The cardinals who must pick a successor to Pope Benedict XVI after he steps down on February 28 could meet to make the decision sooner than thought, a Vatican spokesman said Saturday. The conclave, the meeting which will bring together the 117 cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church, could start before March 15 if all the cardinals are already in Rome, Father Federico Lombardi said. Lombardi had previously said the conclave was likely to start between March 15 and 19. But he gave new details Saturday, saying that because the pope had resigned rather than the conclave being triggered by his death, there was scope for the time frame to be brought forward.
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Benedict could stay in the summer papal residence till April or May, Vatican aide says
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Guidance on the protocol for what comes next should be issued soon, he says
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The cardinals could meet sooner than March 15 if they are all in Rome, Lombardi says
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Benedict XVI announced Monday that he will step down on February 28
Benedict is the first pope to step down in nearly 600 years, throwing the @placeholder into some confusion.