POPE Benedict XVI held his first working meeting with the College of Cardinals yesterday as authorities began gearing up for the influx of dignitaries and 500,000 faithful expected for the Pope’s inauguration tomorrow.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, considered a top contender to be the next Pope, made his final stump speech before being sequestered in the Sistine Chapel today, lashing out at the trends he said were taking root in the Roman Catholic Church.