Mistake and Apologies: First Meeting of Congregation of Cardinals Begins Monday

I wrote an inaccurate post a few minutes ago in which I said that the Papal Conclave was due to begin Monday.

I was wrong. A kind reader corrected me, but I’m afraid I lost their comment when I deleted the inaccurate post. If he or she will contact me, I will gladly give them credit for the save.

What I should have said, and what, according to CNN news is accurate, is that the First Congregation of Cardinals is scheduled to meet Monday, March 4. This meeting will establish the timetable for electing the next pope. However, the date for the actual date for the conclave may not be set at this time. 

Apologies for my mistake, and thank you to the kind reader who corrected me. 

The CNN article explaining all this says in part:

Rome (CNN) — With the dust still settling from Benedict XVI’s historic resignation as pope, the focus in Rome turns to the future Friday as Roman Catholic cardinals prepare to meet to discuss a timetable for picking the new pontiff.

A letter issued by the dean of the College of Cardinals on Friday calls the cardinals to come together Monday morning for the first in a series of meetings, known as general congregations.

There will be a second session Monday afternoon, according to the letter from Cardinal Angelo Sodano.

One of the cardinals’ first tasks will be agreeing when to hold the secret election, or conclave, in which they will pick Benedict’s successor.

However, the date for the conclave may not be set Monday, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said Friday.

The cardinals will also hold important discussions on the future direction of the church, which has been beset by scandal in recent years, and the kind of leader they want to see at the helm. (Read the rest here.)