Cardinals pray as conclave rituals begin

Red-robed cardinals assembled in the Vatican on Wednesday to pray, shortly before being locked in to elect a new pope to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.A total of 133 cardinal electors are taking part in the conclave, the highly secretive election to pick a successor to Pope Francis, who died last month after a 12-year papacy.After attending a final mass in St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning, the prelates gathered in the Vatican’s Pauline Chapel in silent prayer.