Cardinals begin swearing oath of secrecy for pope vote

Roman Catholic Cardinals begin a conclave on Tuesday to elect the Church's 266th pontiff and a successor to Pope Benedict, who abdicated unexpectedly last month.

The 115 cardinal electors under the age of 80 prayed for divine help on Tuesday, hours before entering the frescoed Sistine Chapel on Tuesday afternoon. They will hold one vote that evening and vote up to four times day thereafter until one of their number receives a two-thirds majority, or 77 votes.

No conclave has lasted than more than five days in the past century. Pope Benedict was elected within barely 24 hours in 2005 after just four rounds of voting. But this time, no clear favourites have emerged to take the helm of the troubled Church.

The 115 cardinals swore, under pain of ex-communication, to reveal nothing of their deliberations, AFP reports.