The funeral of Pope Francis will be simpler than those of previous popes, following instructions he set out himself.But as a head of state and leader of more than a billion Catholics worldwide, it will still be a spectacle of ceremony and tradition.

In today’s newsletter, the ritualistic sights and scenes at Pope Francis’s funeral. Plus: I watched the funeral for Pope Francis from atop the braccio, or “arm,” extending up and outward to the left of St.