What Happens When The Pope Dies?
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VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
When the Pope passes away, a complex and ancient process begins. Join us as we explore the intricate steps of papal succession, from the moment of death to the election of a new pontiff. Discover the fascinating traditions and rituals that have guided the Catholic Church for centuries. We'll dive into the sealed chambers, secret ballots, and historic ceremonies that determine the next leader of the Catholic Church, including the dramatic moment when white smoke signals a new pope has been chosen.
What Happens When the Pope Dies?
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re breaking down the rapid-fire series of events that take place when the visible head of the Catholic Church shuffles off this mortal coil.
Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio[a], is the current pope, elected in 2013 following the virtually unprecedented resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. Aged 76 at the time of his ascension to the Holy See, Francis has publicly struggled with health issues for a number of years. Francis has been open about his physical condition, acknowledging recurring knee problems and respiratory difficulties. These afflictions appeared to come to a head in February 2025, some months after the pope’s 88th birthday, when a seemingly routine hospital visit for bronchitis — which Francis has reportedly been prone to — turned into a battle of life and death. Over the next few weeks, the world, both Catholic and secular, watched with bated breath, praying for the pope’s swift recovery. Francis, who has requested total transparency in terms of his health, was reported by Vatican News to be in “critical” condition, in addition to suffering from the early stages of kidney failure. While his condition has fluctuated, the pope’s advanced age and precarious physical state have led many around the globe to wonder: what exactly happens when the pope dies?
It’s important to note that the papacy is intended to be held for life, and resigning from one’s position is highly unusual. The aforementioned Benedict was the first pope to resign since Gregory XII[b] in 1415. So, yeah… it’s just generally not something that’s done (very often, anyway). With that being said, the most common way to vacate the papacy is by dying. Once the pope has taken his final breath, a sede vacante is declared (that’s Latin for “while the see is vacant”), as declared by Pope John Paul II in 1996. Per his ruling, the government of the church is overseen by the College of Cardinals in the interim, and almost all decision-making is paused until a new pope has been elected. However, in the meantime, there’s still a lot to do to even get to electing a new pope. The New York Times notes that, in the immediate aftermath of a pope’s death, the passing is “confirmed by the head of the Vatican’s health department and the cardinal chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, who becomes the Vatican’s de facto administrator.”
Following a brief private ceremony involving the cardinal chamberlain, pope’s family and other church officials, the pope’s apartments are sealed, and his document-sealing fisherman’s ring is destroyed; the Times explains that this is to “prevent forgeries.” At this point, the cardinal chamberlain makes the heavy announcement that the pope has died to officials and to the public.. The cardinals then determine when a private (or public, depending on the pope’s wishes) viewing will occur at St. Peter’s basilica. A nine-day period of mourning is called (referred to as the novemdiales[c]), and several masses are held so that the grieving public may come and pay their respects. As per the laws of the church, the pope’s funeral and burial absolutely must occur in four to six days after his death. In the lead-up to the funeral, the New York Times explains that “[t]he pope’s face is covered by a white silk veil and he is buried with a bag containing coins minted during his papacy and a canister with a “rogito,” or deed, briefly listing details of his life and papacy.”
Here’s where the real excitement begins: with His Holiness laid to rest, it’s time to select his successor. As you can imagine based on what we’ve told you today, it’s a rigid, structured, and highly regulated procedure that occurs behind closed doors. What ensues is the papal conclave, derived from the Latin cum clave[d], or “with a key.” This means that, during the funeral and burial preparations, the College of Cardinals is also determining when the conclave should take place. Typically, this is fifteen days following the pope’s death, although it can be stretched to twenty days if need be. Two sermons are presented to the cardinals, which occur immediately before and after they are sequestered in the Sistine Chapel so that the voting may begin. The cardinals celebrate Mass, pray, sing hymns, and the senior cardinal reads the following oath: “And I, (insert Cardinal’s name here) so promise, pledge and swear. So help me God and these Holy Gospels which I now touch with my hand.” The pledge is repeated by the other cardinal electors.
When we say that the cardinals are sequestered, we’re not kidding around: conclavists are strictly forbidden from communicating with the outside world in any form until a new pope has been chosen. All media is barred, and even Vatican City wi-fi is jammed. The voting process is broken down into the “pre-scrutiny,” “scrutiny,” and “post-scrutiny” stages, in which several ballots are held, and candidates are eliminated until one has secured a two-thirds majority share of the cardinals’ votes. If a ballot is unsuccessful in electing a new pope, then black smoke is expelled from a temporarily constructed Sistine Chapel chimney. If the election is successful, then white smoke is expelled, and in the final moments, the cardinal dean asks the pope-elect if he accepts the position; while the candidate is well within his rights to decline, it is common courtesy to declare this prior to receiving a majority vote. If, indeed, the pope-elect intends to serve in his position, he is dressed in a white cassock and presented to the public from a St. Peter’s Basilica balcony. The words ring out in Vatican City and into the history books: “Habemus papam[e],” which translates to the English “We have a pope.”
