May 7 marks the beginning of the conclave to elect his successor.

Pope Francis' funeral brought world leaders, monarchs, and hundreds of thousands of people to Rome on Saturday to bid him farewell in a ceremony of breathtaking spectacle that offered age-old Catholic funeral rites and touching moments of personal grief.

Most of the funeral will be celebrated in Latin, and there will be incense and hymns and Gregorian chants. Attended by dozens of heads of state, monarchs and other dignitaries, it will be, in any case, a spectacle. And at the center of it all will be Francis’ simple coffin, on the esplanade of St. Peter’s Basilica.