A silhouette of St. Peter's statue in front of St. Peter's Basilica, as viewed from the Vatican Gardens, February 19, 2013. /Franco Origlia/Getty Images
VATICAN CITY Much speculation surrounds the date when leaders of the Roman Catholic Church will begin the process of selecting their new pope.
The date for the conclave of cardinals to begin their deliberations has not yet been set, although one of Pope Benedict XVI's final acts before resigning his office was to amend the rules governing the election of a successor, allowing the cardinals to meet earlier than the usual 15-day transition between pontificates.
On Thursday, soon after Benedict left the Vatican on his final day as pope, Monsignor Carlo Maria Celli, a papal communications officer, hinted that the date could be March 11.
That could not be immediately confirmed.
The date of the conclave's start is important because Holy Week begins March 24, with Easter Sunday March 31. In order to have a new pope in place for the church's most solemn liturgical period, he would need to be installed by Sunday, March 17 -- a tight time frame if a conclave were to start March 15.
Cardinal Francis George, of the Archdiocese of Chicago, told CBS News he hopes the papal conclave will work quickly to name a new pope when it convenes next month -- but he does not know who he will vote for.
"Not yet, I honestly don't," he said. "I've got four or five names in mind. That's part of the next days' work, to check and see do the others think what I think?"
Regarding the issues the cardinals will be considering as they choose a new Pope, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, told CBS News that cleaning up the church after a number of scandals most likely will be part of the conclave's goal.
"Sadly, tragically, we leaders of the church have often given people reasons not to have trust in the church anymore," he said.
TillMidnight, Since I don't do well with praise - whether high or faint - I will simply say thank you for your kind words.
It is never my intent to do anything when I post comments here except to speak the truth about Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church in an arena filled with those who know nothing or less than nothing about the faith I know and love so dearly.
While I teach Catholic catechesis and have studied the Church for nearly 40 years now, I don't do this for a living and, as is true with all of us who leave comments here, I most certainly don't get paid to do this.
My one and only intention is to testify to what is true in spite of the vast ignorance displayed by so many of the anti-Catholic bigots who waste so much of their energy spreading lies and falsehoods at every turn.
I can only think of what Christ said as he was being crucified - "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
So I will not return their insults. I will not stoop to acting in an un-Christian manner even though they are consistently un-Christian and insulting. It is simply not what I choose to do or whom I choose to be.
My hope and prayer for them is that they come to their senses before they die and acknowledge their utter dependence on God and the deep need they have for the salvation that comes through and only through Jesus Christ and his Church.
However, many of them have so hardened their hearts that I can only look on them with pity as they daily dig a hole for themselves in hell so deep that they will be lost forever to the light of God.
Again, it has been said that there is no darkness more profound than ignorance and no form of ignorance more unshakeable than the willful rejection of God's love.
In Charles Dickens' work "A Christmas Carol", the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge two children sitting on the floor and says to him,
"This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased."
There is no love in these people who slander the Church; in fact no knowledge, no love and no forgiveness in their hearts.
Because they do not love they will not be loved. Because they choose to not know they will not be known. And because they do not forgive they will most assuredly not be forgiven.
Don't be like them. Be like Christ Our Lord. Thank you again. God bless you and God bless the Holy Catholic Church.
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Since I don't do well with praise - whether high or faint - I will simply say thank you for your kind words.
It is never my intent to do anything when I post comments here except to speak the truth about Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church in an arena filled with those who know nothing or less than nothing about the faith I know and love so dearly.
While I teach Catholic catechesis and have studied the Church for nearly 40 years now, I don't do this for a living and, as is true with all of us who leave comments here, I most certainly don't get paid to do this.
My one and only intention is to testify to what is true in spite of the vast ignorance displayed by so many of the anti-Catholic bigots who waste so much of their energy spreading lies and falsehoods at every turn.
I can only think of what Christ said as he was being crucified - "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
So I will not return their insults. I will not stoop to acting in an un-Christian manner even though they are consistently un-Christian and insulting.
It is simply not what I choose to do or whom I choose to be.
My hope and prayer for them is that they come to their senses before they die and acknowledge their utter dependence on God and the deep need they have for the salvation that comes through and only through Jesus Christ and his Church.
However, many of them have so hardened their hearts that I can only look on them with pity as they daily dig a hole for themselves in hell so deep that they will be lost forever to the light of God.
Again, it has been said that there is no darkness more profound than ignorance and no form of ignorance more unshakeable than the willful rejection of God's love.
In Charles Dickens' work "A Christmas Carol", the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge two children sitting on the floor and says to him,
"This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased."
There is no love in these people who slander the Church; in fact no knowledge, no love and no forgiveness in their hearts.
Because they do not love they will not be loved. Because they choose to not know they will not be known. And because they do not forgive they will most assuredly not be forgiven.
Don't be like them. Be like Christ Our Lord.
Thank you again. God bless you and God bless the Holy Catholic Church.