Thousands of people had made an early morning pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Square April 23 to witness the transfer and pray for the late pope; they erupted in applause when his body, in an open casket, reached the square and again when it reached the top of the basilica steps.

Elected in 2013 with a clear mandate to reform the Roman Curia, Pope Francis completed the project with his apostolic constitution, “Preach the Gospel,” nine years after taking office.

Tapping into the spirit and spirituality of his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis made care for creation and for all that lives on the earth a pastoral priority.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump plan to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, he said April 21. He also directed federal flags be flown at half-staff in the late pontiff’s honor.

From the moment of his election, Pope Francis made clear from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica that his first mandate was to serve as bishop of Rome and be close with the people.

From the moment he took the helm of the Catholic Church’s sprawling hierarchy, Pope Francis positioned himself as a pastor close to the people he served, and he called out the behavior of priests who were distant from and thought they were superior to their flocks.

World leaders offered condolences for Pope Francis almost immediately after the pontiff died April 21 — a reflection of popes’ importance in diplomacy and geopolitics.

Pope Francis was a pastor first, “so consistently, so spontaneously and with such deep conviction,” that it will remain a gift to the Catholic Church, said Cardinal Michael Czerny.

An explanation of some of the terms and practices related to the time between the death of Pope Francis April 21 and the election of his successor.

After the deaths or resignations of their predecessors, the last six popes have been elected within a fairly short period of time — between two and three weeks.