Cardinal Nicolas Lopez Rodriguez is expected to arrive in Rome this noon (Tuesday, 5 April). On Monday, 11 April, three days after the funeral of Pope John Paul II that is scheduled for Friday at 10 am at the Plaza San Pedro, the Cardinal will participate in the one to three-day, closed-door meeting of the cardinals at the Domus Santa Marta, a guest facility within the Vatican City, close to St. Peter’s Basilica, that was built for this purpose. The deliberations and voting takes place in the Sistine Chapel. During the conclave, the cardinals do not have access to the outside world. 117 cardinals under 80 years, including Nicolas Lopez Rodriguez are eligible. The Dominican cardinal was born in 1936.
First Lady Margarita Cedeno, who heads the Dominican delegation, is expected also. Traveling with her is Education Minister Alejandrina German and the sister of Santiago Archbishop, Msgr. Ramon Carpio de la Rosa. The Dominican delegation will stay at the Hotel Plaza de Via del Corso (a 1860 historic hotel).
The protocol limits to five persons each country mission that is given privileged seating in the ceremony in cases where a head of state is attending. Delegations not presided by the head of state are limited to three persons. Thus the Dominican delegation would be First Lady Margarita Cedeno, Alejandrina German, the sister of the archbishop, accompanied by the Ambassador to the Holy See, Rafael Marion Landais.
The mass at the funeral will be presided by Cardinal Joseph Ratzingher of Germany, the dean of the cardinals.