Thursday, April 7, 2005

140 CARDINALS DECIDE PROGRAM FOR START OF CONCLAVE


VATICAN CITY, APR 7, 2005 (VIS) - At the end of today's Fifth General Congregation of Cardinals in the period of vacant see, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls released the following information to journalists:

  "Following the opening prayer the cardinals who arrived yesterday in Rome swore their oath.

  "There were 140 cardinals present.

  "The College of Cardinals has delegated Cardinal Edmund Szoka the legislative power to mint coins and print stamps for the period of the vacant see.

  "The following program has been established for Monday, April 18, the start of the conclave.

      - At 10 a.m. Mass "pro eligendo Summo Pontifice" in St. Peter's Basilica;

    - At 4:30 p.m. Gathering in the Hall of Blessings in the Apostolic Palace (the Pauline Chapel is being restored) for the start of the procession to the Sistine Chapel where the work of the conclave will begin.

  "The cardinals also examined several problems relative to the celebration of the funeral Mass and the rite of the Holy Father's burial in the Vatican Grottoes.

  "They also considered several questions relative to the start of the conclave and in this sense chose the two preachers for the exhortations as established in the Apostolic Constitution "Universi Dominici gregis."

  "Father Raniero Cantalamessa will give his intervention on Thursday April 14 during the General Congregation of the morning.

  "Cardinal Thomas Spidlik, S.J. will address the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel on Monday, April 18.

  "The cardinals will receive condolences from the diplomatic corps on Wednesday, April 13 at 10 a.m. in the atrium of the Paul VI Hall.
OP/CONGREGATION:VACANT SEE/NAVARRO-VALLS    VIS 20050407 (270)


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