New pope faces 'difficult, complex' point in history, senior cardinal says ahead of conclave

Cardinals gather, on the day the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re presides over the Holy Mass, celebrated for the election of the new pope, in St. Peter’s Basilica, at the Vatican, May 7, 2025. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

VATICAN CITY (AFP): The cardinal leading the last mass before a conclave to elect a new pope urged his peers on Wednesday (May 7) to choose someone able to protect the Catholic Church's unity and lead a "difficult and complex" point in history.

Cardinals from five continents held a final mass in St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican before shutting themselves away to choose a new leader for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.