VATICAN CITY - The clearest sign yet that a papal election is nearing has arrived, with the Sistine Chapel announcing it is closing to visitors.
As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, Michelangelo's frescoed masterpiece will be sealed to tourists as Vatican workers put it into shape for the conclave: In 2005, the last time the College of Cardinals elected a pope, those preparations included installing a false floor to hide anti-bugging devices and attaching the stove, where the ballots are burned, to the Sistine Chapel's chimney.
Tuesday also brought a second day of pre-conclave meetings with cardinals to organize the election process and get to know one another. With a handful of cardinals still travelling to Rome, no date has yet been set for the start of the conclave.
