Cardinals hold Vatican conclave to elect new Pope

VATICAN CITY - Thousands of pilgrims and tourists waited in line to get inside St. Peter's Basilica early Tuesday for a special pre-conclave Mass with Roman Catholic cardinals who were preparing to choose the next pope. The “Mass Pro Eligendo Pontifice” began at 10 a.m. in front of a congregation of worshippers who were waiting outside in St. Peter's Square for tickets allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals presided over the liturgy. “My brothers – said Sodano in his homily - let us pray that the Lord will grant us a Pontiff who will embrace this noble mission with a generous heart”.





Deliberation and voting in the papal conclave, which takes places in the 16th century Sistine Chapel, won’t begin until after 5 p.m. Before that, there’ll be more ceremony: after lunch, at 3.45 p.m. the 115 cardinals eligible to vote will move from their temporary residential quarters at in the Casa Santa Marta to the Pauline Chapel from where, by 4.30, they will form a procession into the Sistine Chapel. At 4.45pm, all those not having anything to do with the conclave will leave the Sistine Chapel when the master of ceremonies intones the “Extra Omnes” (all out) and the great doors of the frescoed chapel are shut. The conclave will then officialy start.