When a pope passes away, the prefect of the papal household (a cardinal, currently Bishop James Harvey) immediately informs the camerlengo of the pope's death. The camerlengo is the highest-ranking cardinal who, during the pope's lifetime, acts as the papal equivalent of the U.S. Secretary of State. The current camerlengo is Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo.
Upon the pope's death, temporary authority passes into the hands of the camerlengo and the College of Cardinals. The period during which the papal office is vacant is known as the sede vacante("vacant seat").
The camerlengo's first job is to confirm the pope's death with a traditional ceremony. He gently raps the pontiff's forehead with a silver mallet and calls the pope by his birth name three times. If the pontiff does not respond by the third time, he is pronounced dead.
In modern times, the pope's personal physician is actually called in first to make an official pronouncement of death, then the camerlengo performs the ceremonial pronouncement.
Next, the camerlengo directs the issuance of a death certificate and removes the pope's ceremonial ring, the Ring of the Fisherman. Worn by all popes in the last 800 years, the Fisherman's Ring is a gold ring bearing an image of St. Peter casting his net from a boat, encircled by the current pope's name. It is a symbol of the pope's authority, and will be destroyed later at a meeting of the cardinals.
Autopsies are not performed on popes and no one may film or photograph the pope's body (recording his last words is also prohibited). The camerlengo may, however, authorize a photograph for documentary purposes once the pope has been dressed in full papal garments.
The prefect of the papal household then informs the Dean of the College of Cardinals of the pope's death. It is the Dean's job to tell the other cardinals and then the heads of all the nations the news. Of course, when the current pope dies, most people will hear the news through the media well before this formal procedure is completed. All cardinals (most of whom are archbishops in their home country) are to come to Vatican City as soon as possible after hearing the news.
The Novemdiales and Papal Funeral One of the first duties of the College of Cardinals after the pope's death is to make funeral arrangements and begin the nine days (Novemdiales) of mourning and prayer for the deceased pope. During this nine-day period, the Swiss Guards outside St. Peter's Basilica lower their swords in mourning.
Funeral rites for the pope are governed by a church document called Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis (The Order of Service for the Burial of a Pontiff) and each pope normally issues further specifications. Pope John Paul II did so in a 1996 Apostolic Constitution entitled Universi Dominici Gregis (Of the Lord's Whole Flock), which also specifies the procedures for electing his successor. {1} These specifications depart little from papal tradition, however.
After being dressed in the papal vestments, two layers of white silk are placed over the pope's head and hands. The pope's body is then placed inside a cypress coffin, and that coffin is encased in two others. The second is a lead coffin engraved with the pope's name and the dates of his pontificate. The lead coffin is then placed in a third, unadorned coffin of elm.
The coffin is then closed and placed near the entrance of St. Peter's Basilica so the faithful can come to pay their respects and pray for the repose of his soul. Although the funeral rites last for nine days, the pontiff lies in state for just a few days before being buried. John Paul II instructed, in accordance with papal tradition, that he be buried between the fourth and sixth day after death. Popes are buried in the crypt beneath St. Peter's Basilica, which can be visited by the public.
References
- - Universi Dominici Gregis. 22 February, 1996.
- Wendy J. Reardon, The Deaths of the Popes: Comprehensive Accounts, Including Funerals, Burial Places and Epitaphs. Provides full accounts of the deaths of all the popes from Peter to John Paul II, includes interesting accounts of strange burials of some popes, and prints many epitaphs never before translated into English.
