Kings, queens, presidents and thousands of ordinary people attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II on April 8. Theodore Cardinal McCarrick of Washington, D.C., said it was the "largest funeral in the history of the world."
John Paul was buried in a crypt beneath Saint Peter's Basilica, near 147 other popes. Last Wednesday, the site was opened to the public. Thousands of people lined up for a chance to pay their respects to the man who led the world's Roman Catholics for 26 years. Said one mourner: "We just had to see the pope one last time."
On Monday, 115 cardinals will gather in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel to choose the next pope. "The people want someone who will be great," said one church official.
To be elected pope, a candidate needs 77 votes. The voting is held behind closed doors. The cardinals swear an oath to "preserve a scrupulous secrecy" and to avoid all contact with the outside world.
To vote, cardinals write a candidate's name on a paper ballot. They can cast up to four ballots a day. If after 30 rounds a decision has not been reached, a simple majority of 58 votes can elect a new pope.
In Saint Peter's Square, pilgrims will gather, awaiting the puff of white smoke that announces, "We have a pope!"