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What Happens When the Pope Dies?

The Pope's role can be traced back to St. Peter, who was the first Pope appointed by Christ. The first popes were all martyred for their faith, but even so many of the events that occur when a pope dies are traditions from centuries ago. This is an excellent article on the details of what happens when a pope dies.

One interesting point:

The day-to-day business of the Vatican will become the responsibility of the Camerlengo, or chamberlain, who right now is Cardinal Eduardo Matinez Somalo, a Spaniard. He becomes the administrative leader, and all the decisions that belong to the Pope alone—such as appointment of bishops, major new documents, canonizations, and so on—are suspended to wait for the new pope. There are other restrictions as well as UDG says: “During the vacancy of the Apostolic See, laws issued by the Roman Pontiffs can in no way be corrected or modified, nor can anything be added or subtracted, nor a dispensation be given even from a part of them, especially with regard to the procedures governing the election of the Supreme Pontiff.”

On a symbolic level, the Swiss Guard will bar the entrance to the apostolic palace with a heavy black chain. The bell of the Arco delle Campani will ring the death knell and bells throughout Rome will join them.

Meanwhile, the Camerlengo’s first duty will be to verify the pope’s death and then contact all of the cardinal-electors. (That would be all the cardinals who are less than 80 years old at the time of the pope’s death.) He would summon them all to Rome for the conclave.

The Pope will be dressed in formal vestments and will lie in state, perhaps in St. Peter’s, perhaps in what is technically his church as Bishop of Rome, St. John Lateran. The Swiss Guard will guard his body through the night. The Office for the Dead will be prayed.

When the body arrives at St. Peter’s, the hearse will enter the square where the Swiss Guard and an Italian honor guard will greet it with a salute. The cardinals then present in Rome will likely accompany the body to the steps of St. Peters and they and rows of priests, both secular and religious, will accompany it inside. They will then hold the solemn liturgy for the reception of the deceased into the basilica.

A novena of Masses (nine days) will be offered at St. Peter’s and the basilicas and churches of Rome. The people will be allowed to view the body lying in state. When Pope Paul VI died, 10,000 people per hour passed the bier of the pope to pay their respects. Between the fourth and sixth day will be the burial.

Paul VI had requested his funeral to be held outside so that as many people who wish could attend, and I suspect that John Paul has asked for that as well. We should expect that the funeral will be carried on live TV, too.

God bless,
Jay