave to elect a new pope has begun, but how long will it last? Here's the longest and shortest a conclave has lasted in history.

Papal conclaves have featured calls of election fraud and bribery so gauche that riches were wheeled in on donkey carts.

So will begin the much-awaited conclave to select the successor of the late Pope Francis. The Vatican is ready for the historic moment. The chimney has been installed atop St. Peter’s Basilica that will release black or white smoke to signal whether the next Bishop of Rome has been elected or not.

After the death of a Pope, a papal conclave—an incredibly secretive and important process— takes place in the Vatican as cardinals determine who will next lead the Catholic Church.Following the passing of Pope Francis on April 21,

The conclave to choose the next pope begins Wednesday, with cardinals from around the world gathering in the Vatican to partake in the centuries-old tradition. Cardinal electors are walking in procession to the Sistine Chapel,

Cardinals choosing the next leader of the global Catholic Church were locked into the Vatican's Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, marking the formal start of the conclave to elect a successor

This selection comes after two days of conclave in the Sistine Chapel, tying the modern record for the fastest selection of a pope.