Conclave Meets: Portraits of Cardinal Papal Contenders
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The 115 voting cardinals of the Catholic church began today their secret conclave to choose the successor to Pope Benedict XVI. There is a saying in Rome that “he who enters the conclave a pope exits as a cardinal” and it is notoriously tricky to try to handicap the papal vote.
Under a 15th century fresco by Michelangelo depicting God breathing life into Adam, the so-called princes of the church may hold a single vote today with as many as four ballots on succeeding days.