In the news:
Originally published Monday, March 4, 2013 at 4:36 AM
Conclave nears, Sistine Chapel closed to visitors
The clearest sign yet that a papal election is nearing has arrived, with the Sistine Chapel announcing it is closing to visitors.
The Associated Press
GREGORIO BORGIA / AP
Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, right, speaks with Cardinal Ricardo J. Vidal, of the Philippines, as they attend Pope Benedict XVI's last general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday. Cardinals from around the world are arriving at the Vatican for the conclave to pick Benedict's successor.
The clearest sign yet that a papal election is nearing has arrived, with the Sistine Chapel announcing it is closing to visitors.
As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, Michelangelo's frescoed masterpiece will be sealed to tourists as Vatican workers put it into shape for the conclave: In 2005, the last time the College of Cardinals elected a pope, those preparations included installing a false floor to hide anti-bugging devices and attaching the stove, where the ballots are burned, to the Sistine Chapel's chimney.
Tuesday also brought a second day of pre-conclave meetings with cardinals to organize the election process and get to know one another. With a handful of cardinals still travelling to Rome, no date has yet been set for the start of the conclave.
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