All eyes turn to conclave after Pope Francis's funeral

With Pope Francis laid to rest, all eyes turn now to the conclave, the secretive meeting of cardinals set to convene within days to elect a new head of the Catholic Church.

Alongside world leaders and reigning monarchs, an estimated 400,000 people turned out on April 26 for the Argentine pontiff's funeral at the Vatican and burial in Rome.

The crowds were a testament to the popularity of Francis, an energetic reformer who championed the poorest and most vulnerable.

Many of those mourning the late pope, who died on April 21 aged 88, expressed anxiety about who would succeed him.

"He ended up transforming the Church into something more normal, more human," said Romina Cacciatore, 48, an Argentinian translator living in Italy.

"I'm worried about what's coming."

Today at 9 a.m. cardinals will hold their fifth general meeting since the pope's death, at which they are expected to pick a date for the conclave.

Held behind locked doors in the frescoed Sistine Chapel, the election of a pope has been a subject of public fascination for centuries.

Cardinal-electors will cast four votes per day until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority, a result broadcast to the waiting world by burning papers that emit white smoke.

Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich said last week he expected the conclave to take place on May 5 or 6, shortly after the nine days of papal mourning, which ends on May 4.

German Cardinal Reinhard Marx told reporters on April 26 the conclave would last just "a few days."

In his homily at the funeral, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re highlighted the Jesuit pope's defence of migrants, relentless calls for peace and belief that the Church was a "home for all."

"I hope we get another pope as skilled as Francis at speaking to people's hearts, at being close to every person, no matter who they are," 53-year-old Maria Simoni from Rome said.

Many of the mourners expressed hope that the next pope would follow Francis's example, at a time of widespread global conflict and growing hard-right populism.

Marx said the debate over the next pope was open, adding: "It's not a question of being conservative or progressive... The new pope must have a universal vision."

Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in the conclave. There are 135 currently eligible, most of whom Francis appointed himself.

But experts caution against assuming they will choose someone like him.

Francis, a former archbishop of Buenos Aires who loved being among his flock, was a very different character to his predecessor Benedict XVI, a German theologian better suited to books than kissing babies.

Benedict in turn was a marked change from his Polish predecessor, the charismatic, athletic and hugely popular John Paul II.

Francis's changes triggered anger among many conservative Catholics and many of them are hoping the next pope will turn the focus back to doctrine.