VATICAN CITY — On the first day that the Church is without a pope, Cardinal Angelo Sodano announced that the first general congregation of cardinals will take place next Monday morning.
Cardinal Sodano, the dean of the College of Cardinals, made the date public in an official letter sent to the world’s cardinals on March 1.
The cardinals will meet at 9:30am on March 4 in the Synod of Bishops' hall on the second floor of the Paul VI audience hall. They will convene again at 5pm in the same place.
Prior to entering into the conclave, where they vote for the next pope, the cardinals of the Church will meet for a series of meetings to take care of business and to discuss who they think will be a good candidate to succeed Pope Benedict XVI.
The cardinals could announce when the conclave will begin after their first meeting, but there is no guarantee of the timing.