Papal conclave - Awesome responsibility for cardinals

Today will see the commencement of the centuries-old process in which 115 cardinals will gather in conclave to elect a successor to the late Pope John Paul II.

Shrouded in absolute secrecy in the Sistine Chapel, theirs would be an awesome responsibility in the normal course of history, but to decide who is to follow the Polish Pope is daunting.

Now that the official nine-day period of mourning for him is over, for the first time in 26 years the cardinals will be cloistered until this historic process is completed.

White smoke will eventually announce to an anticipating world who will take over the mantle to become the 264th successor to St Peter.

Despite speculation, there is no clear favourite in sight and it could well be that the eventual Pope may be very much as surprising a choice as John Paul II was.

The conclave may last four or five days, which has been the average time for deliberations in modern papal elections.