Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula, together with Catholic faithful, gather at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Manila on February 21, 2025, to pray for Pope Francis’ healing, seeking divine intervention for his recovery. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File 

MANILA — Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula has left for the Vatican to attend Pope Francis’ funeral and the conclave. 

A Facebook post by the Manila Archdiocese on Thursday night showed Advincula in what appeared to be an airport.  

“Cardinal Jose Advincula, Archbishop of Manila, leaves for Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, and meet with the other members of the College of Cardinals in preparation for the Conclave,” the post said. 

Francis died on Monday aged 88, after 12 years as head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Condolences have flooded in from around the world for the Jesuit, an energetic reformer who championed the most vulnerable in society.

Francis, who suffered a stroke, died at his residence in the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican less than a month after he was released from five weeks in hospital with double pneumonia.

The Vatican said on Thursday that 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs will attend the Pope’s funeral on Saturday. Alongside US President Donald Trump, they include Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Argentina's President Javier Milei and Britain's Prince William.

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At least 130 foreign delegations have confirmed their attendance, the Vatican said.

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NO CONCLAVE DATE YET

After the funeral, Francis's coffin will be taken to his favorite church, Rome's papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

A group of "poor and needy" will be at the basilica to welcome the coffin, the Vatican said.

He will be interred in the ground, his simple tomb marked with just one word: Franciscus. People will be able to visit it from Sunday, the Vatican announced.

Vatican shows Pope Francis' tomb

Following that, all eyes will turn to the process to choose Francis's successor.

Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was Francois's number two, is the favorite with British bookmakers William Hill, ahead of Filipino Luis Antonio Tagle, the Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Manila. 

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Cardinals from around the world are returning to Rome for the conclave, which must begin no fewer than 15 days and no more than 20 days after a pope's death.

Only those under the age of 80 -- currently some 135 cardinals -- are eligible to vote.

They have already held meetings to discuss preparations for the funeral and looming conclave.

Cardinals have agreed that the traditional nine days of mourning for the pope, the so-called "novemdiales", will begin on Saturday and conclude on May 4.

However, the Vatican brushed aside hopes of an announcement of the conclave date, insisting the focus is on the funeral.

At the time of his death, Francis was under doctors' orders to rest for two months but had continued to make public appearances right up until Easter Sunday.

— With a report from Agence France-Presse