Saturday, March 9, 2013

Papal conclave to begin March 12 for Benedict’s successor

From The Washington Post-

The College of Cardinals will convene Tuesday to begin the formal process of selecting a new pope to lead the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, the Vatican announced Friday.

In their eighth general congregation, or pre-conclave meeting, the cardinals voted to start the conclave Tuesday afternoon, after a morning “pro eligendo Romano Pontifice” Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.


The cardinals will convene inside the Sistine Chapel, and they are sworn to secrecy and barred from contact with the outside world until their deliberations are complete. Voting begins the first afternoon. If no papal candidate receives the required two-thirds of the votes, the ballot is repeated twice each morning and afternoon. If, after the third day, no pope is elected, a one-day break for prayer is permitted. Since the early 20th century, no conclave has lasted more than five days.

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/cardinals-to-vote-soon-on-when-papal-conclave-will-begin/2013/03/08/a0c719c0-87ed-11e2-999e-5f8e0410cb9d_story.html

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