Echo News – The Apostolic Constitution defines the procedures to be followed after the Pope’s death, including the funeral ceremony and the election of his successor.
1. Post -death procedures
Death is confirmed by the head of the Vatican Health Department and Camerolengo (the Church’s temporary head).
The body of the Pope wears a white dress and is transferred to a private chapel, where senior officials and family members attend.
The body is placed in a red coffin with a chance and umbrella crown, then the Pope’s office is sealed, the fisherman’s ring (the papal ring) and the official stamp to prevent forgery.
2. Funeral ceremonies
The body is offered at St. Peter’s Cathedral to receive general condolences for 4-6 days.
The official funeral is held in the presence of thousands of mourners, followed by nine days of mourning.
3. The place of burial
According to his will, Pope Francis will be buried in the Church of Santa Maria Magiuri (4 km from the Vatican), in violation of the tradition of burial of the popes in the Cathedral of St. Peter.
Before closing the coffin, his face is covered with a white silk piece, and a bag of composed coins is placed next to him during his ink and a lap that records the most prominent stations of his life.
4. The transitional period (SEDE VACANTE)
Camerolingo (currently the American-Irish-Irish Cardinal Kevin Farrell) is the temporary management of the Vatican without making ideological decisions.
His duties are to ensure the continuity of administrative work and supervise preparations for papal election.
5. The closed complex (Congle)
It is held after 15-20 days of death in the Sistina Church, with the participation of the Cardinals under the age of 80 (currently 140 qualified Cardinal, 110 of them were appointed by Francis).
According to a inherited medieval tradition, the doors are close to the key, so that the Cardinals are completely cut off from the world, where four voting operations are expected daily, two in the morning and two in the evening. All cards are burned at the end of the day to erase any trace of the secret vote, which does not allow the crusher to talk about. And if the black smoke is escalating, this means that the Pope has not been elected yet, but if the white smoke is escalating, this indicates that the Catholic Church has become a greatest new ink.
Once the election, the dean of the elected Cardini asks if he accepted the position and the papal name, then appears on the balcony of St. Peter, where he announces: “Habemus Papam!” (We have a door!).
6. Francis’s changes
He lived in a simple housing in the House of St. Marta instead of the Apostolic Palace.
Simplify the funeral ceremonies and reduce festive manifestations, and Pope Francis canceled some luxurious traditions, such as:
Special ceremonies in the Apostolic Palace.
The platform that was displaying the bodies of the former papacy.
Replace the three coffins (from cypress, bullets and dordar) with one coffin of zinc.
These measures guarantee a smooth transition to power in the smallest country in the world, while preserving centuries -old traditions.
Source: RT
