Pope Leaves Vatican After Pledging Loyalty to Successor

After his resignation, Joseph Ratzinger will hold the title of “Papa Emeritus”. Tomorrow morning begin the “congregations” or pre-conclave meetings, in which the cardinals start to define the profile of the new Pope.

The conclave could begin on March 10 or 11, although Peruvian Cardinal Juan Cipriani (69), one of the 116 voters, said “there will be a new Pope before Easter (from MArch 24 to 31).”

“Coordination meetings have not started and has not yet been decided when to begin the conclave, but I clearly hope that before Easter we could have with us the new Holy Father,” said Cipriani, who’s the only prelate of Opus Dei in Latin America.

Among the Latin American cardinals to elect the optioned to be a successor to Pope Benedict would be the Ecuadorian Raul Vela Chiriboga, 79, who was appointed  cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI on November 20, 2010.

It is expected that 116 cardinals under 80 years old, arrive in Rome for the conclave to give their vote. The prelates of 80 years and older may attend, but not participate or vote.