Pope Francis has passed away at 88-years-old, the Vatican has announced this morning. Francis had been Pope since 2013, and his death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement. It read: "Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7.35am this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church. "He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God." But with Francis' quiet passing, questions are being raised on who will succeed him as the new Pope. The process for choosing a new Pope, known as Conclave , generally takes place between 15 and 20 days after the death of a pontiff. The cardinals of the Vatican city vote for a new Pope in a secret ballot at the Sistine Chapel. The chapel's chimney will signal when a new Pope has been chosen with white smoke that will drift over the city below. But who exactly is in the running to become Francis' successor ? Here's everything you need to know about who may become the new Pope. Here is the list of Cardinals most likely to be voted to succeed Pope Francis. The 65-year-old is best known for rejecting one of Pope Francis' controversial declarations. The conservative declared the Fiducia supplicans doctrine that allowed priests to bless unmarried and same-sex couples, as impermissible in Africa. Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, would likely start to distance the church away from Pope Francis' perceived left-wing views. Dubbed the "Asian Pope Francis," the 67-year-old Filipino is considered to be left-leaning and has held a critical stance of how the church has handled the treatment of divorced Catholics as well as members of the LGBT community. In 2015, he said the Church's stance toward these groups had done major harm to it's evangelising efforts. As a conservative, the 72-year-old Hungarian has previously opposed divorcing or remarried Catholics receiving the Holy Communion. He has been a vocal opponent of European nations accepting refugees. The Italian cardinal is widely considered to be a moderate within the church and is among the favourites to succeed Pope Francis. He has served in the Vatican for 11 years and has been a part of diplomatic efforts of the Holy See. He is widely considered to be an extension of the legacy of the current pontiff. Arch-conservative American Burke has previously challenged Pope Francis' acceptance to allow divorced and remarried Catholics to receive the Eucharist. He has also challenged the Church around its recent stances toward contraception, homosexuals and civil marriages. The Dutch former doctor is believed to be one the most conservative among the frontrunners. He has staunchly opposed Pope Francis over his endorsement of civil marriages in the case of not receiving an annulment of the first marriage. He also hit out against the Pope over his inability to dismiss a proposal that would allow Protestants to receive the Eucharist in Catholic churches.