Agencies Vatican City

With all the pomp, drama and solemnity that the Catholic Church can muster, 133 cardinals on Wednesday began centuries-old rituals to elect a successor to Pope Francis, celebrating a morning Mass before opening the most geographically diverse conclave in the faith's 2,000-year history. The dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, presided over the service, urging the voters to set aside all personal interests and find a pope who prizes unity. The world today needs a leader who can awaken consciences, he said.

From the altar of St Peter's Basilica, Re prayed that the cardinals can agree "on the pope that our time needs," as he offered a final set of marching orders before they enter the Sistine Chapel later Wednesday to begin the secret voting. Hailing from 70 countries, the cardinals are being sequestered from the outside world, their cellphones surrendered and airwaves around the Vatican jammed to prevent all communications until they find a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member church.

Francis named 108 of the 133 "princes of the church," choosing many pastors in his image from far-flung countries like Mongolia, Sweden and Tonga that had never had a cardinal before. His decision to surpass the usual limit of 120 cardinal electors and include younger ones from the "global south" - often marginalized countries with lower economic clout - has injected an unusual degree of uncertainty in a process that is always full of mystery and suspense, with smoke signals telling the world if a pope has been elected or not. Many cardinals hadn't met one another until last week and lamented they needed more time to get to know each another.