London is home to more than a million Catholics – so where better than magnificent Westminster Cathedral to gauge the mood of the capital's faithful over the sad death of Pope Francis and the appointment of a successor?
Under the nave with its huge buttresses and shimmering gold and ruby-red mosaics is a side chapel. That's where a seemingly endless stream of worshippers stop by to sit and sign books of condolences – some have to wait their turn and the much-used pens keep running out of ink.
The tears may have dried, but it's clear from this snapshot of London Catholic life that the shock of the Pope's passing on Easter Monday is still raw.
"Francis was such a good man," said Constance Wilson, 52, from Battersea, scratching a note in the condolence book. "He reached out to the marginalised and the overlooked. Ordinary folk like me loved him for it. I've only just stopped having a little weep."
Appointed successor to Benedict XVI in 2013, Pope Francis broke centuries of tradition by making it clear to the world that his was going to be a very different papacy, choosing the name of the radical saint from Assisi who had lived with the poor and championed their rights.
He refused the Apostolic Palace for the Vatican guesthouse and he wore simple vestments, not ornate clothing. As cardinal he took the bus or squeezed into a Fiat 500 rather than a limousine.
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He broke several taboos like washing the feet of Muslim women and reaching out to LGBTQ+ Catholics, putting himself on a collision course with the traditionalists, but making him popular with the masses.
Nancy Ryan, 55, a retired machinist from Brixton picked up on this connection: "During his lifetime he opened so many doors for the Catholic church," she smiled. "Personally I wished he'd pushed harder."
After the funeral and some time soon around the first week of May, cardinals are expected to gather in Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel to elect the late Holy Father's successor.
Francis appointed two thirds of the cardinal electors himself during the last decade, leading many observers to believe the next pope will share his priorities of an inclusive church.
Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin is seen as favorite continuity candidate, although the Archbishop of Manila, Luis Antonio Tagle is also viewed as a frontrunner.
Outspoken Peter Turkson is the most senior African cardinal in the Vatican and is also seen by some as a possible successor.
So who do the Westminster faithful want to emerge as pope when the highly secretive selection process is finally done and puffs of white smoke are released into St Peter's Square?
Summing up the views of many at mid-morning Mass, Harry Aitkin, 82, from Southwark said: "We want more of the same. Nothing radical, just another man of the people, like Pope Francis."
Ryan Hall, 22, from Fulham agreed: "Francis connected with so many, probably because he came from humble beginnings. I hope the cardinals elect Francis 2.0 – my worry is they'll ignore what the people want."
The cathedral enjoyed Apostolic visits from Pope John Paul II in May 1982 and Pope Benedict XVI in September 2010. In the quiet of the the cathedral's Clergy House, Chaplain Fr. Hugh Mackenzie reflected on Pope Francis's standing alongside his two predecessors.
Will he be remembered as one of the great Popes? "It's too early to know," replied Mackenzie.
"John Paul was such an inspiration and people tried to call him 'the great', but it hasn't quite stuck. It's difficult to compare when they're two different characters. In the light of history we might see a degree of complimentarity."
Trying to second guess the outcome of the conclave of 135 cardinals eligible to vote is futile according to Mackenzie. "It's very difficult knowing who they're going to choose because of the very nature of the conclave and we are trying to rely on the Holy Spirit.
"The tradition must develop – personally I don't want to see a conservative. I think we could do more now to conserve and stabilise the roots of our tradition in order to move forward, but we don't want revolution rather than evolution."
Back in the chapel, after signing the condolence book, Anne Peacock, 79, left for her home that lies around the corner from the cathedral. She said: "To be frank, I don't care who the cardinals choose as our new pope, as long as he's a man of spirit and a man of prayer."
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<em>Photo: People pray as they attend a solemn requiem Mass at The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood, also known as Westminster Cathedral, following the news of the death of Pope Francis, London, England, 21 April 2025. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images.)</em>
