Cardinals get ready to start conclave

With just a day away for the start of the conclave, which will choose a successor to Benedict XVI, the Cardinals met this morning to conclude details and finally define who will be the next Pope.

The meeting, which involves 115 cardinals, has no deadline since it does not end until at least two-thirds of the cardinals agree  on the election of the next pope, number 266 in history. If so, the next leader of the Catholic Church needs a minimum of 77 votes. The conclave will begin on Tuesday, March 12 at 3:30pm GMT when the cardinals will enter the Sistine Chapel.

Odilo Pedro Scherer, 63 (Brazil), Peter Turkson, 64 (Ghana), Angelo Scola, 71, (Italy), Christoph Schoenborn, 67 (Austria), and Mauro Piacenza, 69 (Italy), are the favorites to succeed the resigning Pope.

This Sunday, the Cardinals took a break in the talks preceding the conclave, to celebrate Sunday Mass in local parishes.

One hundred journalists visited the Sistine Chapel to corroborate the work of conditioning. What stands out is the copper pipe which has several meters that link the two stoves with the chimney installed in the ceiling. Through this, will the “Holy Smoke” will go out: black smoke while the decision  is being made. White smoke when the election occurred.