Cardinals electing the new pope will be looking for a charismatic but tenacious man capable of reuniting a fractious Church, stamping down on scandals, and reigniting faith among the young.

Pope Benedict XVI today praised an Italian nun for pardoning her killers as she lay dying from an attack in Somalia that may have been linked to worldwide Muslim anger over his recent remarks about Islam and violence.

A Vatican cardinal said today the faithful should listen to what secular modern science has to offer, warning that religion risks becoming “fundamentalist” if it ignores scientific reason.