The 115 cardinal¹-electors will attend a special Mass in the morning before processing into the Sistine Chapel³ to begin their deliberations（商议） in the afternoon.

 

They will vote four times daily until two-thirds can agree on a candidate.

 

The election was prompted by the surprise resignation of Benedict XVI.

 

The challenges of leading a Church beset⁴ by problems ranging from the sexual abuse scandal to accusations⁵ of corruption⁶ at the Vatican bank proved too much for the 85-year-old now known as Pope emeritus⁷（退休的）, say correspondents.

 

They now lie ahead for his successor, once he is elected.

 

 

Tuesday morning will be dominated by the saying of the Mass "for the Election of the Supreme⁸ Pontiff", beginning at 1000 (0900 GMT) in St Peter's Basilica.

 

In the afternoon, 115 cardinal-electors - all under 80, as those over 80 are excluded - will proceed into the Sistine Chapel for the secret conclave⁹（秘密会议） to select Benedict's successor.

 

Once they have taken an oath of secrecy¹⁰, Msgr Guido Marini, papal master of ceremonies, will call out the words "Extra omnes" - "Everybody out" - and the chapel doors will be locked to outsiders.

 

The 85-year-old Pope emeritus resigned on 28 February after eight years in office, citing ill health. He was the first Pope in six centuries to do so.

 

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was the marked favourite ahead of the 2005 conclave that elected him pope after just four rounds of voting, says the BBC's Michael Hirst in Rome. 

 

His status was compounded by a strong sermon given during the pre-election mass, a scathing¹¹ attack on what he saw as the "dictatorship of relativism".

 

The vote for his successor is expected to be much longer. 

 

After 10 general congregations open to all cardinals, regardless of age - at which 160 cardinals spoke¹² of the issues facing the faith and its 1.2 billion adherents¹³, and the qualities needed by their next leader - no clear frontrunner has emerged, our correspondent says.

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