Death of Pope Francis - live updates: Funeral date to be set as cardinals meet in the Vatican

Main Points

• Pope Francis died on Monday aged 88 of a stroke and heart failure, Vatican doctors said
• His remains are to be transferred to St Peter’s Basilica on tomorrow morning to allow the faithful to pray in their presence.
• Cardinals meet today to plan Pope Francis’ funeral, which could take place as early as Friday
• A conclave to choose a new pope normally takes place 15 to 20 days after the death of a pontiff, there is no clear front-runner

Key reads:

• Obituary: Outsider pope who championed those at the margins
• Pope Francis: Pope Francis remembered as a leader who ‘knew how to give hope’
• Opinion- Brendan Hoban: Whoever succeeds Pope Francis, the genie is now permanently out of the bottle
• Cardinal Kevin Farrell: Dublin-born Irish–American to run Vatican until pope elected

China’s foreign ministry has expressed condolences following Pope Francis’s death.

“In recent years, China and the Vatican have maintained constructive contact and carried out friendly exchanges,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

“China is willing to make joint efforts with the Vatican to promote the continued improvement of China-Vatican relations,” he added.

Dublin-born Irish-American cardinal Kevin Farrell will run the Vatican until a new pope is elected.

Cardinal Farrell (77) was born in Drimnagh and has spent most of his clerical life in the United States. He is the most senior Irish man at the Vatican.

Cardinal Farrell was educated by the Christian Brothers, as was his older brother, Bishop Brian Farrell, but neither man served as a priest in Ireland.

Brian Farrell started working at the Vatican in 1981 and served as secretary to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity until his retirement last year.

Cardinal Farrell was the Vatican official responsible for co-ordinating efforts around the World Meeting of Families in Dublin in August 2018, which included a visit by Pope Francis.

That same year, the Vatican barred for...
[Short citation of 8% of the original article]