Voting on When to Elect a New Pope Could Begin Tomorrow

Daily Telegraph
March 7, 2013

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/world/voting-on-when-to-elect-a-new-pope-could-begin-tomorrow/story-fnddckzi-1226592678185

A DECISION on when to elect the new head of the Catholic Church could be made as early as tomorrow as cardinals are reportedly already clashing on the timing of the election.

The Vatican has reported the last of the 115 cardinals eligible to vote on a new pontiff are expected in Rome today, almost a week after Pope Benedict XVI’s historic stepping down causing a power vacuum at the top.

Up to a dozen cardinals have been missing from pre-conclave meetings designed to look at potential papal candidates ahead of the actual voting process to be held in the Sistine Chapel.

Just what has been more pressing to keep them away is not clear but the Vatican said a decision on when to hold elections could only be made when all were accounted for.

Confirmation progress could now be made came amid reports "sparks" were flying at pre-conclave meetings with a bloc of US and German cardinals clashing with their Italian counterparts.

According to the Italian press, the US and Germans wanted longer discussions ahead of the conclave while the Italians wanted to move to an election as quickly as possible. Many are expressing concern for the stability of the church left leaderless while reports of scandals continue to swirl while others have taken the view more time is needed to look at those scandals before decisions on leadership can be made.

Voting in the conclave could begin as early as tomorrow. Picture: Franco Origlia/Getty Images

Some of those scandals are being fuelled by an internal 300-page report which is being kept for the incoming pope only to see and act on. The report apparently refers to a gay mafia operating within the top echelons of the Vatican and specially arranged gay sex parties as well as significant financial irregularities.

The Vatican yesterday cited concern with leaks as they canned daily media briefings being given by the US cardinals.

"The tradition of the conclave and the path towards it is one of discretion," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.

The process to elect a new pope is highly secretive with those found to be leaking facing public ex-communication.

Archbishop of Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl arrives at St. Peter's Basilica for a meeting of prayer with cardinals gathered in Rome for the conclave. Picture: Franco Origlia/Getty Images