Updated 03/11/13 - Corrections

ROME - The process of picking a pope so far has been something like a synod and something like a retreat, said Toronto's Cardinal Thomas Collins just before celebrating Sunday Mass at his titular church in Rome.

With just one more session of meetings to go, the cardinals who have gathered in Rome have decided to lock themselves in the Sistine Chapel and start the conclave to choose a new pope on Tuesday, March 12.

Mixed reactions on potential pope, but most agree he is a holy man

Associate Editor Michael Swan is in Rome to report on the conclave. Selecting a pope is a world event, but that doesn’t mean it lacks a Canadian perspective. Here Swan looks at Canada and the conclave.

Updated 03/11/13 - Updates throughout

ROME - Elections are conducted differently in every country. Brazil insists on electronic voting machines while Canada sticks with paper ballots. In North Korea there's just one candidate and in Kenya half the population is running.

VATICAN CITY - Everyone is curious about the cardinals.

VATICAN CITY - If Jesus had wanted a Church free of scandal or problems, he would have put it in the hands of angels, not a humanity he loved, said Nigeria's newest cardinal elector.

VATICAN CITY - Chanting the Litany of the Saints, asking a host of holy men and women to help them, the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel in procession, aware of their enormous responsibility to elect a new pope.

The Catholic Register's Michael Swan reports from Rome to give a Canadian perspective on the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the conclave to elect the next Pope.

VATICAN CITY - When Pope Benedict XVI officially stepped down from office Feb. 28, his wardrobe changed -- right down to the ring on his finger.

VATICAN CITY - The Sistine Chapel's transformation from a world-famous tourist site to the prayer-filled space where cardinal electors will choose the next pope is under way.

VATICAN CITY - Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet said the conclave "opens up a new future" for the church and is a responsibility the cardinals see as "their main task."

VATICAN CITY - After completing their third pre-conclave meeting, the College of Cardinals still had not announced a date for the conclave. Instead, they used the March 4 and 5 meetings to discuss needs of the church.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The College of Cardinals began their formal pre-conclave meetings March 4 with 142 members present, 103 of whom are under the age of 80 and eligible to enter the conclave to vote for a new pope.

VATICAN CITY - Cardinal-electors are caught in a Catch-22. They are eager to give the world a new pope; however, they need time to pick the right leader, said South Africa's cardinal.