Conclave to select new pope will begin Tuesday afternoon

Cardinals will gather in a conclave to pick a new pope beginning Tuesday, March 12, the Vatican announced Friday.

"Mass will be celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica in the morning," the Vatican said in its official newsfeed Friday. "In the afternoon the cardinals will enter into the Conclave."

The announcement comes as cardinals from around the world have been making their way to Rome after Pope Benedict XVI made the surprise announcement that he would step down, making him the first pope to abdicate his post in 600 years.