Politicians and royalty joined thousands of mourners as Pope Francis' funeral was held in St Peter's Square. Later, huge crowds lined the streets of Rome to watch as the Pope's coffin was carried in a procession to his final resting place,

Cardinals this week will start in-depth discussions on planning the conclave to choose Pope Francis' successor. No date has been set.

Pope Francis's death at the age of 88 means the Catholic Church must choose a new leader. Here's how cardinals elect the next pontiff at the conclave.

World leaders and rank-and-file Catholic faithful have said farewell to Pope Francis in a funeral that highlighted his concern for people on the peripheries and reflected his wish to be remembered as a simple pastor.

Francis, who took his name after Saint Francis of Assisi, was known for his outreach to the poor and those in poverty and that will be reflected in his minimalist burial at Saint Mary Major. He is the first pope to be buried outside the Vatican in over a century and the first to be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore in more than 300 years.