Vatican: no date set for conclave

The Vatican on Thursday said cardinals had not yet decided on a start date for a conclave to elect a new pope after the resignation of Benedict XVI. "There has been no decision on a date for the conclave," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said after the latest in a series of meetings of cardinals from around the world that began on Monday. Lombardi also denied a media report that St Peter's Basilica had been booked for a special pre-conclave mass on Monday. Lombardi said Vietnamese cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man -- the last of the 115 "cardinal electors" who can take part in the conclave -- was expected to arrive in Rome later on Thursday. Divisions have emerged between some cardinals who want more time for pre-conclave discussions on the reforms needed for the Catholic Church and others who want to move to a conclave right away.