Austria mourns: Pope Francis - farewell and new era!

Austria mourns: Pope Francis - farewell and new era!

Wien, Österreich - On April 21, 2025, Pope Francis' death was announced, which leads to nationwide mourning in Austria. On Monday at 5 p.m., the church bells ring for ten minutes, while the churches and church buildings are flagged around the country. Mourning fairs, prayers and devotions take place around the ringing. In St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn will lead a requiem for the late Pope at 6 p.m., who also rang the Pummerin in Vienna after the official announcement.

The Archdiocese of Vienna has set up a digital condolence book in which believers can leave personal farewell words. Extensive funeral service will be planned in the coming days, including a large requiem, the date of which still has to be determined. With the death of Pope Francis, the so -called sedis vacancy begins, in which the "chair Petri" remains vacant. Important decisions in the Vatican are not allowed during this time, and the ongoing business is taking over the remaining cardinals.

the funeral service and the sedis vacancy

The body of Francis is traditionally supported in the coming days. The burial usually takes place four to six days after death. It is expected that he is not buried in St. Peter's Basilica, but in his favorite church, the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. During this time, funeral service will be organized that take several days, and after the burial the "Novemials", a nine -day mourning time.

After the death of the Pope is determined, his seal ring is removed and destroyed. The Pope's private rooms are sealed, while the Camerlengo, currently Cardinal Kevin Farrell, takes on responsibility for the church during the Sedisvakanz. Only deputies of the state secretaries and some high -ranking cardinals remain in office, while most other curiadinals lose their offices.

choice of the new Pope

The new Pope is chosen in the conclave, where all cardinals under 80 are entitled to vote. There are currently 252 cardinals worldwide, 135 of which are able to take part in the election. The first round of coordination of the conclave can take a few hours to several years. The one who receives a two -thirds majority is chosen, which traditionally affects secrecy during the election.

The dean of the Cardinal College leads the conclave, and every vote is pursued with great expectations. The white smoke from the roof of the Sistine chapel signals that a new pope was chosen, while black smoke announces the opposite. After the election, the new Pope is asked whether he will accept the election, and if he approved, he welcomes the faithful with the words "Habemus Papam" and grants the apostolic blessing "Urbi et orbi.

The time between the death of the Pope and the choice of the successor is crucial for the Catholic Church with over 1.4 billion believers worldwide, which is without official leadership during the Sedisvakanz. The next steps to choose the successor are carefully prepared, as was the case even in earlier Sedisvacanz times.

The events related to the death of Pope Francis and the subsequent funeral service are documented in detail in the media. Exxpress reports of the first measures in Austria, Tagesschau provides comprehensive information on the Sedisvacanz and the processes in the Vatican, while Berliner Zeitung gives additional insights into the context of the upcoming challenges.