What happens when the Pope dies?
When a Pope dies it sets off a traditionally old fashioned and historic process. First, the camerlengo (the Pope’s Chief of Staff) calls out to the Pope using his birth name or baptismal name three times. If there is no response, the camerlengo will organize a death certificate and he will contact the cardinal vicar of the diocese of Rome. Angelo De Donatis has served in this role since 2017. The Pope is not declared dead until the camerlengo takes this action.
The camerlengo, who is currently the Irish-born Kevin Farrell, will then lock the Papal desk, lock the Pope’s private papal apartment and cut off all his telephone wires. Black smoke is then sent out through a chimney from a stove that is placed in the Sistine Chapel to allow the public to know that the Pope is dead. Before a new Pope is elected, there is a period of time called ‘Interregnum’ which is the period when there is no Pope. The funeral usually is four to six days after the Pope dies and this is all organized by the Camerlengo.
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