World leaders set to attend Francis's funeral as cardinals gather

Philippine Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David touches a portrait of Pope Francis after a mass at the Manila Cathedral in Manila on April 22, 2025. [AFP]

Cardinals were meeting Tuesday to set the date for Pope Francis's funeral, as world leaders from US President Donald Trump to Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky said they would attend to honour the Catholic leader.

The first so-called "general congregation", called following the death on Monday of Francis, 88, signals the start of a centuries-old tradition that culminates in the election by cardinals of a new pontiff within three weeks.