Pope Benedict changes law on conclave

POPE Benedict fuelled the sense of crisis in the Catholic Church as he took the rare step of changing Vatican law to allow his successor to be elected early.

The pontiff, who steps down on Thursday, changed parts of a 1996 constitution issued by his predecessor, John Paul, pictured, so cardinals could begin a secret conclave to choose a successor earlier than the 15 days after the papacy becomes vacant, as prescribed by the previous law.

The change means that in pre-conclave meetings starting on March 1, they can decide when to start.

Some cardinals believe a conclave, held in secret in t he Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, s hould start sooner than March 15 in order to reduce the time in which the Church will be without a leader at a time of crisis.

However, some in the Church believe an early conclave would give an advantage to cardinals already in Rome and working in the Curia, the Vatican’s central administration and the focus of accusations of ineptitude and alleged sexual scandals some Italian newspapers speculate in unsourced reports led Pope Benedict to step down.

The Vatican says the reports are false.

The Vatican appears to be aiming to have a new pope elected by mid-March and installed before Palm Sunday on March 24 so he can preside at Holy Week services leading to Easter.

Cardinals have begun informal consultations by phone and email in the past two weeks since the Pope said he was quitting. l The papacy will become vacant at 7pm on Thursday.