VATICAN CITY — Despite intense anticipation, the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church marched toward the papal election at a deliberate pace on Tuesday, making clear they would not be rushed as they formulate their views on who should be the next man to lead the world’s more than one billion Catholics.

After two formal meetings on Monday and Tuesday morning, the cardinals decided to forgo an afternoon session Tuesday to allow more time for private talk and research. They said they would keep the same measured pace on Wednesday.

“The cardinals wanted time to organize themselves according to their rhythm of reflection and the need for information,” the Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, told reporters. “They can use the time they think best.”

The unstructured time, Vatican experts said, may in fact be the cardinals’ most productive. Two-thirds of the cardinal electors do not live in Rome or come from far-flung dioceses and generally need more time to get to know one another and the potential contenders for the papacy.