Timothy Cardinal Dolan said he was “eager” to elect a new church leader Friday, describing a “sadness in Rome” one day after Pope Benedict XVI officially resigned as pontiff.
Dolan spoke from Vatican City with Nora O’Donnell and Charlie Ross on “CBS This Morning.”
Dolan said the cardinals will gather Monday at 9:30 a.m. at the Paul VI Audience Hall to begin the “congreation.”
“There will be prayer, apostolic fraternity, there will be a lot of conversation and discussion and we’re going to get to know each other.
Dolan said the cardinals will meet for about 4 1/2 hours every day.
“I presume the first item on the agenda is going to be ‘Brothers, when will we begin the conclave – the actual formal act of electing the new pope. So, God willing, we’ll know a lot more on Monday.”
Dolan said everyone is “eager to have a new pope.
“We don’t like the chair of St. Peter to be empty. There’s a sadness in Rome.
“We want a pope, and we want a pope fast. On the otherhand, we know that takes a little time and prayer and reflection and discussion. So somewhere in the balance I would say those congreations would have to go at least a week.”
Dolan touched briefly on how the scandals surrounding the Catholic Church would affect the choosing of a new pontiff and that there is a sense of “realism” among the cardinals.
“There’s always been sin in the church because the members of the church are sinful.”
He said the church’s “flaw and imperfections” are being given more scrutiny right now because “everyone’s looking at the church.”
Dolan joked that the cardinals ‘have full-time jobs” and are eager to be home before Holy Week begins on March 24.
“So please God, we’ll have a pope before then.”