by Joshua J. McElwee
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As the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church on Monday walked to and from meetings they're undertaking in preparation to choose the next pope, journalists and tourists alike watched and tried to pry information from them.
Among the cardinals was Raymond Burke, formerly the archbishop of St. Louis and the prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the highest juridical authority of the Catholic church, during Pope Benedict XVI's pontificate.
In this video, Burke walks out of a meeting of the cardinals' general congregation Monday afternoon. He is seen wearing a black hat as he walks from Paul VI Hall, the general meeting hall where the cardinals had gathered, into St. Peter's Square.
Earlier that morning, Burke was seen praying with a rosary at his side as he walked into the congregation meeting.
He holds in his hand a black briefcase, given to each cardinal and emblazoned with a golden seal of the special sede vacante period and the year 2013.
The cardinals met again in general congregation Monday afternoon, where they were expected to undertake a spiritual meditation given by the preacher of the papal household, Capuchin Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa.
They are expected to again meet Tuesday morning. Anticipated is whether they will choose the date for the conclave, the secret meeting at which they'll elect the next pontiff.