Pope Francis Dies: What Happens Next? The Vatican’s Step-By-Step Process to Elect a New Pope

With the papal seat now vacant, the Vatican begins a centuries-old process—marked by rituals, mourning, and conclave secrecy—to select the next leader of the Catholic Church.

Vatican City, April 21, 2025 –
Following the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88, the Vatican has officially entered the “interregnum”, the solemn period between the death of a pope and the election of his successor. This carefully orchestrated process, rooted in tradition and detailed in Church law, ensures a smooth transition for the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.

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⚰️ Step 1: Verifying the Pope’s Death

The process begins with the Camerlengo, the Vatican’s administrator of Church property and finances. He verifies the death by calling out the pope’s baptismal name three times. If there is no response, the pope is declared dead.

Though once symbolically confirmed with a silver hammer tapped to the pope’s forehead, that ritual was abolished after 1963.

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🔒 Step 2: Locking the Papal Apartment

The papal residence is sealed, a tradition that once prevented looting but now symbolizes the end of the pope’s reign. The Fisherman’s Ring and the official seal of the pontiff are then destroyed to mark the close of the papacy.

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⚱️ Step 3: Funeral and Mourning

According to the constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, the pope’s funeral must be held within 4–6 days of his death. Though most popes are buried in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis requested to be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore.

A traditional nine-day mourning period, known as “novemdiales”, follows the funeral.

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🗳️ Step 4: Conclave to Elect a New Pope

Approximately 15–20 days after the pope’s death, a conclave is convened in the Sistine Chapel, involving all cardinals under the age of 80. These cardinals are sequestered from the outside world, with no access to phones, media, or visitors.

Voting proceeds in secret ballots, with ballots burned after each round.

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• Black smoke signals no decision has been reached.
• White smoke means a new pope has been elected.

A two-thirds majority is required to choose the new pope.

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📢 Step 5: Habemus Papam – “We Have a Pope”

Once a cardinal accepts his election, he chooses a papal name—often inspired by saints or past popes. Then, the Senior Cardinal Deacon appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to announce, “Habemus Papam” (“We have a Pope”).

Moments later, the new pope makes his first public appearance, greeting the faithful in St. Peter’s Square and offering his apostolic blessing.

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Pope Francis death, Vatican succession, papal conclave, election of new pope, Catholic Church rituals, interregnum process, Pope burial tradition, Habemus Papam, Fisherman’s Ring, Sistine Chapel voting