The College of Cardinals saw a significant increase in attendance at Wednesday's General Congregation, with 103 cardinals now present in Rome — nearly double the approximately 60 who participated in Tuesday's initial gathering.
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The cardinals began their second meeting with prayers for Pope Francis before making several key decisions regarding the sede vacante period, including finalizing the schedule for the Novendiales — the nine-day mourning period that begins with Saturday's Requiem Mass.
According to the Office for Papal Liturgical Celebrations, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside at the funeral Mass for Pope Francis on Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. Rome time.
The congregation also determined which cardinals will celebrate each of the subsequent Novendiales Masses through May 4. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, will preside at Sunday's Mass, which begins at 10:30 a.m., while the remaining Masses will be celebrated at 5 p.m. each day.
While all 252 cardinals may participate in the General Congregations regardless of age, only the 135 cardinals under 80 years old will be eligible to vote in the upcoming conclave. This number exceeds the traditional limit of 120 voting cardinals — a restriction that Pope Francis chose to waive during his pontificate.
The third General Congregation is scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m. Rome time as more cardinals continue to arrive in the Eternal City.
Meanwhile, the faithful continue to file through St. Peter's Basilica to pay their final respects to Pope Francis. Vatican officials report that approximately 20,000 people had entered the basilica by 7:30 p.m. Wednesday evening, though this figure appears conservative given wait times of up to five hours and the steady movement of the queue.
The Holy See Press Office also announces that 4,000 journalists have already received Vatican accreditation to cover Pope Francis' funeral and the subsequent conclave.
This article by Martin Bürger was originally published in German by our sister agency, CNA Deutsch. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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