The Vatican has confirmed the pope’s death at 7:35am on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025. Pope Francis passed away in his home at Casa Santa Marta. According to his doctor, the cause of death was a stroke which was followed by heart failure. The pope’s passing marks the end of a years-long health struggle, which has caused him to slow down significantly over the past two years.
For the first time in 20 years, a pope has now died in office. The last pope’s death was in 2005 when Pope John Paul II died. You may recall that the previous pope, Pope Benedict XVI, did not die in office, but resigned—the first pope to do so for more than 600 years.
What you may not know is that the passing of the Pontiff marks the beginning of an entire series of procedures and rituals dating back to the Medieval Church. So, what happens next?
when the pope dies
Immediately upon the pope’s death, the Sede vacante begins. This is the vacant period from Francis’ death until the appointment of the new pontiff. The first and most important figure in this period is the Camerlengo, or pope’s chamberlain. The Camerlengo is the administrative and financial custodian of Vatican City and the papal apartments. It is the responsibility of the Camerlengo to ritually declare the pope dead and release the news to the various concerned parties.
At 9:45am Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the current Camerlengo, released a statement:
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.”
The Camerlengo informs the Roman Curia (the central body that oversees the Vatican’s administrative institutions) and the dean College of Cardinals. He also will safeguard the pope’s will and ensure it is presented during the first meeting of the College during the conclave.
Finally, the bishops around the world, as well as other world leaders, are notified of the pope’s passing via official channels, after which the news breaks to the media and general public. After the official announcement is issued, the bells of St Peter’s Basilica will toll, signifying the ceremonial announcement. The death certificate is certified by medial staff and the pope’s body is transferred from the papal apartments to St Peter’s Basilica.
The rite of death and securement of the pope’s coffin occurred on the same day, in the evening in the chapel where the pope lived—again, by the Camerlengo. Then, the papal apartments were sealed, as you can see below.
the novemdiales
Starting on the day of the pope’s passing, the novemdiales, the nine-day mourning period, begins.
A series of masses (such as the daily Requiem Mass for the soul of the pope) are carried out, including several prescribed liturgies. The pope’s body will be laid in Saint Peter’s Basilica during this time, which gives the public the opportunity to pay their respects. However, unlike previous popes, Francis’ body will not be exposed to the public after being laid in his coffin.
The papal funeral usually happens within a week’s time and will be conducted by the dean of the College of Cardinals. The novemdiales finishes with one final mass, which will mark the official end of the nine-day mourning period and the beginning of the conclave.
the conclave
The conclave usually begins 15 days after the pope’s passing. Only cardinals are permitted to attend the conclave (as well as the Camerlengo and cardinal assistants). Of the 252 cardinals that currently exist, 136 are cardinal electors, being under the age of 80. These cardinal electors assemble to elect one of their number to become the new pope.
Upon arrival in Rome, the cardinal electors will hear two sermons: one before entering the conclave and the other just before the conclave begins. The purpose of the sermons are to explore the state of the worldwide church as well as to lay out the characteristics necessary for a new pope in the cultural moment the church finds itself in.
Then, the cardinal electors assemble in Saint Peter’s Basilica to take Mass. In the afternoon, they will transition to the Pauline Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, followed by the Sistine Chapel where they will undergo another series of rituals before the senior cardinal seals the chamber. Any outsiders are expelled with the command “extra omnes!” meaning “outside, all of you!” and any non-cardinal electors will leave. The only officials allowed to communicate with the outside world are the Major Penitentiary, the Vicar General for Vatican City as well as the Cardinal Vicar for the Diocese of Rome.
Interestingly enough, in the conclave the elected Pope Francis, the Sistine Chapel was searched to find any hidden surveillance devices. None were found, but in previous conclaves, some members of the press have disguised themselves as conclave servants and were ejected). No cardinal may communicate with the outside world in any way, as the conclave’s electoral process is secretive and confidential. To break this means automatic excommunication.
In order to become the next pope, a candidate must secure a two-thirds supermajority. On the afternoon of the first day, a ballot may be held—but it is not mandatory. In the event that a ballot is not held on the first day or a ballot is held and no-one is elected, four ballots will be held in each succeeding day: two in the morning and two in the afternoon. If no-one is elected by the third day, voting is suspended for a day for the purpose of prayer and contemplation. The senior cardinal will also have the privilege of addressing the conclave. If, after another seven ballots and no result is achieved, the senior cardinal may again address the conclave.
The actual process of voting is divided into three phases called “pre-scrutiny”, “scrutiny” and “post-scrutiny”. It is a complex and laborious process that is designed to weed out error, conspiracy and flippancy. Throughout the phases, cardinal electors continually take oaths in Latin as well as submitting to a litany of rituals.
fumata
Traditionally, whenever an election failed, the cardinals burned the ballots to indicate no pope had yet been chosen. Black smoke (aided with the use of potassium perchlorate, anthracene and sulphur) communicates a failed ballot whereas while white smoke (aided with the use of potassium chlorate, lactose and pine rosin) rises when an election is successful and a new pope has been chosen. Media and the faithful alike will gather at St Peter’s Square to eagerly await the news.
If the new pope accepts his ascension, he immediately takes office. Much will need to be done to induct him into his new role, but that is fodder for an entirely different article. The reality is, Pope Francis is (at the time of writing) 88 years of age, so time is not on his side. Whenever he passes, the entire Catholic world and its more than 1.3 billion adherents around the world will be impacted.
legacy and the future
Pope Francis was a stand-out pope in the cultural moment he stepped into. Following the failings of Benedict XVI to adequately respond to priest abuse cases (as well as the notorious Vatican Leaks scandal), Francis set a decidedly different tempo to the leadership style of the past.
Where Benedict tried to rally the dwindling European Catholic population, Francis empowered bishops in the developing world.
Where Benedict reinforced church tradition against the LGBTQ community, Francis increasingly expanded rights for gay and transgender Catholics. Affirming support for priests to bless same-sex couples, he nevertheless backed the traditional Catholic stance opposing LGBTQ marriage.
Additionally, Francis became a staunch opponent of climate change and advocated strongly for a unified approach to combating it. Notably, Benedict also was a proponent of climate change conversation and nature care, but Francis expanded it. In 2023, Francis published the papal document Laudate Deum, in it saying,
“Despite all attempts to deny, conceal, gloss over or relativize the issue, the signs of climate change are here and increasingly evident. No one can ignore the fact that in recent years we have witnessed extreme weather phenomena, frequent periods of unusual heat, drought and other cries of protest on the part of the earth that are only a few palpable expressions of a silent disease that affects everyone.”
As ever, he emphasised the effects climate change has on the poor:
“As usual, it would seem that everything is the fault of the poor. Yet the reality is that a low, richer percentage of the planet contaminates more than the poorest 50% of the total world population, and that per capita emissions of the richer countries are much greater than those of the poorer ones.”
Of course, many conservative Catholics criticised Francis for his views. His legacy no doubt will be mixed, though in many parts of the world he will be remembered with much love. He was the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, as well as being the first Latin-American to sit in St Peter’s Chair. He was the first Jesuit pope and was the first in many years to truly represent poor Catholics.
Whomever is chosen as the next pope will undoubtedly shape the face of the church for years to come. Will he be similarly progressive, or will the College of Cardinals choose a more conservative figure? Will they choose a cardinal who represents stability and normality, or will we have a black or Asian pope for the first time in Catholic history?
One thing is for certain: a new pope may mean the Catholic Church’s perspective on the world today will also change—and that could very well impact all of us. Only time will tell.
This article is a modified version of a previous one that was written prior to Pope Francis’ passing. You can read the original article here.
