On the Monday after Easter, April 21, Pope Francis passed away in the Vatican. With churches and people across the world mourning the loss, the Roman Catholic Church organized the pope’s funeral ceremony, which was held on April 26, with over 250,000 attendees. Pope Francis now lies in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, Rome.
The Pope’s funeral procession, contrary to tradition, wound its way through Rome to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, rather than the typical burial in St. Peter’s Basilica. The procession’s purpose is to allow Christians to bid a final farewell before he is put to rest, according to the Vatican.
“Since Pope Francis’ death, I have been getting many emails about his accomplishments and what will happen next for the Catholic Church,” freshman Avery Spolin said. “In religion class, we have also been learning about the process of finding a new pope, and I was shocked by the complexity of the procedure,”
Since the pope’s death, the current Camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, has been overseeing Vatican affairs in Pope Francis’ place. This oversight will continue until the Conclave ends and a new pope is chosen. The length of this process greatly varies, with the shortest one taking a few hours, while the longest one lasted for nearly three years, according to Walks of Italy.
“I first heard of the Pope’s death through the daily New York Times emails,” sophomore Annette Moore said. “I am excited to see which candidate gets chosen as the next pope, because apparently there are several good options,”
Conclave is the process of the College of Cardinals gathering to elect a new pope. The church summons every Cardinal under 80 to the Vatican City. There, the Sistine Chapel remains sealed with the Cardinals inside until a two-thirds majority decision is made. The roots of the word “conclave” originate from the Latin word cum clave, which means: with a key. This references the seclusion the Cardinals face until the decision is made, according to Catholic Answers.
“I am very sad about the Pope’s death because he was very kind,” senior Phoebe Brockway said. “He blessed many people, and I respect Pope Francis’ viewpoint on progressive matters,”
White smoke from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney reveals to the public that a new pope has been elected. Once this happens during the conclave, the newly elected pope selects his Papal name, before appearing before the public to bless the city and the world. Several days later, the new pope’s inauguration commences during a mass at St. Peter’s Square. Following this, the new pope will assume his complete papal duties.
“I have been raised in a pretty Catholic house,” Spolin said. “Because of this, when I heard of the Pope’s death, I was really surprised and sad.”
