The cardinals who must pick a successor to Pope Benedict XVI after he steps down on February 28 could meet to make the decision sooner than thought , a Vatican spokesman said Saturday . The conclave , the meeting which will bring together the 117 cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church , could start before March 15 if all the cardinals are already in Rome , Father Federico Lombardi said . Lombardi had previously said the conclave was likely to start between March 15 and 19 . But he gave new details Saturday , saying that because the pope had resigned rather than the conclave being triggered by his death , there was scope for the time frame to be brought forward . The decision may not come until after Benedict 's departure and lies in the hands of the cardinals , he added . Opinion : Pope Benedict shows true leadership by resigning . Benedict is the first pope to step down in nearly 600 years , throwing the Vatican into some confusion . Experts are working on points of the Apostolic Constitution that need to be clarified or interpreted , Lombardi said , and are expected to give pointers on the new protocol soon . Lombardi said he had met with the pope Saturday morning and found him `` calm and relaxed even in these so emotional days . '' Benedict , 85 , shocked the world Monday when he announced his intention to stand down at the end of the month , citing the frailty of old age . Read more : Huge challenges await next pope . While Benedict wo n't be directly involved in his successor 's selection , his influence will undoubtedly be felt . He appointed 67 of the 117 cardinals that are set to make the decision . More than two-thirds of the final number of cardinals must agree on the next pope . The announcement that a decision has been made will come in the form of a puff of white smoke emerging from a chimney in the Vatican . Benedict will hold a final audience in Vatican City 's St. Peter 's Square on February 27 , but the church is not planning a formal ceremony to mark the pope 's departure , Lombardi said . The pontiff , born Joseph Ratzinger , will first go by helicopter to the pope 's summer residence in Castel Gandolfo , Lombardi said . He could remain at Castel Gondolfo until the end of April or early May while the works to ready a new residence for him in a monastery within the Vatican are completed , Lombardi said . Once there , he will devote himself to a life of reflection and prayer . Lombardi told reporters that the pope 's decision should n't be seen only as negative , but rather as a lucid and responsible choice that he had taken for the good of the Church . Benedict wants the new pontiff to have the physical and moral vigor necessary to take on the necessary reforms of the Church , Lombardi said , adding that it will be up to the new pope and the cardinals to establish their priorities . Benedict 's decision to remain in Vatican City has a practical as well as a spiritual motivation , he said . His presence will enable him to support his successor and the rest of the clergy , Lombardi said , although he dismissed the idea that Benedict would interfere as the new pope takes charge . The last pope to step down before his death was Gregory XII , who in 1415 quit to end a civil war within the church in which more than one man claimed to be pope . When do you know it 's time to go ?
Benedict could stay in the March 15 papal residence till May or May , Vatican aide says . Guidance on the protocol for what comes next should be issued soon , he says . The cardinals could meet sooner than March 15 if they are all in Castel Gandolfo , Lombardi says . Gregory XII announced Monday that he will step down on March 15 .