The death of Pope Francis officially came from the camerlengo, a position in the Catholic church held by a man with Dallas ties.
DALLAS — Pope Francis died at 7:35 a.m. Monday at 88 after serving as head of the Catholic Church for 12 years.
Francis returned to the Vatican a month ago after battling pneumonia and a complex lung infection in the hospital for several weeks.
Francis, who has chronic lung disease, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened. On the morning of Saturday, Feb. 22, Pope Francis suffered a long asthmatic respiratory crisis, which left him in critical condition. He remained in the hospital for 38 days and was later released.
Who is Cardinal Kevin Farrell? What is the camerlengo?
Traditionally, it is the job of the camerlengo (a senior Vatican official) to confirm the death of a pope. The position is currently held by a man with Dallas ties, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, a former bishop of the Diocese of Dallas in Texas from 2007 to 2017.
Here’s the full statement Farrell issued Monday after Pope Francis died:
“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 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.”
Farrell was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1947 and was ordained on Christmas Eve 1978 by Cardinal Eduardo Pironio. Farrell was appointed bishop of Dallas by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 and later assigned Cardinal-Deacon of Rome’s San Giuliano Martire in 2016.
Pope Francis named Farrell as camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church in February 2019.
What happens after the pope dies?
The pope’s death is followed by nine days of mourning, called Novendiale. Thousands will line the streets to pay their respects, including world leaders. Pope Francis’ funeral will be held within four to six days after his death, likely in St. Peter’s Square, led by the dean of the College of Cardinals, currently 91-year-old Italian Giovanni Battista Re, according to Politico.
Traditionally, the pope is then buried in the Vatican Grottoes, Politico reported.
How is a new pope chosen? How do they vote? How long does a conclave last?
Some two to three weeks after the pope’s funeral, the College of Cardinals will convene in the Sistine Chapel to hold a conclave, the highly secretive process of electing a new pope. Only cardinals under 80 years old are allowed to vote in a conclave.
According to the Archdiocese of Boston’s website, each cardinal walks to the altar, holding up his folded ballot so it can be seen, and says aloud: “I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.”
A candidate must receive a two-thirds vote before the dean of the College of Cardinals (Giovanni Battista Re) asks him if he accepts the election. If there is not a two-thirds majority for a candidate, another round of voting is cast. There can be up to four rounds of voting per day.
Nowadays, conclaves are relatively short. Pope John Paul II was elected in 1978 after two days. Pope Benedict XVI was elected in the 2005 conclave after two days, as well. Pope Francis was elected after nearly 24 hours of voting. This is a stark contrast to centuries ago, when the 13th century conclave for Pope Gregory X lasted almost three years from November 1268 until September 1271.
Once the new pope has been elected as a result of the conclave, he will choose a papal name and give his first public address while donning a white cassock. Traditionally, most popes serve in their role until the day they die.
Pope Francis’ predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who shockingly resigned in 2013 at age 85 due to declining health, made him the first pontiff to step down in 600 years. Pope Benedict XVI died in 2022 at 95 years old.
Could Cardinal Kevin Farrell become next pope?
The possibility is there. Technically, any baptized Roman Catholic male can be elected pope.
However, realistic candidates over the course of history have been limited to a subset of the College of Cardinals. There are 252 living Cardinals and Farrell is one of them.
There have been two camerlengos in the history of the Catholic church who were later elected to be the pope: Gioacchino Pecci (Pope Leo XIII) in 1878 and Eugenio Pacelli (Pope Pius XII) in 1939.