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.
9. Cristobal Lopez Romero
Spanish prelate Cristobal Lopez Romero has been Archbishop of Rabat since 2018 and was raised to the rank of Cardinal in 2019 by Pope Francis. | AFP via Getty Images
10. Giovanni Battista Re
Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re is currently the Dean of the College of Cardinals and chaired the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis. | AFP via Getty Images
11. Kevin Farrell
Born in Dublin, Kevin Farrell is a former Bishop of Dallas who is the current prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, and President of the Supreme Court of Vatican City. He has served as the regent of Vatican City since the death of Pope Francis. | Getty Images
12. Jean-Marc Aveline
Archbishop of Marseille Jean-Marc Aveline is seen as the most likely French candidate to become Pope. He was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2022. | AFP via Getty Images