Pope Francis, the first Latin American to lead the Catholic Church, has sadly passed away at the age of 88 after a period of declining health. The Argentinian Pope had been seen greeting worshippers in St Peter's Square on Easter Sunday, offering blessings and well wishes as he was slowly driven through the crowd in his wheelchair.

Now, the world's gaze will turn to his potential successor, with 140 candidates set to form a 'conclave' to select the new Pope from among their ranks. However, before this can take place, Pope Francis must be laid to rest while cardinals worldwide organise their travel to Rome.

Here are five key procedures that must be followed when a Pope dies, according to the Mirror.

Firstly, the Pope's private apartment is sealed immediately after his death to prevent any looting. Despite being located within the highly secure Vatican City, measures are still taken to deter any potential thieves. When Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2013, paving the way for Francis' election, his cardinals locked his apartment door and sealed it with tape. The official Chamberlain, or Camerlengo, of the Roman Catholic Church stamps the tape with the official seal, reports Birmingham Live.

He then threads red ribbon through the door handles and seals them with hot wax, which will break if the door is tampered with. The Pope has the freedom to select his own living quarters within the Vatican. Most Popes choose the grandeur of the Apostolic Palace, also known as the Papal Palace, situated north of St. Peter's Basilica.

However, Pope Francis opted for a more humble lifestyle and chose to live in a smaller two-room suite within the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse. Since his election in 2013, Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, has lived by his principles of austerity. He turned down the luxurious top-floor penthouse apartment in the Papal Palace, which boasts over 12 rooms, staff quarters, a terrace, and panoramic views of Rome.

Instead, he decided to stay in the guesthouse typically used for visiting cardinals and chose to eat in the communal dining room. Despite his modest living arrangements, he still used the papal library for receiving dignitaries and official guests and appeared at the famous window on Sundays to address the faithful gathered in the square below.

Upon the Pope's death, the Camerlengo is charged with announcing the news to the Cardinal Vicar for Rome, who then spreads the information to the people of Rome and the rest of the world.

Ring destroyed.

Francis' Camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, would also be tasked with destroying the Pope's official papal ring, known as the Ring of the Fisherman. This ring, given to each Pope at their inauguration, depicts Saint Peter in a boat with the Pope's name inscribed around the image.

Upon the death of a pope, his ring is removed from his right hand and destroyed by the Camerlengo, either using shears or a special hammer. This act, witnessed by members of the College of Cardinals, signifies the end of the late pope's authority. While most popes opt for a gold ring, Pope Francis chose one made of gold-plated silver.

Pope Benedict XVI broke with this tradition in 2013 when he formally resigned from office. Instead of having his papal ring destroyed, the cardinal camerlengo etched a deep cross on the upper part of the ring to mark the end of his reign. The Camerlengo, currently Irish-born Cardinal Farrell, has another duty to perform before the next pope is elected: safeguarding Francis' last will.

Traditionally, the camerlengo would also disclose its contents, but that task now falls to the College of Cardinals, who open the will and read it aloud during their first meeting.

However, the camerlengo will keep the last pope's will until it is handed over to the cardinals. The head of the Catholic Church is entitled to a salary - estimated to be around $32,000 (£24,100) a month or £290,000 a year. However, in line with his values of austerity and solidarity with the poor, Francis declined to receive his.

He instructed that it should be donated back to the church, placed in trust, used for a foundation or given to a family member. Despite not drawing a salary, Pope Francis' net worth is estimated to be an impressive £12million due to the assets linked with his papal office. These include five cars, an apartment and clothing.

The funeral of the Pope will take place on a specific day. According to canonical law, nine days of mourning are observed from the day of the pope's death. The burial typically happens between the fourth and sixth day after death, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Nine days of official mourning will now begin, with the burial planned to take place between the fourth and sixth day following death (unless there are special reasons). For Francis, this means his funeral is expected to occur between April 24 and April 27, 2025. He will be the first pope in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican, having simplified the historically elaborate funeral rites associated with burying a pontiff. Instead of the traditional three nested coffins made from cypress, lead and oak, Francis requested his body to be laid to rest in a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc.

He also expressed a desire not to be interred beneath St Peter's Basilica, but rather at the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome's Esquilino district, a place he visited several times during his papacy for prayer. The Conclave cannot commence until after the funeral. Following the announcement of Pope Francis' death, cardinals worldwide would have immediately begun preparations to travel to Rome for the funeral and subsequent election of the next pontiff.

With a total of 252 cardinals currently ordained across continents where Catholicism is practised, all will be summoned to the heart of the church to observe proceedings. The new papal election, known as the Conclave, will then take place between 15 and 20 days after the Pope's death.

The Conclave will consist of 120 cardinals, all of whom must be under 80 years old to vote. At present, there are 140 cardinals who meet this age requirement, meaning the 20 most junior members will be asked to abstain from this particular election. Under this highly confidential process, the Conclave will be sequestered within the Sistine Chapel to vote for one among them to become the new pope. Voting rounds will be held twice daily as the cardinals pray for divine guidance in making the right decision.

Two stoves will be installed in the chapel: one to incinerate every piece of paper related to the ballot, and the other to emit a smoke signal visible from St Peter's Square. Black smoke indicates that the Conclave has not yet reached a decision, signalling that another round of voting is necessary. However, once a clear winner emerges, white smoke will billow from the chimney, announcing to the world the appointment of a new leader of the Catholic Church.

The newly elected Pope will be swiftly escorted to a side chapel where he will be asked to confirm his chosen papal name. Moments later, he will be presented to the world from the papal balcony.