VATICAN CITY
IOL (South Africa)
Vatican City – The secret conclave to elect a new pope once Pope Benedict XVI has resigned could be held earlier than originally planned to allow the future pontiff to prepare for Easter, sources said Friday.
Benedict steps down on February 28 and the vote for the top job may begin on March 10, sources told Rome-based religious news agency I.Media.
Rules laid down by John Paul II stipulate that between 15 and 20 days must pass after the end of the pontificate before the conclave meets in the Sistine chapel under Michelangelo’s famous ceiling frescoes to elect a new pope.
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