VATICAN CITY — On Wednesday afternoon, red-hatted clerics who carry the same weight and dignity as princes within the Catholic Church entered the Sistine Chapel for the papal conclave to choose Pope Francis‘s successor. At 5:46 p.m. local time, the doors were sealed.

The 133 cardinals will remain in total seclusion within the chapel and its adjoining buildings until they choose from among themselves the next bishop of Rome, the servant of the servants of God and Vicar of Christ on Earth.

As the clock struck 4:30 p.m. in Rome, the screens in St Peter’s Square came to life, and the booming Latin remarks of Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin rang out through Vatican City.