VATICAN CITY: The Vatican has said that Cardinals from around the world will hold a conclave to elect a new leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics on Tuesday afternoon.
The 115 Catholic cardinal-electors taking part in the conclave will enter the closed meeting after holding a special Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in the morning, said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi in a statement. Only those younger than 80 are eligible to vote.
The elaborate ritual continues until one man receives a two-thirds majority. The vote follows Pope Benedict’s surprise abdication last month after a troubled, eight-year reign.
There is no clear favorite to take the helm of Church, which faces an array of problems, from sexual abuse scandals to internal strife at the heart of the Vatican administration.
DND
