Zürcher Nachrichten - As world mourns, cardinals prepare pope's funeral

EUR -
AED 4.167398
AFN 78.946657
ALL 98.433364
AMD 435.679036
ANG 2.030853
AOA 1041.137332
ARS 1340.96416
AUD 1.764513
AWG 2.043983
AZN 1.926018
BAM 1.958135
BBD 2.286813
BDT 138.584042
BGN 1.955333
BHD 0.425828
BIF 3371.230219
BMD 1.134758
BND 1.461953
BOB 7.836207
BRL 6.501707
BSD 1.132609
BTN 96.947615
BWP 15.212429
BYN 3.706474
BYR 22241.260943
BZD 2.275015
CAD 1.559328
CDF 3251.082691
CHF 0.931926
CLF 0.02763
CLP 1060.280799
CNY 8.175142
CNH 8.177271
COP 4714.920368
CRC 575.40275
CUC 1.134758
CUP 30.071093
CVE 110.396649
CZK 24.930545
DJF 201.685913
DKK 7.459678
DOP 66.8587
DZD 149.326762
EGP 56.2105
ERN 17.021373
ETB 151.556585
FJD 2.565689
FKP 0.843205
GBP 0.842152
GEL 3.10954
GGP 0.843205
GHS 11.624658
GIP 0.843205
GMD 81.702207
GNF 9813.34142
GTQ 8.71031
GYD 237.287606
HKD 8.897468
HNL 29.509013
HRK 7.534231
HTG 148.114967
HUF 403.769641
IDR 18574.516735
ILS 3.993152
IMP 0.843205
INR 97.09882
IQD 1485.671679
IRR 47801.689404
ISK 144.398464
JEP 0.843205
JMD 180.539487
JOD 0.804539
JPY 163.456244
KES 146.601804
KGS 99.234437
KHR 4536.233319
KMF 493.054618
KPW 1021.28239
KRW 1569.348035
KWD 0.348223
KYD 0.945119
KZT 579.836351
LAK 24471.863943
LBP 101478.348865
LKR 339.662057
LRD 226.511717
LSL 20.282172
LTL 3.350646
LVL 0.686404
LYD 6.203951
MAD 10.486221
MDL 19.649679
MGA 5179.124662
MKD 61.519211
MMK 2382.610329
MNT 4056.084845
MOP 9.161945
MRU 44.769433
MUR 51.92685
MVR 17.543025
MWK 1963.868081
MXN 22.047936
MYR 4.830102
MZN 72.521955
NAD 20.30982
NGN 1802.291416
NIO 41.682955
NOK 11.594953
NPR 155.115783
NZD 1.901883
OMR 0.434347
PAB 1.134132
PEN 4.108163
PGK 4.650214
PHP 63.28597
PKR 319.300134
PLN 4.251082
PYG 9049.470524
QAR 4.133994
RON 5.054664
RSD 117.725495
RUB 87.581498
RWF 1601.82927
SAR 4.257034
SBD 9.476102
SCR 16.101879
SDG 681.431807
SEK 10.883916
SGD 1.465424
SHP 0.891742
SLE 25.781964
SLL 23795.312556
SOS 647.2906
SRD 42.233995
STD 23487.203908
SVC 9.923747
SYP 14753.955772
SZL 20.275573
THB 37.217478
TJS 11.342075
TMT 3.977328
TND 3.390543
TOP 2.657718
TRY 44.461867
TTD 7.701116
TWD 33.948578
TZS 3055.083652
UAH 47.047448
UGX 4122.880246
USD 1.134758
UYU 47.228193
UZS 14480.842814
VES 107.627873
VND 29528.110798
VUV 136.50206
WST 3.139886
XAF 655.846154
XAG 0.034398
XAU 0.000345
XCD 3.066741
XDR 0.815662
XOF 655.846154
XPF 119.331742
YER 276.711065
ZAR 20.418323
ZMK 10214.188939
ZMW 30.154903
ZWL 365.391681
  • RBGPF

