VATICAN CITY – Cardinals have set Tuesday as the start date for the conclave to elect the next pope, a milestone in this unusual papal transition and an indication that even without an obvious front-runner, the cardinals have a fairly good idea of who best among them can lead the Catholic Church and tackle its many problems.

The conclave date was set Friday afternoon during a vote by the College of Cardinals who have been meeting all week to discuss the church’s problems and priorities and the qualities a new pope must possess.

Tuesday will begin with a morning Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, followed by a solemn procession into the Sistine Chapel and the first round of secret balloting in the afternoon.