Next pope faces 'difficult, complex' point in history, cardinals told

Cardinals during a holy mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff, prior to the start of the conclave, at St Peter's Basilica in The Vatican. [AFP]

The cardinal leading the last mass before a conclave to elect a new pope urged his peers Wednesday to choose someone able to protect the Catholic Church's unity and lead a "difficult and complex" point in history.

Cardinals from five continents held a final mass in St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican before shutting themselves away to choose a new leader for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.