AP PHOTOS: The death of a pope begins a centuries-old ritual to elect his successor

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The death of a pope triggers a centuries-old ritual to elect a new one, involving sacred oaths, the piercing of ballots with a needle and the white or black smoke to signal whether cardinals have chosen a new leader for the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.

Pope Francis' death at 88 early Monday set off the process. His body has been moved to St. Peter's Basilica for public viewing ahead of his funeral on Saturday with world leaders in attendance. Francis will be buried, according to his wishes, in a simple underground tomb at St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome.

Next comes the secretive conclave for the election of the next pope. The gathering begins and ends with ritual words in Latin: “Extra omnes," or “Everyone out," expelling all but voting cardinals from the Sistine Chapel where balloting takes place. It ends with the victorious cardinal uttering, “Accepto,” or “I accept,” the two-thirds majority required to become pope. During the conclave, the cardinals gathered beneath Michelangelo's frescoed ceiling are forbidden from communicating with the outside world.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

FILE - Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who chose the name of Pope Francis, looks out to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica after being elected 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, file)

FILE - Tables and chairs line the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in preparation for the conclave, on April 16, 2005. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito, File)

FILE - In this photo from files taken on April 18, 2005 and released by the Vatican paper L'Osservatore Romano, Cardinals walk in procession to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, at the beginning of the conclave. (Osservatore Romano via AP, File)

FILE - Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who chose the name of Pope Francis, looks out to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica after being elected 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, file)

FILE - White smoke is seen billowing out from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and announcing that a new pope has been elected on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)

FILE - A view of the Cardinals' tables in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, Aug. 25, 1978. The conclave will celebrate Mass here for prayers for inspiration to elect the successor of the late Pope Paul VI. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Tables and chairs line the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in preparation for the conclave, on April 16, 2005. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito, File)

FILE - In this photo from files taken on April 18, 2005 and released by the Vatican paper L'Osservatore Romano, Cardinals walk in procession to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, at the beginning of the conclave. (Osservatore Romano via AP, File)

People queue in St. Peter's Square to pay their respect to the late Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter's Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

People queue to pay their respect to the late Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter's Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

The procession with the body of Pope Francis, who will lie in state for three days, enters St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People gather in St. Peter's Square as they await the arrival of the body of Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter's Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

A cardinal walks past the body of Pope Francis, who will lie in state for three days, after it arrived in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

FILE - Black smoke emerges from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel as cardinals voted on the second day of the conclave to elect a pope in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)

Vatican Swiss Guards stand at the Arch of the Bells where the body of Pope Francis will be carried on its way to St. Peter's Basilica, where it will lie in state for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

People walk past a wooden board where work in progress is taking place on the spot where Pope Francis will be buried, inside St. Mary Major basilica, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A woman walks past a wooden board where work in progress is taking place on the spot where Pope Francis will be buried, inside St. Mary Major basilica, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Faithful pray before the Salus populi Romani (Salvation of the people of Rome), a Byzantine-style painting that features an image of Mary, draped in a blue robe, holding the infant Jesus who in turn is holding a jeweled golden book, inside St. Mary Major basilica, where Pope Francis will be buried, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pontifical Swiss guards stand in St. Peter's Square before the arrival of the body of Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter's Basilica for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Faithful and nuns walk inside in St. Mary Major basilica, where Pope Francis will be buried, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Members of security are silhouetted by the windows of the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, ahead of the arrival of the body of Pope Francis inside the basilica, where he will lie in state for three days, at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, Pool)

Faithful and nuns gather by the statue of Pope Pius IX, inside in St. Mary Major basilica, where Pope Francis will be buried, in Rome, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

CLEVELAND (AP) — Keyonte George scored 32 points, Lauri Markkanen added 28 and the Utah Jazz bounced back after a 55-point loss and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 123-112 Monday night.

George had 16 points during the third quarter, when Utah rallied from a 10-point deficit and regained control and began its five-game road trip with a victory. George also was 12 of 12 at the free throw line and had nine assists.

