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How does the papal conclave work?

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    Inside the secret selection process

  • Duration 5:24
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Getting of the papal conclave.

That secretive selection process that will decide the leader of the world's one point two billion Catholics.

Tomorrow 115 cardinals that's all of those who were under the age of eighty.

From all over the globe -- are set to celebrate mass at saint Peter's basilica.

From there they'll head over to the Sistine Chapel where they'll lock the door behind them and start the work of deciding the replacement for the retiring Pope Benedict the sixteenth.

Once they're inside they'll cut off all contact with the outside world in theory.

No newspapers no TV no email no Internet nothing which means they won't be able to tweet updates of their status.

Unless and until a puff of white smoke appears in the skies above the Vatican and then we'll have a new Pope.

We have team fox coverage this afternoon let's begin with -- Amy Kellogg live outside saint Peter's basilica here in -- tonight payment.

-- step of the Vatican today gave us a little taste of the splendor and ceremony that will accompany.

This conclave -- you know -- it's not just the cardinals who will be shut down from texting and tweeting the Vatican press office today said that if we have any trouble at all discerning whether that smoke we start seeing is.

Wider black they will not be sending us any.

Clarification via text or tweet that I just have figured out ourselves.

Now the cardinals today had their final congregation.

Before the -- -- kids they spoke about the Vatican bank an issue that has.

Backs to the Vatican.

As international institutions demand more transparency.

But as -- tomorrow housekeeping matters will be put aside and it is all about the spiritual and divine guidance in the process of choosing the new -- the cardinals will make -- -- from the Pauline chapel to the Sistine Chapel at 430 local time tomorrow were they able march.

In reverse order of their rank within the college and they will be accompanied by cancers.

Who will -- the litany of saints and -- any creator spirit to assess and -- vacation to the holy spirit each -- taken notes in Latin hand upon the book of gospels after which the order extra on this.

All out but the electors and two additional officiating cardinals.

They all leave and the voting begins now the pontifical investments have arrived at the Vatican and all possible sizes to fit -- new Pope.

He will change into them in the so called room of tears right after he's elected and of course -- -- And it's called the room with tears because so much emotion is involved in the moment and then it's out on to this balcony.

To give the first blessing to the waiting world and -- The Vatican even says we shouldn't expect this all to happen tomorrow the grand finale they think we will see smoke tomorrow but it will probably be black.

That said of course anything is possible once the conclave begins sat there.

When it is Amy Kellogg behind this in saint Peter's squares Amy thank you so much.

Actually -- some McGuire is with us now she's the founder and editor in chief of the website website all the -- -- dot com.

He's also a senior fellow with the Catholic association knows the ins and outs around -- expert Steve and I think -- so what do we expect.

Tomorrow.

Well you know they're starting out with -- I think is very significant I mean this is what the speech is all about.

And it really symbolizes that what they're doing is they're submitting themselves to the will of the holy spirit they believe.

That they are operating under the will and the guidance of the -- -- until -- new hope emerges so if we cut to the chase for the last week or so they've been politicking and there have them.

Don't -- just beginning to know each other and if they're coming from all over the world.

And -- a 115 of them a lot of them have never even -- Right but to say that there's no politicking going on Fort -- -- -- would be.

I don't know is that true.

But Barack is they tell us -- they're absolutely barred from politicking but I think that it's fair to say that.

What they're discussing is one of the problems facing the church.

What did they need to do what -- the real issues that are facing these men as they consider.

Who's going to be leaving the church for the next however long.

-- it seems at least if you read all of the local press them some front runners have emerged not the least of which being that the cardinal from Milan.

Yeah absolutely and people are also talking about cardinal Dolan of Cardinal Sean O'Malley from the United States stolen from New York O'Malley from Boston.

So I think it's absolutely impossible to predict -- it's going to be that I think that.

Whoever is chosen is going to be embraced by the one point two billion Catholics around the world.

And -- some enormous challenges facing this church and I wonder if you have a sense for where the church believes they need to begin.

You know.

There are a lot of challenges the churches facing I think Pope Benedict did an excellent job of really tackling some of the most difficult -- -- first among them being a sex abuse crisis.

There's a lot more work to be done but the church has been around for 2000 years I think we can be assured that shall continue plotting.

Forward that would be my guess.

Finally -- the thing that I've been reading the most since I've been here.

Has been.

Rome vs the reformers.

It's the headline everywhere with -- exhaustive right throughs on.

How one side wants to move forward quickly and the Romans want to slow things down and keep things sort of how -- meant -- have a sense for how that is shaping up.

Well you know if there are -- the beauty is that we'll never know I mean this is a big part of why these things are kept secrets of that it doesn't turn into.

A political events of spiritual that ultimately.

Actually since McGwire so -- to see thank you thank you.

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