    -0.2380

    65.43

    -0.36%

  • JRI

    0.1600

    12.94

    +1.24%

  • CMSC

    0.1300

    22.22

    +0.59%

  • CMSD

    0.1100

    22.22

    +0.5%

  • BCE

    0.3000

    21.8

    +1.38%

  • SCS

    -0.0500

    10.31

    -0.48%

  • RELX

    -0.0100

    53.92

    -0.02%

  • GSK

    1.0300

    41.03

    +2.51%

  • RIO

    -0.7700

    59.43

    -1.3%

  • NGG

    0.8745

    71.39

    +1.22%

  • BCC

    -0.9700

    86.88

    -1.12%

  • BTI

    0.2300

    45.2

    +0.51%

  • BP

    -0.0700

    29.1

    -0.24%

  • RYCEF

    0.0700

    11.65

    +0.6%

  • AZN

    1.9600

    72.83

    +2.69%

  • VOD

    0.0000

    10.34

    0%

As world mourns, cardinals prepare pope's funeral
As world mourns, cardinals prepare pope's funeral / Photo: LUIS ROBAYO - AFP

As world mourns, cardinals prepare pope's funeral

Cardinals will meet Tuesday to decide the date for Pope Francis's funeral, starting a process that will culminate in the election of a new Catholic leader within three weeks.

Text size:

Francis, the head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, died at his home in the Vatican on Monday aged 88 after suffering a stroke.

He had been recovering from double pneumonia that saw him hospitalised for five weeks.

Tributes have poured in from around the globe for Francis, a liberal reformer who took over following the resignation of German theologian Benedict XVI in 2013.

The Argentine pontiff's home country prepared for a week of national mourning while India began three days of state mourning on Tuesday, a rare honour for a foreign religious leader in the world's most populous nation.

Heads of state and royalty are expected for his funeral, due to be held at St Peter's Basilica, with Donald Trump the first to announce he would attend.

"He was a good man, he worked hard and loved the world," the US president said, despite the pontiff's criticisms of his migrant deportation programme.

The funeral should be held between the fourth and sixth days after the pope's death, according to the Apostolic Constitution -- so between Friday and Sunday this week.

But the details will be decided by the cardinals, who have been summoned for a first of a series of "general congregations" starting at 9:00 am (0700 GMT).

Cardinals of all ages are invited to the congregations, although only those under the age of 80 are eligible to vote for a new pope in the conclave.

The conclave should begin no less than 15 and no more than 20 days after the death of the pope.

- Simple tomb -

The pope's body was moved into the Santa Marta chapel on Monday evening, and his apartment formally sealed, the Vatican said.

His remains are expected to be transferred from the Santa Marta residence, where he lived and died, to St. Peter's Basilica starting Wednesday to lie in state.

Francis, who wore plain robes and eschewed the luxury of his predecessors, has opted for a simple tomb, unadorned except for his name in Latin: Franciscus, according to his will released Monday.

He will be buried in Rome's Santa Maria Maggiore basilica, becoming the first pope in more than 100 years to be laid to rest outside the Vatican.

His death certificate released by the Vatican said Francis died of a stroke, causing a coma and "irreversible" heart failure.

He had been discharged from Rome's Gemelli hospital on March 23, ordered to spend at least two months resting.

But Francis delighted in being among his flock and made numerous public appearances in recent days.

He appeared exhausted on Sunday during the Easter celebrations, but nevertheless greeted the crowds in his popemobile in St Peter's Square.

Argentine football great Lionel Messi hailed his compatriot -- himself a huge fan of the beautiful game -- for "making the world a better place".

- Eyes of God -

On Monday evening, thousands of faithful, some bringing flowers or candles, flocked to St. Peter's Square at sunset to pray for Francis.

He "tried to get people to understand it doesn't matter your sexual orientation, your race, it doesn't matter in the eyes of God", Mateo Rey, 22, a Mexican student, told AFP.

"I think that's the closest to what Jesus intended."

Born Jorge Bergoglio, Francis was the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit to lead the worldwide Catholic Church.

An energetic reformer, he sought to open the Church to everyone and was hugely popular -- but his views also sparked fierce internal opposition.

In 12 years as pope, Francis advocated tirelessly for the defence of migrants, the environment, and social justice without questioning the Church's positions on abortion or priestly celibacy.

A fierce opponent of the arms trade, the former archbishop of Buenos Aires repeatedly called for peace in conflicts from Sudan to Gaza and Ukraine -- although his pleas fell largely on deaf ears.

Outspoken and stubborn, Francis also sought to reform the governance of the Holy See and expand the role of women and lay people, and to clean up the Vatican's murky finances.

Faced with revelations of widespread child sex abuse in the Church, he lifted pontifical secrecy and forced religious and lay people to report cases to their superiors.

However, victims' groups said he did not go far enough.

A.Wyss--NZN