Did Pope Francis die on Easter? Who will be the next pope? What happens when a pope dies
Pope Francis, the former Argentinian cardinal who often bucked age-old Vatican traditions in favor of more modern yet humble approaches, died after an extended respiratory illness on April 21, the Vatican confirmed. He was 88 years old.
Here's what we know.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires to Italian immigrant parents, was the 266th pope and the first from the Americas as well as the first born outside of Europe in over a millennium.
When he was elected in 2013, Pope Francis said he chose his name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th-century Italian friar who renounced his wealth to become "a man of peace, a man of poverty, a man who loved and protected creation,' according to the National Catholic Reporter.
'How I would love a church that is poor and for the poor," Francis, a Jesuit priest by order, told reporters at the time.
In his papacy, he tried to commit to those ideals. Instead of taking residence in the Apostolic Palace, he stayed in a Vatican guesthouse. Rather than limousines, he rode in Fiats and Jeeps.
His leadership — of over some 1.4 billion Catholics globally — will be remembered for outreach to women, immigrants and refugees, LGBTQ people, and people from other faiths. He sometimes took progressive or controversial stances on pressing issues, such as same-sex couples and climate change.
For some, he was considered too radical in trying to enact change in the 2,000-year-old church. Others thought he was a fresh start to make faith again relevant in secular societies, with many adherents driven from Catholicism after decades of scandal, including corruption and child sex abuse.
Still, critics, including the U.S.-based advocacy group New Ways Ministry, thought some of his views, such as the role of women in the church, were outdated, but they thought the Vatican laid the groundwork for future change on some positions.
The election of a new pope is a highly mystified and sacred process, dating back centuries and enshrined in last year's award-winning thriller "Conclave."
The last time the College of Cardinals gathered to vote and select the next representative of God on Earth was more than a dozen years ago, when Pope Francis was selected. His predecessor, Pope Benedict, stepped down from the papacy in 2013, a decision that had not been made by someone of his station in almost 600 years. Benedict, then 85, cited his age and declining health. He died in 2022.
After the pope's death, a formal set of practices codified by the 1996 document "Universi Dominici Gregis" — Of the Lord's Whole Flock — prompts formal notifications, the sealing of the pontiff's rooms and papers, and the destruction of the papal signet ring.
Barring extenuating circumstances, popes are to be buried four to six days after their deaths. Papal funerals by the Roman Catholic Church typically draw millions of mourners to Rome, including some world leaders.
The College of Cardinals, or the church's most senior officials residing either at the Vatican or spread across the world, gather in Rome to choose the next pope. The college is also acting head of the church in the interim.
Not all cardinals get to vote, though. Since 1975, only those younger than 80 can participate in the papal conclave.
As of Jan. 22, there were 252 cardinals, of whom 138 are electors, according to the Vatican.
Usually, within 15 to 20 days after the papacy is vacated, cardinal electors meet in the Sistine Chapel and begin the strictly secretive voting process. Throughout the conclave, cardinals are under an oath of silence and forbidden contact with the outside world.
Although any baptized man may become the next pope, since the 14th century, all those selected have held the rank of cardinal.
Here are five leading candidates for the papacy, according to Newsweek:
Angelo Scola, 82, Italy
Peter Erdő, 72, Hungary
Peter Turkson, 76, Ghana
Pietro Parolin, 70, Italy
Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, Philippines
The Roman Catholic Church considers Saint Peter as the first pope. One of Jesus Christ's 12 apostles, Peter, is thought to have been the first bishop of Rome.
However, there is some debate about recognizing Saint Peter as the first pope, with some pointing out that the idea of the papacy didn't emerge until the early sixth century, according to Modern Reformation.
For the past several centuries, popes have traditionally lived in the Papal Apartments of the Apostolic Palace, located on over 100 acres of land called the Vatican within the city of Rome, Italy. Popes general live in the apartments for ten months of the year and spends July and August in the Castel Gandolfo residence outside of Rome, according to Vatican Tips.
Pope Francis was the first pope since Pope Pius X in 1903 to choose not to live in the Papal Apartments. Instead, he resided in a Vatican guesthouse called the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
— USA TODAY reporters Phaedra Trethan, Jeanine Santucci, Eduardo Cuevas and Savannah Kuchar contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Did Pope Francis die on Easter? Who will be the next pope?
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