With 135 cardinals eligible to vote, the coming conclave is set to be the largest in the history of the Catholic Church and one of the most unpredictable in decades.

Some 135 cardinals, all under the age of 80 and from across the world, are eligible to take part in the conclave and decide who should be the next leader of the 1.4-billion-member

Exit tourists. Enter cardinals. The Vatican has closed the Sistine Chapel, where cardinals will gather for the conclave to elect the next pope after the death of Pope Francis

The cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church will gather on May 7 to elect a new pope in one of the most famous buildings in the world, the Sistine Chapel. Below are some facts about the chapel: * Named after Pope Sixtus IV and built from 1473-81,

Pope Francis's death at the age of 88 means the Catholic Church must choose a new leader. Here's how cardinals elect the next pontiff at the conclave.