The cardinals -- at least, those under 80 years old -- vote for as long as it takes to elect Pope Francis' successor.

Most of the funeral will be celebrated in Latin, and there will be incense and hymns and Gregorian chants. Attended by dozens of heads of state, monarchs and other dignitaries, it will be, in any case, a spectacle. And at the center of it all will be Francis’ simple coffin, on the esplanade of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Cardinals have chosen May 7 as the date to start conclave and elect a new leader for 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, the Vatican announced.