In light of Pope Francis’s death on Monday, April 21, many people have been wondering how the Catholic Church picks the next pope and if the process is really as dramatic and prolonged as the 2024 Oscar-winning film Conclave,

Pope Francis’ wooden coffin will be sealed on Friday night, in a private rite that officially ends three days of his body lying in state at the Vatican.

Thousands gather in Vatican City to pay final respects to Pope Francis

The papacy of Pope Francis ended with the same core doctrine for LGBTQ+ people that he inherited: The Catholic Church still rejected same-sex marriage and condemned any sexual relations between gay or lesbian partners as “intrinsically disordered.”

Pope Francis will be remembered for elevating women to positions of power within the Catholic Church. Vatican author, historian and guide Elizabeth Lev joins Chris Jansing at the Vatican to reflect on the changes the Pope made.