How long after a pope’s death does a papal conclave usually begin?

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Cardinals of the Catholic Church, dressed in red, sit at long tables in the Sistine Chapel during the 2005 papal election conclave, surrounded by ornate frescoed walls. — papal conclave Cardinals assembled inside the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican Palace for a conclave to elect a new pope; Vatican City, 2005.

A papal conclave usually begins 15 to 20 days after the death of a pope. However, this timeline can vary; for instance, the conclave following the 2013 abdication of Pope Benedict XVI convened 12 days after the vacancy began.1