What happens next after Pope Francis' death?

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Pope Francis died Monday, April 21, aft 12 years arsenic the person of the Roman Catholic Church, triggering an outpouring of mourning crossed the globe. The pope's decease initiates a centuries-old process of rituals and traditions that culminates with a conclave, a gathering of the Church's existent 135 cardinal electors who are sealed wrong the Sistine Chapel to elite the adjacent pontiff.

Here's what's to travel successful the days pursuing the pope's death.

Day One

The pope was formally pronounced dormant by the cardinal camerlengo — presently Irish-born American Kevin Farrell — who is 1 of the astir important Vatican officials during the interregnum period.

Traditionally, the camerlengo (chamberlain) would pat a metallic hammer connected the pope's caput portion calling retired his baptismal sanction 3 times. The hammer is nary longer used. Far much conventionally, an electrocardiogram was utilized to corroborate John Paul II's decease successful 2005.

Farrell past made a statement announcing the news: "At 7:35 this morning, The Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the Father's house. His full beingness was dedicated to the work of the Lord and His church."

Once the camerlengo pronounces the pope dead, and earlier sealing the papal apartment, helium breaks the pope's Fisherman's ring and destroys the dies utilized to marque the papal seal for apostolic letters, to symbolize the extremity of the pontificate.

These items volition beryllium buried with the pope. But first, the pontiff is transported to prevarication successful authorities successful St. Peter's Basilica. Hundreds of thousands of mourners descended connected Vatican City aft the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI successful 2022 to wage their respects.

Novemdiales

Pope Francis's decease volition beryllium followed by a nine-day mourning play called Novemdiales, a contented that dates backmost to Roman times.

Vatican flags volition alert astatine half-staff, and the bronze doors of St Peter's Basilica are closed.

The funeral indispensable instrumentality spot 4 to six days aft the pope's death. For Pope Francis, it took spot Saturday, April 26, successful St. Peter's Square.

Most caller popes person asked to beryllium buried beneath the Basilica there, but Francis said helium would beryllium laid to remainder successful Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore). He besides asked to beryllium buried successful a elemental woody casket.

The papal ceremonial is breached down into 3 abstracted phases, oregon "stations." They are the mentation of the body, the viewing of the body, and past the burial.

At the funeral, attended by kings, queens, heads of authorities and spiritual leaders, the coffin is carried done the alleged "door of death" to the near of the main altar, arsenic a azygous doorbell tolls. Pope Francis was past taken successful procession from St. Peter's to the Basilica of St. Mary Major successful Rome for entombment.

During the nine-day mourning period, cardinals from astir the satellite stitchery successful Rome and statesman gathering successful "General Congregations," a benignant of campaigning play wherever assorted papal candidates springiness speeches astir their visions for the church, mapping retired the absorption they deliberation it should take.

The conclave

The Vatican says the conclave to take Pope Francis' successor volition statesman May 7. Rules accidental it indispensable statesman 15 to 20 days aft the pope's death. This is erstwhile the cardinal electors — cardinals nether the property of 80, presently a radical of astir 135 — isolate themselves from the satellite and statesman the centuries-old process of choosing the adjacent person of the Catholic Church.

Behind closed doors successful the Vatican's Sistine Chapel, the cardinals volition formed ballots for their choice, repeating the process until a campaigner emerges with a two-thirds-plus-one majority. The insubstantial ballots are burned aft each circular of voting, sending up achromatic fume to awesome nary prime has been reached yet, and yet achromatic fume to uncover that a caller pope has been selected.