Pilgrims gather in St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’ Angelus reflection on Oct. 6, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media
Rome Newsroom, Apr 21, 2025 / 11:11 am (CNA).
ThedeathofPopeFrancisbeginstheso-called “sedevacante,”aperiodwhentheSeeofPeterliesvacant.Thetimeofthesedevacanteafterthepope’sdeathbringswithitaseriesofsymbols,traditions,andprotocolsthathaveexistedforcenturiesandexpressthepapacy’sessence.
Theprincipalfigureofthesedevacanteperiodisthecamerlengo,currentlytheIrish-bornCardinalKevinFarrell,whoisalsocurrentprefectoftheDicasteryfortheLaity,theFamily,andLifeandformerbishopofDallas.
Thepopeappointsthecamerlengo,andFarrellwaschosenin2019,replacingtheFrenchCardinalJean-LouisTauranafterhisdeathatage75.
ThetasksanddutiesofthecamerlengoareregulatedbyPopeFrancis’2022apostolicconstitutionPraedicateEvangelium,whichdealswiththefunctionsandstructureoftheRomanCuria’soffices,andanotherapostolicconstitution,St.JohnPaulII’sUniversiDominiciGregis,issuedin1996andthatgovernsthesedevacanteandtheelectiono
