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.

The conclave to select the next pope has begun after Catholic cardinals from across the world filed into the Sistine Chapel Wednesday before sealing themselves inside.

Cardinals returned to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday to resume voting for a new pope and crowds flocked back to St. Peter's Square to await their decision, after the first conclave ballot failed to find a winner during a longer-than-expected voting session.