16
[b]12
[c]noh-vem-DYAL-less https://translate.google.ca/?sl=it&tl=hi&text=novemdiales&op=translate
ROH-JEE-toh / ROJY-toh https://forvo.com/search/rogito/
[d]coom https://forvo.com/search/cum/la/
CLAH-vay https://forvo.com/search/clave/it/
[e]hah-BAY-moose PAH-pum https://forvo.com/word/habemus_papam/#la
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re breaking down the rapid-fire series of events that take place when the visible head of the Catholic Church shuffles off this mortal coil.
Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio[a], is the current pope, elected in 2013 following the virtually unprecedented resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. Aged 76 at the time of his ascension to the Holy See, Francis has publicly struggled with health issues for a number of years. Francis has been open about his physical condition, acknowledging recurring knee problems and respiratory difficulties. These afflictions appeared to come to a head in February 2025, some months after the pope’s 88th birthday, when a seemingly routine hospital visit for bronchitis — which Francis has reportedly been prone to — turned into a battle of life and death. Over the next few weeks, the world, both Catholic and secular, watched with bated breath, praying for the pope’s swift recovery. Francis, who has requested total transparency in terms of his health, was reported by Vatican News to be in “critical” condition, in addition to suffering from the early stages of kidney failure. While his condition has fluctuated, the pope’s advanced age and precarious physical state have led many around the globe to wonder: what exactly happens when the pope dies?
It’s important to note that the papacy is intended to be held for life, and resigning from one’s position is highly unusual. The aforementioned Benedict was the first pope to resign since Gregory XII[b] in 1415. So, yeah… it’s just generally not something that’s done (very often, anyway). With that being said, the most common way to vacate the papacy is by dying. Once the pope has taken his final breath, a sede vacante is declared (that’s Latin for “while the see is vacant”), as declared by Pope John Paul II in 1996. Per his ruling, the government of the church is overseen by the College of Cardinals in the interim, and almost all decision-making is paused until a new pope has been elected. However, in the meantime, there’s still a lot to do to even get to electing a new pope. The New York Times notes that, in the immediate aftermath of a pope’s death, the passing is “confirmed by the head of the Vatican’s health department and the cardinal chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, who becomes the Vatican’s de facto administrator.”
Following a brief private ceremony involving the cardinal chamberlain, pope’s family and other church officials, the pope’s apartments are sealed, and his document-sealing fisherman’s ring is destroyed; the Times explains that this is to “prevent forgeries.” At this point, the cardinal chamberlain makes the heavy announcement that the pope has died to officials and to the public.. The cardinals then determine when a private (or public, depending on the pope’s wishes) viewing will occur at St. Peter’s basilica. A nine-day period of mourning is called (referred to as the novemdiales[c]), and several masses are held so that the grieving public may come and pay their respects. As per the laws of the church, the pope’s funeral and burial absolutely must occur in four to six days after his death. In the lead-up to the funeral, the New York Times explains that “[t]he pope’s face is covered by a white silk veil and he is buried with a bag containing coins minted during his papacy and a canister with a “rogito,” or deed, briefly listing details of his life and papacy.”
Here’s where the real excitement begins: with His Holiness laid to rest, it’s time to select his successor. As you can imagine based on what we’ve told you today, it’s a rigid, structured, and highly regulated procedure that occurs behind closed doors. What ensues is the papal conclave, derived from the Latin cum clave[d], or “with a key.” This means that, during the funeral and burial preparations, the College of Cardinals is also determining when the conclave should take place. Typically, this is fifteen days following the pope’s death, although it can be stretched to twenty days if need be. Two sermons are presented to the cardinals, which occur immediately before and after they are sequestered in the Sistine Chapel so that the voting may begin. The cardinals celebrate Mass, pray, sing hymns, and the senior cardinal reads the following oath: “And I, (insert Cardinal’s name here) so promise, pledge and swear. So help me God and these Holy Gospels which I now touch with my hand.” The pledge is repeated by the other cardinal electors.
When we say that the cardinals are sequestered, we’re not kidding around: conclavists are strictly forbidden from communicating with the outside world in any form until a new pope has been chosen. All media is barred, and even Vatican City wi-fi is jammed. The voting process is broken down into the “pre-scrutiny,” “scrutiny,” and “post-scrutiny” stages, in which several ballots are held, and candidates are eliminated until one has secured a two-thirds majority share of the cardinals’ votes. If a ballot is unsuccessful in electing a new pope, then black smoke is expelled from a temporarily constructed Sistine Chapel chimney. If the election is successful, then white smoke is expelled, and in the final moments, the cardinal dean asks the pope-elect if he accepts the position; while the candidate is well within his rights to decline, it is common courtesy to declare this prior to receiving a majority vote. If, indeed, the pope-elect intends to serve in his position, he is dressed in a white cassock and presented to the public from a St. Peter’s Basilica balcony. The words ring out in Vatican City and into the history books: “Habemus papam[e],” which translates to the English “We have a pope.”
What do you think of the papal election process? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
[a]https://youtu.be/v3EvvI5GgRc?si=ERkMtBgmMeY9J5K0&t=116
[b]12
[c]noh-vem-DYAL-less https://translate.google.ca/?sl=it&tl=hi&text=novemdiales&op=translate
ROH-JEE-toh / ROJY-toh https://forvo.com/search/rogito/
[d]coom https://forvo.com/search/cum/la/
CLAH-vay https://forvo.com/search/clave/it/
[e]hah-BAY-moose PAH-pum https://forvo.com/word/habemus_papam/#la
