Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David will attend the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican, scheduled for Saturday, April 26.
Cardinal David, alongside Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula and Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, will also participate in the Conclave to elect the next pope.
“(I’m) leaving tomorrow morning, arriving in Rome the same day, evening of Thursday, April 24,” David said on Wednesday.
He added that pre-conclave meetings will begin after the funeral. “Funeral is on Saturday, April 26. Pre-conclave meetings after funeral. Probable start of actual Conclave is 15–20 days after death, any day between May 5–10, could last for one week.”
Under Church rules, the Conclave must reach a two-thirds majority to elect a new pope. A total of 126 cardinals are eligible to vote.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, died on Monday at age 88 due to a stroke and irreversible heart failure. On Wednesday, his remains were transferred from Casa Santa Marta to St. Peter’s Basilica, where he will lie in state for three days.
In accordance with his wishes, he will be buried in a simple tomb inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.