Who will be the next pope? Key candidates in an unpredictable process

Who will be the next pope?

The decision will be made by 133 cardinals who begin meeting in conclave from 16:30 (14:30GMT) in the 15th Century Sistine Chapel.

The cardinals, all under 80, will debate and then vote for their preferred candidate until a single name secures the support of two-thirds of them.

Their choice could have a profound impact on the Catholic Church and the world's 1.4 billion baptised Roman Catholics, and it is harder than ever to predict who it will be.

With 80% of the cardinals appointed by Pope Francis himself, most are not only electing a pope for the first time, but will offer a broad global perspective.

For the first time in history, fewer than half of those given a vote will be European.

And although the college may be dominated by his appointments, they were not exclusively "progressive" or "traditionalist".

Could the cardinals elect an African, an Asian or even an American pope, or might they favour one of the old hands of the Vatican administration?

Here are some of the names being mentioned as Francis' potential successor.

(Source:BBC)