The Vatican on Monday announced the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88 years after the pontiff suffered a serious bout of double pneumonia.
DAILY POST outlines the steps that are taken in the Roman Catholic Church when a pope dies.
The rituals mark the end of one papacy and the start of the next.
The pope's camerlengo (chamberlain), Cardinal Kevin Farrell, seals the pope's private apartment and prepares the funeral.
The camerlengo and three assistants decide when the pope's coffin will be taken into St. Peter's Basilica for public viewing. They also make sure the pope's “Fisherman's Ring” and his lead seal are broken so they cannot be used by anyone else. No autopsy is performed.
Mourning rites of the pope last nine days, with the date of the funeral and burial to be decided by the cardinals. The funeral would normally be held four to six days after the death, in St. Peter's Square.
The pope had said that unlike many predecessors, that he would not be laid to rest in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica, but in Rome's St. Mary Major Basilica. He also asked to be buried in a simple wooden casket.
The College of Cardinals oversees day-to-day business during the interregnum. They have limited power and much of the central Church administration grinds to a halt.
The conclave to elect a new pope starts in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel between 15 and 20 days after the death. The cardinals, who are confined to the Vatican for the duration of the conclave, decide the exact day.
All cardinals under the age of 80 can take part in the secret ballot. They need a majority of at least two-thirds plus one to elect the new pope, so the voting can take several rounds spread over numerous days. When the election is concluded, the new pope is asked if he accepts and what name he wishes to take.
The world learns a pope has been elected when an official burns the paper ballots with special chemicals to make white smoke pour from the chapel's chimney. They use other chemicals to make black smoke indicating an inconclusive vote.
The dean of the College of Cardinals steps onto the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to announce “Habemus Papam” (We have a pope). The new pope then appears and gives the crowd in the square his blessing.
