Conclave To Elect New Pope May Take Place Earlier Than Planned
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The conclave to elect the next Pope may take place earlier than originally planned.
Vatican rules typically require a 15 to 20-day waiting period after a Pope vacates his seat to give cardinals enough time to gather from around the world.
With Pope Benedict XVI's resignation taking effect on February 28, the soonest a conclave should meet under the rules would be March 15.
But since cardinals already know when the Pope is stepping down, the Vatican said it's reviewing the rules and considering an earlier meeting.
Pope Benedict announced his intention to step down on Monday.
It's the first Papal resignation in nearly 600 years.