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Cardinals ring in church debate

Cardinal Bernardin Gantin from Benin, left, chats with Italian Cardinal Giovan Battista Re

VATICAN CITY -- The largest ever gathering of cardinals has opened to examine the challenges facing the Catholic church in the new millennium.

And with the 81-year-old Pope John Paul II looking increasingly frail some are also calling it a pre-conclave -- referring to the selection meeting for a new pontiff. (Potential successors)

Pope John Paul II summoned all 183 cardinals to attend the gathering shortly after appointing 44 new cardinals in February.

However because of age or illness the Vatican said only 155 had made it -- but it is still the largest College of Cardinals in history.

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In a clash of ancient church tradition and modern technology, one cardinal's mobile telephone phone rang loudly during what were supposed to be silent prayers to open the gathering.

The pope and several top Vatican cardinals then addressed the closed-door meeting in the Vatican's Synod Hall, with the theme "Pastoral Perspectives of the Church in the Third Millennium," before general discussions began.

John Paul II noted that the cardinals have come from all over the world and from different cultural backgrounds, reflecting the church's "unity, universality and missionary work," according to a text distributed by the Vatican's press office.

The succession issue cannot be openly broached and, with only a vague agenda, the proceedings are expected to be dominated by debate on Roman Catholic church's relations with other Christian denominations and broadening consultation within the church hierarchy.

It is the first such meeting to be held in six years and only the seventh of its kind in the pope's 23-year papacy.

It is the largest-ever College of Cardinals

Cardinals will be encouraged to take part in the discussion and even raise controversial issues.

John Paul II, who turned 81 on Friday, looked frail during a recent pilgrimage to Greece, Syria and Malta but the Vatican said he will attend the entire three-day meeting, which includes morning and afternoon sessions Monday through to Wednesday, followed by a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday.

The Vatican has consistently denied reports that he would resign because of his ailments - including displaying many of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

CNN's Jim Bittermann says the current meeting gives the cardinals the chance to lay the groundwork for the selection of the next pope.

"One side-effect from any gathering of cardinals normally scattered around the world is that they have the chance to size each other up ahead of voting, when the time comes, on John Paul's successor."

John Paul has named all but 10 of the 134 cardinals from 61 countries eligible to vote in a conclave increasing the possibility that the next Roman Catholic leader will be a theological conservative in his own image.