After the voting sessions in the Vatican, the ballots are burned in a special stove. The black smoke indicates that no pope has been chosen, while the white smoke signals that the cardinals have elected the next leader of the Catholic Church, who needs two-thirds of the votes to win. Five days after the death of Pope Francis, a crowd has gathered at the Vatican, including bishops, archbishops, cardinals, about fifty world leaders, and thousands of faithful.
If a new pope is elected, the news is announced from the Basilica of St. Peter by a cardinal who proclaims 'Habemus papam.' The funeral of Pope Francis, before his transfer to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial, presents logistical, infrastructure, and security challenges in Rome. The funeral procession will cover six kilometers, and Italian authorities anticipate the arrival of 200,000 faithful.
The security operation for Pope Francis's funeral includes 4,000 police officers, snipers, agents specializing in explosive detection, controls at airports and stations, drone countermeasures, and a destroyer. The pope's body will be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, in a chapel that he himself chose, collapsing the center of the Italian capital.
Claudia Sheinbaum, the President of Mexico, will send Rosa Icela Rodríguez as her representative to Pope Francis's funeral. The pope's death was due to a brain stroke. After the funeral and burial, there will be a nine-day mourning period before the conclave to elect the new Pope.
Pope Francis's tomb will be small and simple, with the inscription 'FRANCISCUS' and a reproduction of his pectoral cross. After the nine days of mourning, a conclave will be formed with cardinals from around the world to elect the next leader of the Catholic Church.
