Cardinals begin papal conclave

Cardinals from six continents made their solemn procession to the Sistine Chapel today to convene the new millennium’s first conclave – a secret and sacred gathering to elect a pope who will guid the world’s 1.1 billion Roman Catholics into a new era.

Clad in crimson vestments and caps, the 115 voting “princes” of a church stung by priest sex-abuse scandals and an exodus of the faithful walked slowly from the Apostolic Palace to sequester themselves inside the chapel decorated with frescoes by Michelangelo.

They were to take an oath of secrecy and hear a meditation before deciding whether to take their first vote or wait until tomorrow.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger – a powerful Vatican official from Germany who often has been mentioned as a leading candidate for pope – recited a prayer at the palace before the cardinals chanted the Litany of the Saints as they made the short walk to the chapel.

The cardinals were led by altar servers carrying two long, lit white candles and a metal crucifix.