By CNN
When the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday at the start of conclave, the process of electing a new pope, they will be sealed off from the world.
But that doesn’t stop people trying to influence the thinking of the 133 prelates who will choose a successor to the late Pope Francis. The electors are allowed to take in written materials and, in the days leading up to the conclave, have been offered a book on their fellow cardinals – one which contains a clear message.
Titled “The College of Cardinals Report,” it offers profiles on around 40 papal candidates, including a breakdown on where they stand on topics such as same-sex blessings, ordaining female deacons and the church’s teaching on contraception. The subtext: Choose a pope who will take the church in a different direction to Pope Francis – whose progressive reforms angered some conservatives.
The College of Cardinals report is freely available online but has also been produced as a large format book. One retired cardinal, not eligible to take part in conclave, told CNN he had received a hard copy.
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