The public is set to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis as his body is to be moved from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta to St. Peter’s Basilica to lie in state today. The faithful will pay their respects as cardinals continue to make the necessary preparations for the pontiff's funeral on Saturday, April 26. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. local time (8 a.m. GMT).
Speculation has begun as to who could be the next Pope, and the latest predictions have suggested that one potential candidate is now the favourite. Italian Pietro Parolin has served as the Vatican's Secretary of State since 2013 and as a member of the Council of Cardinals since 2014. He is expected to preside over the 2025 papal conclave, and the odds checker has given him odds of 15/8 of succeeding Francis.
But he is not the only man who could take on the role, as others have also been given favourable odds.
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