Cardinals Conduct Final Pre-Conclave Mass Amid Church Challenges

Roman Catholic cardinals pray for divine intervention, hours before beginning a conclave to elect a new pope.<br/> <br />The Church is facing one of its most difficult periods in history, with a slew of sex scandals and rapidly dwindling popularity.<br/> <br />The cardinals, including the 115 aged under 80 who will vote for the next pontiff, are praying that God will inspire them to choose the right man.<br/> <br />This mass is the last event for the cardinals before they were to enter the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday afternoon for the conclave.<br/> <br />Vatican insiders say Italy's Angelo Scola and Brazil's Odilo Scherer have emerged as the men to beat.<br/> <br />The former would bring the papacy back to Italy for the first time in 35 years, while the latter would be the first non-European pope in 1,300 years.