The College of Cardinals met for a second day in the Vatican to prepare for the election of Pope John Paul's successor but have not yet agreed a date for he conclave.
Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls also confirmed the cardinals have not yet read John Paul's spiritual testament, he said.
Cardinal Desmond Connell is the only Irishman who will participate in the conclave and he flew to Rome today. He told RTE news it was "an extraordinary privilege tobe amember of the college electing a pope".
Mr Navarro-Valls said 91 of the 183 cardinals had arrived. Only 117 of them - those under the age of 80 - can vote in a conclave.
Brazilian Cardinal Geraldo Majella Agnelo said he thought a new pope would be chosen quickly. "I don't think it will be a long conclave," he said, adding that cardinals would have had time to reflect beforehand and should already have "clear ideas" when they begin the balloting.
According to church law a successor must be elected within 15 and 20 days of the death of a pope and the cardinals, spent today continuing to work out details of the funeral.
John Paul will be laid to rest with regal pageantry near the tomb that is traditionally believed to be that of the first pope, St Peter.
The next pope is predicted to follow John Paul's conservative leanings - the late pontiff appointed all but three of the 117 cardinals entitled to vote. The late pontiff opposed divorce, birth control and abortion, the ordination of women and the lifting of the celibacy requirement for priests - issues that sharply divided the church.
The cardinals - who are sworn to secrecy on their deliberations - are to review any papers the Pope may have left for them. One may reveal to the college the name of a mysterious cardinal John Paul said he had named in 2003 but had never publicly identified.
The name of the cardinal was held in pectore, (in the heart) - a formula that has been used when the pope wants to appoint a cardinal in a country where the church is oppressed. Mr Navarro-Valls said he did not know if John Paul had included any mention of the mystery cardinal in any documents left to the conclave.