(MCT) — Chicago's Cardinal Francis George said Sunday there should be no rush to convene the conclave that will elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI because the days leading up to the election are when cardinals can learn the most about the candidates.

Once the doors of the Sistine Chapel latch and the conclave begins, the cardinals will spend almost all of their time inside praying and casting ballots, George told reporters Sunday after celebrating Mass at St. Bride Catholic Church in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood.