Pope Francis' Funeral: World Leaders Gather, Papal Succession Begins

Farewell to Pope Francis

• 🌍 Hundreds of thousands of faithful and world leaders gathered in St. Peter's Square for the funeral mass of Pope Francis.
• 🕊️ The service marked the second day of mourning, with a call for Christians to seek peace in the world and in their hearts.
• 💬 Cardinal Giovani Batista Rey highlighted Francis's dedication to the poor, refugees, and migrants, and his repeated exhortation to "build bridges, not walls."

The Final Journey

• ✝️ The Pope mobile, converted into a hearse, carried Francis through Rome, passing the Colosseum.
• 🏛️ He was laid to rest at St. Mary Major, marking the first time a pope has been buried outside the Vatican in a century.

The Papal Conclave

• 🧐 Attention now shifts to the process of choosing Pope Francis's successor through the papal conclave.
• ⏳ This ancient tradition typically begins 15 to 20 days after the pope's death.
• 🔒 The college of cardinals, limited to those under 80, will gather inside the Vatican, cutting off contact with the outside world.
• 🗳️ During the conclave, cardinals will vote at the altar, and ballots will be burned.
• 💨 Black smoke signifies no candidate has reached the required two-thirds majority, while white smoke signals the election of a new pope.