Conclave Begins to Elect a New Pope

ROME 12 March 2013 (ACNS) - The conclave to select a successor to Benedict XVI begins today in Rome as the 115 Cardinal Electors gather for a solemn mass, followed by the rituals of the conclave in the Sistine Chapel. While much speculation abounds, no clear favorite for Pope has emerged. As the old Italian saying goes, though, "He who enters the conclave as Pope leaves as a Cardinal."