The College of Cardinals was meeting Monday at the Vatican, and the first order of business was setting a date for Pope John Paul II's funeral. It's expected to take place on Friday morning, and President Bush is among the heads of state expected to attend, wire reports said. The pope's body now lies in repose, dressed in red and white vestments, and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are expected to file past him in the next few days.
The Roman Catholic Church hierarchy currently includes 117 cardinals who will be responsible for electing the successor to Pope John Paul II. Under terms of the Apostolic Constitution, a cardinal needs two-thirds support to be elected pope.
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