Vatican News

A Benedictine abbot and a Capuchin cardinal will offer spiritual meditations on the needs of the Catholic Church to the cardinals preparing to elect a new pope, according to the Vatican press office.

As they entered the Vatican to participate in a series of meetings leading up to the election of Pope Francis' successor, several cardinals spoke to the media, emphasizing that they are still mourning the Argentine pontiff—not yet choosing his successor.

Novels and films that include or revolve around a conclave often include nefarious plotting, or at least politicking, and attempts to wing it when it comes to the rules for electing a new pope.

After the casket bearing Pope Francis' body was placed in St. Peter's Basilica, tens of thousands of mourners lined up to pay their respects.

In the first nine hours that Pope Francis' body had lain in state in St. Peter's Basilica, more than 19,000 people stood in line for hours in the sun to pray and pay homage to him.

To the chanting of Christ's promise, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live," the mortal remains of Pope Francis were carried into St. Peter's Basilica by 14 pallbearers.

Cardinals already present in Rome and those who were able to get to the city after Pope Francis' death April 21 held their first meeting at the Vatican April 22.

In his brief final testament, Pope Francis asked to be buried at Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major and said he had offered his suffering for peace in the world.

Just as hundreds of people had gathered at the Vatican each night to recite the rosary when Pope Francis was hospitalized, throngs returned to recite the Marian prayer for the repose of his soul after his death.

Pope Francis died April 21 after suffering a stroke and heart failure, said the director of Vatican City State's department of health services. The pope had also gone into a coma.