Pre-conclave talks begin:
Vatican City, March 4 - The general congregation
of cardinals started at 09:30 Italian time (08:30 GMT) Monday,
kicking off talks on the conclave to vote Benedict XVI's
successor.
Daily talks will be held by the College of Cardinals
preceding a conclave in which a new pope will be chosen.
On Friday, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of
Cardinals summoned cardinals for the first in a series of talks
Monday morning ahead of the secret electoral gathering in the
Sistine Chapel.
The date for the conclave may not be set Monday, Vatican
spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said Friday.
Observers expect it to come around March 10-11, after
Benedict issued a last-minute decree waiving the mandatory
15-day waiting period after the end of a papal reign.
There are 115 cardinal-electors, more than half of whom
were appointed by Benedict and the remaining by his predecessor
John Paul II.
The election process comes after Pope Benedict XVI stepped
down after nearly eight years in office leading the world's 1.2
billion Roman Catholics.
He was the first pontiff to resign in 600 years.
(Thanks tot The Catholic Herald:here)
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