Sawt Falasteen - Cardinals to move into Vatican on eve of conclave

Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 133 cardinal electors will gather on Wednesday in the Sistine Chapel for an election that could last hours, days, or even months.

They normally stay in the Vatican's Santa Marta guesthouse, which has en-suite bathrooms and hotel-style room service, but there are not enough rooms for them all.

With representatives from 70 countries across five continents, this conclave is the largest -- and the most international -- ever.

As a result, some of the cardinals will be housed at Santa Marta Vecchia, a building next door usually used to accommodate Vatican officials.

They will be able to access their rooms -- assigned by drawing lots -- between Tuesday and the mass on Wednesday morning that precedes the conclave.

Both Francis and his predecessor Benedict XVI were both elected within two days, but the longest papal election in Church history lasted 1,006 days, from 1268 to 1271.

The cardinal electors -- those aged under 80 -- and other, older cardinals on Tuesday morning began the last of their near daily preparatory meetings for the conclave.

Discussions so far have covered everything from the Vatican's finances to the abuse scandal and Church unity, and the profile of the next pope.

Franco-Algerian cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco told the Corriere della Sera daily that the meetings, held since Francis's death, have helped bring together a very disparate group.

"We've come from so many countries, many of us had never met before. Finally we have got to know each other," he said.

There are "at least five or six" contenders, he said.

- 'It will happen' -

"There were the so-called 'natural' candidates, those already known for their role and personality. And there are those who speak and make you think 'that is strong'.

"But there is no-one who 'trounces' the others, who you think 'he's the one'. Yet it will happen", Vesco said.

Francis was an energetic reformer from Buenos Aires, who helped open up the Church during his 12-year-long papacy, but was accused by critics of failing to defend key Catholic doctrine.

The question now is whether his successor will follow a similar progressive line, or take the Church on a more conservative, traditionalist path.

Francis appointed around 80 percent of the current cardinal electors, but experts caution they may not choose someone to follow in his footsteps, with many suggesting there could be surprises.

The cardinals are sworn to secrecy, risking excommunication if they reveal what happens in the conclave, and are forbidden from contacting the outside world until they have a decision.

The Vatican announced late on Monday that it would cut the phone signal within the tiny city state from 3:00 pm (1300 GMT) on Wednesday until a new pope is elected -- although this will not affect St Peter's Square.

Required to leave their mobile telephones behind when the voting process begins, the cardinals will let the world know their progress by burning their ballots to produce smoke -- black for no decision, white for a new pope.

The staff who will support them during the election, from medics to lift operators, canteen and cleaning staff, are also bound to secrecy, and took their own oaths on Monday.

Y.Shaath--SF-PST