Cardinals will enter the Sistine Chapel today to elect the next pope, with the Catholic Church facing more upheaval and uncertainty than it has seen in decades.

Formally speaking, the race for the next pope doesn’t open until 9.30am on Monday, when all the cardinals who have made it to Rome by then will meet for the first time in what’s called a “general congregation”.

IT’S NICE when you can bring people together isn’t it? The other two (no prizes for guessing) have been sniping away at each other all season. Enter the Scousers, and all is harmony once more. Ah, bliss.

Pope John Paul II’s absence was felt by worried followers as poor health forced him to miss major Holy Week events, and the pontiff’s suffering gave special significance to Good Friday’s ceremonies.