22-04-2025
UT Tyler professor shares what's next after Pope Francis' death
TYLER, Texas (KETK) – After facing illness for several weeks, Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic church, died on Monday.
Individuals from around the world, including those in East Texas, mourned the death of the 88-year-old. Collin Snider, an associate professor from the Department of History at The University of Texas at Tyler, expressed his reaction to the death of the religious leader.
Diocese of Tyler bishop mourns loss of Pope Francis
'I think it is a little surprising in the sense that he appeared yesterday at the Easter mass and gave a brief statement and then had a declaration read to the mass,' Snider said. 'So he was seen publicly and actively up until the very end. It was very shocking in the sense of the immediacy that he seemed to rebound, but he had been in poor health for quite a while.'
According to Snider, a funeral will be held for Pope Francis. Snider said this funeral will differ in simplicity due to the pope enacting policies that reduced the circumstances surrounding the funeral of a pope. Following this, the body will lie in rest for the public to see, and then the Pope's body will be buried. The final step will include the Vatican and the Catholic Church entering a Conclave.
'All of the Cardinals from around the world, the Catholic Cardinals and the next layer of the church hierarchy below the pope, they will gather in the Sistine Chapel, and they will shut themselves in there,' Snider said. 'They will begin debate and discussion over electing the next pope and there's a lot of politicking involved.'
What to know about the death of Pope Francis
Snider said that the Conclave period will happen in about two to three weeks, and those involved will stay gathered and continue voting until the next pope is elected with a two-thirds majority.
If the votes needed are not reached, the Cardinals and church hierarchy will throw all votes into a fire with an additive, making smoke visible from the Sistine Chapel. If it is black, a new pope has not been selected, but if the smoke is white, a new Pope has been selected. The UT Tyler professor also detailed what this could mean for the political aspect of the Pope's reign.
'Pope Francis's death is the definite end of a political era for the church, but in terms of what it means for politics going forward, that's largely contingent upon who the next pope is that the Cardinals select,' Snider said.
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