Cardinals were scheduled to meet on Tuesday to plan Pope Francis' funeral, which will be attended by leaders from around the world ahead of next month's conclave to elect a new head of the Roman Catholic Church, Reuters reports, UNN writes.
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The 88-year-old Francis died unexpectedly on Monday after a stroke and cardiac arrest, the Vatican said, which it said "ended his often tumultuous reign, during which he repeatedly clashed with traditionalists and defended the poor and marginalized."
Earlier this year, the pontiff spent five weeks in hospital with bilateral pneumonia. But he returned to his home in the Vatican almost a month ago and seemed to be recovering, appearing in St. Peter's Square on Easter Sunday.
His sudden death initiated long-standing rituals, and the Church, with 1.4 billion pilgrims, began the transition from one Pope to another, including breaking the papal "fisherman's ring" and lead seal so that no one else could use them.
"We want to thank the Lord for the gifts he has given to the whole Church through the apostolic ministry of Pope Francis, a pilgrim of hope," said Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, who led prayers in St. Peter's Square on Monday evening.
All cardinals currently in Rome have been invited to gather at the Vatican at 9 a.m. (10:00 a.m. Kyiv time), where they were scheduled to draw up a plan for the funeral.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly clashed with the Pope on immigration issues, said that he and his wife would fly to Rome for the event. Among the other heads of state expected to attend was Javier Miley, the president of Francis' native Argentina.
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The Vatican said it expects the ceremony to take place sometime between Friday and Sunday. Breaking with tradition, Francis confirmed in his last will, published on Monday, that he would like to be buried in the Roman Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, not in St. Peter's Basilica.
The College of Cardinals will also consider the day-to-day management of the Church in the period leading up to the election of a new Pope.
The conclave to elect a new Pope usually takes place 15-20 days after the death of the pontiff, meaning it should not begin before May 6. About 135 cardinals are eligible to participate in the highly secretive vote, which can last for several days.
There is currently no clear frontrunner to succeed Francis.
The Vatican said late Monday that staff and officials of the Holy See could immediately begin paying their respects to the Pope's body at the Santa Marta residence, where Francis settled in 2013, avoiding the large Apostolic Palace where his predecessors lived.
His body may be moved to St. Peter's Basilica as early as Wednesday morning for the faithful to visit, the Vatican said.