"Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting, " it said.

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The move sets the stage for the Vatican to hold a conclave to elect a new pope by mid-March, since the traditional mourning time that would follow the death of a pope doesn't have to be observed.

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"I went into a silent mourning of not having spent more time with her and not having asked those questions, " recalls Rothschild.

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July 8th, the day after he died and the end of a month of official mourning for Abacha's death, had been billed for some time as the moment for Nigeria's new ruler, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, to announce a new programme for the transition to democracy, still promised for October 1st.

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