WASHINGTON (TNND) — A period of mourning has been triggered after Pope Francis' death was announced in the early morning hours Monday, kicking off a centuries-old tradition in which the conclave votes for a new pontiff.

Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, died at 88, one day after delivering an Easter message and following a 38-day stay in the hospital as he battled double pneumonia.

The conclave is expected to take between 15 and 20 days to vote.

Here is what to expect in the coming weeks.

What is the mourning period?

The nine days of mourning known as the Novemdiales happen between the death of one pope and the election of another.

The camerlengo, or chamberlain, currently held by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, runs the administration and finances of the Holy See after certifying the Pope's death. Farrell must lock and seal the Pope's personal residence in the Vatican's Saint Martha guesthouse, where Francis chose to live instead of the grand Apostolic Palace.

The ring used by the pope to seal documents, called the fisherman's ring, is also destroyed with a ceremonial hammer to prevent forgeries.

Between the fourth and sixth day after death, the Pope must be buried, but in the interim, his body will be on display at St. Peter's Basilica for visitors to pay their respects. At the end of the mourning period, a large funeral Mass will take place at St. Peter's, where dignitaries from around the world are expected to attend.

Francis broke with tradition and requested to be buried at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in Rome instead of being interred with other late popes in St. Peter's Basilica.

When does the election of a new pope happen?

Voting for a new pope will begin when the dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals calls for a meeting of all cardinals under 80 - there are currently around 136 eligible - to isolate and vote behind closed doors in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.

After each round of voting, paper ballots are burned, sending up black smoke to signal no choice and white smoke to reveal a new pope has been selected. Ballots will be cast until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote.

The ballots are rectangular pieces of paper with the words: “Eligo in Summum Pontificem” (“I elect as supreme pontiff”) written on top, with a space for a name. Each cardinal makes his choice, folds the paper in half, walks to the front of the chapel and declares: “I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.”

The new pope will then be introduced in a white cassock and red cape on the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square with the words, “Habemus Papam!” (“We have a pope!”) and his chosen papal name before giving his first blessing.

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Editor's note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.