Cardinal David to travel to Rome on Thursday

Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, will fly to Rome on Thursday.

“The Cardinal has now confirmed that he will depart for Rome on Thursday,” the Diocese of Kalookan said Tuesday.

Cardinals from across the globe are expected to go to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis.

They will also hold general congregations or a series of meetings and prepare for the election of a new pope.

Three Filipino cardinals are eligible to participate in the papal election: Luis Antonio Tagle, Jose Advincula, and David.

Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88 due to a stroke and irreversible heart failure. He recently suffered from double pneumonia, which caused him to be hospitalized for weeks.

On Tuesday, the Vatican announced that the funeral service will be held on Saturday in St. Peter's Square.

In his will, Pope Francis asked to be buried in a simple, unadorned tomb inside his beloved Roman basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore. — VBL, GMA Integrated News