The Catholic cardinals are set to meet Tuesday to discuss Pope Francis‘ funeral preparations, local media reported.
The first general congregation of cardinals will be held on Tuesday with those already in Rome and the others who have managed to reach there by that time, the state-run ANSA news agency announced, noting that the congregations are the meetings that lead to the conclave and during which subsequent steps will be decided.
It added that the body of the pope is expected to be transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday for the faithful to pay homage.
Noting that according to norms of Universi Dominici Gregis (apostolic constitution of the Catholic Church issued by Pope John Paul II in 1986) the funeral should be held between the fourth and sixth day after his death, which was officially announced on Monday, the agency said it will very likely take place on April 26, Saturday.
The conclave that will elect the new pope is expected to take place on a day between May 6 and May 10, but it can take place even earlier if all cardinals are present in Rome, it noted.
The leader of the Catholic Church was born in Buenos Aires on Dec. 17, 1936, to Italian immigrant parents.
He studied in Argentina and later in Germany before being ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1969.
Over a decade into his papacy, Pope Francis remained a figure of admiration and controversy.
He sought to reform the Vatican’s bureaucracy, tackle corruption, and address some of the church’s most pressing challenges.
While he was hailed for his humility and commitment to social justice, his leadership also drew sharp resistance from conservatives within the church and beyond.
The pope was admitted to a hospital in Rome in February with bronchitis, which developed into bilateral pneumonia. He was discharged after 38 days to continue his recovery in his Vatican residence.
Pope Francis died Monday at the age of 88.