Benedict will stay in the summer papal residence till April or May , Vatican aide says . Guidance on the protocol for what comes next will be issued soon , he says . Opinion : The cardinals could meet sooner than March 15 if they are all in Rome , Lombardi says . Benedict has announced publicly that he will step down on February 1st .
Benedict will stay in the summer papal residence till April or May , Vatican aide says . Guidance on the protocol for what comes next will be issued soon , he says . The cardinals could meet sooner than March 15 if they are all in Rome , Lombardi says . Benedict has announced publicly that he will step down on February 1st .