VATICAN CITY
Journal (Ireland)
CATHOLIC CARDINALS HAVE BEGUN talks today ahead of a conclave to elect the next pope, following Benedict XVI’s historic resignation.
A string of new scandals and allegations have emerged since Benedict became only the second pope in the Church’s 2,000-year history to step down of his own free will.
The Vatican meetings starting today, known as “general congregations”, set the date for the start of the conclave and help identify candidates to be leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics.
The Vatican is now expecting 115 “cardinal electors” – cardinals aged under 80 – to attend the conclave after the former head of the Catholic Church in Scotland, Cardinal Keith O’Brien opted out and an Indonesian cardinal said he was too sick to attend.
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