Pope Francis passed after suffering a cerebral stroke which carried him into a coma and subsequent cardiocirculatory collapse during the morning of Easter Monday, at the age of 88. Francis’ tenure as Pope was marked as the first individual from the Southern Hemisphere to take on the position, as well as his commitment to marginalised peoples around the world such as refugees and opening the doors for seismic shifts in the acceptance of LGBT communities – who he advocated for acceptance of repeatedly – by the Catholic Church. The Pope’s death was preceded by a visit by Donald Trump’s Vice President JD Vance; Francis had been critical of a Trump-led Republican Party, denouncing the President’s perspective on migrants particularly, after Trump was re-elected and announced plans for mass deportations, Pope Francis commented that “If it is true, it will be a disgrace”

After the Pope’s funeral, preparations for the Papal Conclave will begin. The 135 members of the current College of Cardinals will gather in the halls of the Vatican, beginning a period of voting. On the first day, there will only be one round of voting, following which voting rounds will be held twice each morning and then another two in the afternoon, after which smoke is produced to indicate to the public whether a new Pope has been elected: black means voting will continue, and white indicates a new Pope has been chosen. From the 1900s onwards, Conclaves haven’t lasted more than four days, Francis was elected on the second day of his respective Conclave. Millions of Catholics around the world will sit with bated breath to see the future of the church be decided.