Pope Francis was the 266th head of the Roman Catholic Church. His death ushered in a period known as the Sede Vacante, meaning "vacant See." This lasts from the death or resignation of a pope until his successor is elected.
At this time, the life of the whole church comes to an almost complete standstill, and most of the officials resign. Among those who remain in office are the Dean of the College of Cardinals, the Grand Penitentiary and the Cardinal-Camerlengo, who manages the day-to-day affairs of the Holy See.
His other duties include officially announcing the Pope's death, sealing his private rooms, administering the Holy See's property, arranging the funeral and making arrangements for the election of a new Pope.
During the Sede Vacante, coins without the Pope's portrait are minted. In 1978, when two popes died - Paul VI and John Paul I - two sets of coins were minted. The second bore the inscription "Sede Vacante-2". These coins are among the most sought-after among numismatists.
Funeral
Popes change their burial rites from time to time, but the tradition remains to display the body of the Pope on a catafalque in St Peter's Basilica for public veneration. Usually the Pope is buried in three coffins: cypress, lead and oak. According to legend, the cross on which Christ was crucified was made of cypress wood.
Tradition dictates that the Pope be buried in the crypts beneath St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The basilica was built over the tomb of the Apostle Peter, the first bishop of Rome. The popes are considered his successors. Those who have been beatified or canonized (such as John XXIII, John Paul II and Paul VI) are buried in the chapels of the basilica.
However, many popes expressed a wish to be buried in other Roman churches. For example, Pius V, Clement VIII, Clement IX, Paul V, and Sixtus V were buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore; Pius IX rests in the Basilica of St. Lawrence outside the walls. The last pope buried outside the Vatican was Leo XIII, who died in 1903 and is buried in the Basilica of St. John in the Lateran.
In November 2024, the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, citing the Supreme Pontiff's Office for Liturgical Celebrations, reported that Francis wanted a simpler funeral than his predecessors. The body will not be displayed outside the coffin for public veneration and a triple coffin will not be used. The Pope wished to be buried in a simple wooden coffin in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Conclave
After ten days of mourning, the Vatican will begin preparations for a conclave - a secret meeting of cardinals to elect a new pope. It is usually convened 15 to 18 days after the death of a pope. The election takes place in the Sistine Chapel and can last several days - in the last 100 years it has never exceeded four days. The Sede Vacante period ends with the election of the new Pope, which is traditionally announced by white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney.
In the Middle Ages, however, periods without a pope lasted for months and years. For example, after the death of Pope Clement IV in November 1268, it took up to two years and nine months before Gregory X was elected in September 1271 - the longest period of Sede Vacante in history.
According to AP, the favourites for the new pope include cardinals from Italy, Austria, Canada and the Philippines.
Tass/gnews.cz
English 
Czech 
Spanish 
French 
Italian 
Russian 
Chinese 
German