Catholic Church To Get New Pope No Later Than March 24 – Vatican

The Catholic Church should have a new pope by Palm Sunday, which this year falls on March 24, the Vatican said on Wednesday.

"It is likely,'' Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said.

However, he warned that it was "a wish, an opinion and not a guarantee. We will have a guarantee when we will have seen the new pope from the lodge of Saint Peter's.''

Pope Benedict XVI resigned on Feb. 28.

Benedict's decision to step down as leader of the Catholic Church made him the first pope to relinquish the office since

Pope Gregory XII in 1415 and the first to do so on his own initiative since Pope Celestine V in 1294.

The Pope stated that the reason for his decision was his declining health due to old age.

The conclave to select his successor will begin no later than March 20.