Cardinals will take part in a mass at St Peter's Basilica this morning and will later walk to the Sistine Chapel to cast their votes under Michelangelo's frescoes. Once they enter the chapel, they will have no communication with the outside world until a new pope is elected.

The United States counts 10 cardinals among the 133 eligible to vote for the successor to Pope Francis, including two from the tri-state area. Only four of the American electors actively serve as archbishops in the U.

The ideological center of the wealthiest, most powerful country would appear to justify a cardinal. What factors are at play?