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All voting cardinals have to be present before they can discharge Pope Benedict XVI’s, last minute decree giving cardinals “the possibility to bring forward” a papal conclave to elect his successor.
“I leave the College of Cardinals the possibility to bring forward the start of the conclave once all cardinals are present, or push the beginning of the election back by a few days should there be serious reasons,” the pope said.
The conclave is traditionally held between 15 and 20 days after a pope dies.
The Pope’s February 25 “motu proprio,” a decree written on his own initiative, means that the cardinals will no longer have to wait 15 days to elect the new pope.
“The modification also provides that the conclave must begin no more than 20 days after the beginning of the sede vacante, even if all the electors are not present,” said Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata of the Holy See’s press office.
The exact date when the voting will begin remains unknown until the cardinals hold their initial general meetings, according to the Holy See’s press office director, Fr Federico Lombardi.
Lombardi also said that the cardinals may not announce the date of the conclave until after they meet a second time.
Source CNA
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