ROME — A week after Pope Benedict XVI
formally retired, cardinals gathered in Rome to choose his successor
went into a fourth day of soundings and deliberations on Thursday with
expectation mounting that they are nudging toward a date for the secret
papal balloting known as a conclave.
Their deliberations were overshadowed on Wednesday by a clash of
cultures over sharing information with the news media, with American
cardinals facing off against fellow cardinals who had seen American
forthrightness as a violation of protocol.
The announcement of a date would begin a process of closed-door ballots
among 115 cardinals under the age of 80 who are eligible to vote. The
deliberations are held in the Sistine Chapel and require a two-thirds
majority — 77 cardinals — to choose a new pope, a choice signaled by a
puff of white smoke.There is no firm deadline for them to set a date. Before his resignation
became effective, Benedict issued an order saying the conclave cold
begin sooner than the usual 15 to 20 days after the death of a pope.Additionally, many cardinals have signaled that they are hoping to
return to their home dioceses in time for Holy Week, which begins this
year on March 24, Palm Sunday, followed by Easter Sunday on March 31.
The duration of a conclave is also uncertain. Most papal elections since
the early 20th century have taken less than five days. In 2005,
Benedict was chosen within 24 hours. His predecessor, John Paul II, was
elected in voting between Oct. 14 and Oct. 16, 1978.
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