The 133 cardinals who will participate in the conclave attended in a strict procession the Pro Elegendo Romano Pontifice mass at the Basilica of St. Peter, the last rite before the proclamation of Extra Omnes ("Everyone out") in the early afternoon that will mark the "confinement" of the cardinals until the election of the new Pope.
Cardinal Giovanni Batista Re, who cannot participate in the conclave for exceeding the age limit of 80, opened the ceremony in Latin and invoked the help of the Holy Spirit, surrounded in a semicircle by the cardinals in their last hours of "freedom" before the seclusion behind the walls of the Vatican. As is traditional, the readings were in English, Italian, and Spanish, with prayers in other languages.
"Love knows no bounds", emphasized Giovanni Batista Re in his homily before the conclave, reminding the elector cardinals of Jesus' example and appealing to "universal human brotherhood". The veteran cardinal also appealed for "unity" and "communion in diversity" and invited the cardinals to set aside their "personal interests" and prioritize "the good of the Church and humanity".
"Technological society has forgotten God", warned Cardinal Re in his homily. "Today's world expects a lot from the Church for the safeguarding of fundamental, human, and spiritual values, without which human coexistence will not be better nor bring good to future generations."
"We are here to invoke the help of the Holy Spirit," Re emphasized. "To implore His light and strength so that the Pope needed by the Church and humanity in this difficult, complex, and tormented turn of history may be elected."
Cardinal Re, who also officiated at the massive funeral of Francisco, recalled the need for a Pope capable of "awakening consciences," serving as a spiritual guide, and meeting "the needs of our times".
After the mass at St. Peter's, the cardinals will participate in the final lunch before the conclave and will move to the Casa de Santa Marta, where they will stay temporarily. From there, they will proceed to the Pauline Chapel, where they will depart in procession singing the "Veni Creator" and asking for the assistance of the Holy Spirit.
At 4:30 p.m., the cardinals will hold their first closed-door meeting in the Sistine Chapel, where the first and only vote of the first day will take place. Vatican experts predict that it will be more of a test vote that will end with the black smoke, indicating that no candidate has garnered the necessary two-thirds support (89 votes) to be proclaimed as Pontiff.
Vatican experts predict that the favorite for the succession of Pope Francis, Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, could start with support of up to fifty votes. However, initial support is not a guarantee of success: Archbishop of Milan Angelo Scola started with a similar advantage in 2013 but was "blocked" by a faction of the conclave and was unable to continue gaining votes, opening the door to a candidate like Francis, who was not initially among the favorites.
At least half a dozen candidates have the profile of being "papabile" from the start, as predicted by Archbishop of Algiers Jean-Paul Vesco (63 years old), who experts consider a possible "dark horse" ("surprise winner") in the lead-up to the Conclave.