Around 60 Cardinals Gathered in the Vatican - Schönborn Travels to Rome on Friday

Afterwards, Francis will be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Of the total 252 members of the College of Cardinals, mostly cardinals residing in Rome participated in the first General Congregation. The only Austrian cardinal, the emeritus Archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn (80), will travel to Rome on Friday, as he confirmed to the news agency Kathpress on Tuesday.

Viennese Cardinal Schönborn to Participate in Consultations on Future Pope

Schönborn will attend the funeral and burial of Pope Francis on Saturday. In the Vatican, he will also participate in the so-called "pre-conclave," where all cardinals discuss the profile of the future pope. Although the Viennese cardinal is not eligible to participate in the actual papal election in the Sistine Chapel, as he surpassed the age limit of 80 years in January, all members of the College of Cardinals, including those over 80, are allowed to participate in the cardinals' consultations before the conclave. Of the total 252 cardinals, 135 are under 80 years old and thus eligible to vote in the conclave.

During the first General Congregation on Tuesday, the three assistants to Cardinal Chamberlain Kevin Farrell were also determined by lot. As the Vatican press office announced, the "Camerlengo" will be supported in the next three days by the former Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin - he lost his position along with all heads of the Roman Curia departments with the Pope's death -, the Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, and the Italian Curia Cardinal Fabio Baggio. Afterwards, a new draw will be held among the cardinals present at that time.

The next assembly of cardinals will take place on Wednesday afternoon. According to the Vatican, all cardinals are invited to these meetings. This also includes Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who was initially sentenced to five and a half years in prison for embezzlement of Vatican funds. Whether he will only participate in the assemblies or also be allowed to cast his vote in the upcoming papal election is currently uncertain. In 2020, he lost all rights associated with the cardinalate, but he retained his title.

(APA/Red.)

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