The morning mass for the cardinals participating in the conclave has ended in the Vatican. It ended with a final prayer to St. Mary, after which the cardinals left the cathedral.
The cardinals are now enjoying a last long break for lunch and reflection. Later, they will gather in the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave and elect a new Pope.
The words of Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, are likely to impact the Cardinals significantly. During his homily, Re, who is not entitled to vote due to his age, called for an appreciation of the diversity of the church in the spirit of Francis:
"Christ established the unity of the church; "unity that does not mean uniformity, but a strong and profound communion in diversity, provided that full fidelity to the Gospel is maintained," Cardinal Rehn said.
The atmosphere leading up to the conclave has been tense. Some groups that want a pope different from Francis have circulated documents and information promoting specific candidates. However, there is a perception that this may not affect the cardinals.
They have already handed in their electronic devices.
