Election For New Pope Begins Tuesday

Roman Catholic cardinals will gather to begin the process of selecting the next pope on Tuesday, announced a report from the Vatican City Monday.

After former Pope Benedict XVI announced his retirement Feb. 28, reports had it that a new pope will be elected before Easter. A statement from the Vatican City announced Monday that elections for the new Pope will begin Tuesday.

The conclave, the secret papal election, will be held in the Sistine Chapel, which has been closed to the public while Vatican staff readied the ornately decorated vestry for deliberations.

Signs of preparations were first seen over the weekend when workers were spotted on the chapel's rooftop installing the chime that will release the black or white smoke, depending on the decision.

The Vatican also released a video that showed the installation of two stoves in the vestry - one that will burn the cardinals' ballots after they are cast and the other to send out the signal whether a new Pope has been elected or not. While black smoke released from the chime signifies no Pope has won, white smoke indicates the selection of a new Pope.

For the last week, cardinals of all ages have been meeting in daily sessions called the General Congregation. The last of these General Congregation will take place today. Tuesday, the cardinal-electors will move into Casa Santa Marta, a Vatican hotel. They will not be allowed to speak to anyone outside the conclave.

They will attend a special morning Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. The cardinals will cast their first vote Tuesday afternoon, with subsequent votes taken over the following days until one of the contenders gains a two-thirds majority. Once that is achieved, he will be announced the head of 1.2 billion Catholics. The longest election process lasted five days.

From the 115 cardinals of the church under the age of 80, who can be the next Pope, sixty of the cardinals are from Europe and 67 were appointed by Benedict XVI. Pope Benedict XVI was the first pontiff to resign from his position in six centuries.