The death of Pope Francis: This is how it continues in the Vatican!

The death of Pope Francis: This is how it continues in the Vatican!

Basilika Santa Maria Maggiore, Rom, Italien - The Vatican heralded a time of grief, because Pope Francis died at the age of 88. According to the Vatican, the papal treasurer, Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, stated the death of the Pope after he recently had pneumonia. After death, the fishing ring, a symbol of papal power, is removed and the private rooms of the late Pope are sealed. An autopsy is not common in popes, so that the body is dressed in a red robe and placed in a zinc coffin, which is then embedded in a wooden coffin. The death of the Pope marks the beginning of a Sedis vacancy - the time in which the Catholic Church is without head and the Cardinal College leads the business.

This day, the Catholic Church is now managed by a college of 252 cardinals, in which almost half is over 80 years old. The Cardinal Dean, Giovanni Battista Re, is the spokesman for the college, which is not allowed to issue new church laws during the Sedisvakanz or make far -reaching decisions. However, the cardinal guides have the task of preparing the conclave to choose a new Pope.

processes of grief and burial

The deceased is expected to be laid out in St. Peter's Basilica from Wednesday, where a funeral service is to take place. After a mourning period - the Novemial - the funeral fair for the late Pope is held on St. Peter's Square about a week after his death. Francis had wished for a simple burial in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which deviates from the tradition of his predecessors. The evening before the funeral, a white cloth is placed on his face and the coffin is closed. The rituals also include the enclosure of a certificate in Latin, which is called Rogitum.

Immediately after the funeral service, the Cardinal College begins with the organization of the choice of a new Pope. It is expected that this will begin at least three weeks after the Pope's death in the Sistine chapel, where the cardinals entitled to vote will submit their voices under 80 years. 135 cardinals are currently entitled to vote. The Cardinal Dean invites the conclave, and the election processes could be of great importance with black or white smoke signals, which indicate the result of the votes.

The way to the new Pope

In the Vatican, general meetings are now taking place in which practical questions are clarified and the profile of the future Pope is discussed. The election process requires a two-thirds majority, and the ballot could decide who will be the head of the Roman Catholic Church. In the voting passes, ballot papers are spent anonymously, and black smoke is generated in the lack of a majority, while white smoke signals the choice of a new pope. If the choice is successful, the new Pope will step onto the balcony of the St. Peter's Basilica and announce "Habemus Papam".

The grief and loss of the Pope leave a significant gap in the Catholic Church, while the certainty will specify a new direction for the church over the coming days and the choice of a new Pope. [OE24] reports that the Catholic Church is now in a phase of change, while the cardinals are preparing for the upcoming challenges.

For more information about the processes in the Vatican and the funeral celebrations, please visit [ZDF] and [Tagesschau].