World's eyes turn to Vatican City as papal conclave to elect next pope set to begin

LONDON and VATICAN CITY -- All eyes are on Vatican City Tuesday with just over a day to go until the start of the papal conclave to elect the 267th pope.

It would be "unexpected" if the conclave goes past Friday, Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, archbishop of Algiers, told ABC News at the Vatican on Tuesday.

“If on Friday night, the pope is not elected, it will be that something unexpected has happened,” Vesco said.

The 12th and last general congregation was held on Tuesday.

A total of 170 cardinals from around the world have already arrived in Vatican City following the death of Pope Francis, with many of them listening to approximately 20 interventions, or speeches, focusing on themes of major pastoral and ecclesial relevance as well as some time devoted to the question of ethnicism within the church and in society on Monday evening.

Migration was also discussed, recognizing migrants as a gift for the Church, but also highlighting the urgency of accompanying them and supporting their faith in contexts of mobility and change.

The ongoing wars around the world were referred on several occasions during Monday evening’s general congregation, with tones often marked by direct testimonies from cardinals who come from the regions affected by conflicts.

The discussion subsequently returned to the subject of the path of the Synod on synodality, seen as a concrete expression of an ecclesiology of communion, in which everyone is called to participate, listen and discern together.

Meanwhile, the cardinals also reaffirmed their commitment and responsibility to support the new Pope, called to be a true pastor, a guide who knows how to go beyond the confines of the Catholic Church alone, promoting dialogue and building relationships with other religious and cultural worlds.

In total, 133 cardinals will be voting during this conclave, the most electors ever, with 108 of them being appointed by Pope Francis. Ten are from the United States.

All of the cardinals will take an oath of secrecy before beginning to vote twice daily, two times in the morning and two times in the evening and will continue voting until two-thirds of the cardinals have agreed on a pope.

Their cell phones will also be taken away at the start of the conclave at Santa Marta and will be returned to them after the election of the new pope.

The ballots are burned after each vote and the smoke will emanate from the chimney that is being built on top of the Sistine Chapel. Black smoke means a majority has not been reached and the voting will continue. White smoke means a new holy leader of the Roman Catholic Church has been confirmed.