A conclave to choose a new pope normally takes place 15 to 20 days after the death of a pontiff, meaning this conclave should not start before May 6.

The public viewing of Pope Francis’ casket is scheduled to resume Thursday, a day after it began with numbers that were so strong that the Vatican said it would consider longer hours to meet the deman

So many mourners lined up to see Pope Francis lying in state in a simple wooden coffin inside St. Peter’s Basilica that the Vatican kept the doors open all night due to higher-than-expected turnout, closing the basilica for just an hour Thursday morning for cleaning.