On Saturday (April 26) Pope Francis was laid to rest at Santa Maria Maggiore basilica following a funeral in the Vatican.
Politicians, royalty and around 400,000 were in attendance to say farewell to the pontiff.
He had served as the Bishop of Rome since 2013 and was the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, as well as being the first born or raised outside of Europe since the 8th-century.
The process to appoint his successor will begin on Wednesday, May 7, in the Sistine Chapel, with 135 cardinal electors participating in the conclave.
Speculation as to who they will choose has been growing since the funeral, with these 13 cardinals considered the frontrunners.
5. Matteo Zuppi
Matteo Zuppi was a close associate of Pope Francis and is president of the Episcopal Conference of Italy and Archbishop of Bologna since 12 December 2015. He was previously an auxiliary bishop of Rome after which Pope Francis raised him to the rank of cardinal in 2019. | AFP via Getty Images
6. Péter Erdő
Hungarian cardinal Péter Erdő has been Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and Primate of Hungary since 2003. One of the leading conservative candidates to be next Pope, he's previously served as president of the Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe. | Getty Images
7. Lazarus You Heung-sik
Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik is the first South Korean to head a department of the Roman Curia and is currently Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy. Created a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2022, he has previously served as Bishop of Daejeon. | Getty Images
8. Pierbattista Pizzaballa
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa is currently Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. The Italian has previosuly served as Custos of the Holy Land and as Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate. He was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023. | AFP via Getty Images