The win was the Jazz’s second in their past eight games and came two nights after a 150-95 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the second-largest by scoring margin in franchise history and the biggest since they moved from New Orleans in 1979.

Markkanen, 10th in the league in scoring at 27.8 points per game, also had 12 rebounds. Jusuf Nurkik, who missed the last two games due to a toe injury, had 11 points and 17 rebounds.

Darius Garland led Cleveland with 23 points and Donovan Mitchell scored 21. The Cavaliers have dropped two of three.

PACERS 98, CELTICS 96

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored 21 points, including the decisive 7-foot bank shot with 6.1 seconds remaining, and Indiana won three straight games for the first time this season, beating Boston.

Boston’s Derrick White missed a go-ahead 3-point attempt in the final seconds. He had tied the game at 96-all on a driving layup with 28.6 seconds remaining.

Siakam pump-faked and stepped inside the foul line for the high-arcing leaner that banked through in the final seconds. He also had eight rebounds and six assists.

The Pacers began the night with the NBA’s worst record but improved to 9-31, one-half game better than the New Orleans Pelicans. They were without forward Bennedict Mathurin (17.8 points per game), sidelined by a thumb injury for a fifth consecutive game.

Jay Huff had 20 points, including four 3-pointers, for the Pacers.

Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 23 points and eight assists. White had 18 points and Anfernee Simons 16.

76ERS 115, RAPTORS 102

TORONTO (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points, Joel Embiid had 27 and Philadelphia used an 80-point first half to beat Toronto.

VJ Edgecombe and Paul George each scored 15 points as the 76ers bounced back from Sunday’s overtime loss to Toronto to win for the sixth time in eight games.

Embiid (left knee and left groin) and George (left knee) were back in the lineup after sitting out Sunday.

Fans chanted “We want Lowry!” in the fourth quarter, then rose for a standing ovation when former Raptors player Kyle Lowry checked in for Maxey with 1:57 left to play.

Lowry starred for the Toronto team that won the 2019 NBA championship. He airballed a 3-pointer on his first attempt and missed all three shots he took.

Immanuel Quickley scored 18 points and Brandon Ingram had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Scottie Barnes scored 15 points for Toronto.

MAVERICKS 113, NETS 105

DALLAS (AP) — Cooper Flagg scored 27 points and matched a season high with three steals, and Naji Marshall had three straight baskets down the stretch and finished with 22 points as Dallas beat Brooklyn.

The Mavericks (15-25) snapped a two-game skid. Klay Thompson scored 18 off the bench and matched a season high with six 3-pointers.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 28 points and Day’Ron Sharpe had 14 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for the Nets (11-26), who have lost four consecutive games. They were swept in a road back-to-back, losing 103-98 at Memphis on Sunday.

KINGS 124, LAKERS 112

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) —Malik Monk made seven 3-pointers and scored 26 points to help Sacramento Kings to a win over Los Angeles.

DeMar DeRozan had 32 points and six assists for the Kings (10-30), who won their second straight after a seven-game skid. Russell Westbrook, who played 78 games for the Lakers in 2023, added 22 points and seven assists.

It was the Kings’ first home win against the Lakers since March 13, 2024.

Luka Doncic paced the Lakers with 42 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. It was the seventh 40-point game of the season for the NBA’s leading scorer.

LeBron James had 22 points on 8-for-17 shooting that included missing all five attempts from 3-point distance.

DeAndre Ayton scored 13 points to reach 7,000 for his career. Jaxson Hayes added 12 points for the Lakers (23-11), who have lost two straight since winning three in a row.

CLIPPERS 117, HORNETS 109

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 35 points and James Harden had 32 to move into ninth place on the NBA’s career scoring list, and the Los Angeles Clippers beat Charlotte for their fourth win in five games.

Jordan Miller added 14 points and Ivica Zubac had nine points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers.

LaMelo Ball had 25 points and nine rebounds to lead the Hornets in their third loss in four games. Kon Knueppel scored 18 points, Moussa Diabaté had 13 points and 15 rebounds, Brandon Miller also scored 13 and Miles Bridges 11.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) blocks a shot by Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski (22) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)