“Dear brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the passing of our Holy Father Francis,” were the words that made Cardinal Kevin Farrell, camarlengo of the Catholic Church, known worldwide, who on Monday morning announced the death of the pontiff.
Delivering said statement is one of the roles assumed by the camerlengo as administrator of the Vatican once a pope dies and the so-called “sede vacante” occurs.
Who is the camerlengo and what does he do?
Kevin Joseph Farrell, 77 years old, is Irish, a cardinal, and the current Camerlengo of the Catholic Church, who assumed the role of acting administrator of the Vatican City state.
The camerlengo, or chamberlain, is supported by three cardinal assistants, one of whom is the cardinal coordinator of the Council for Economic Affairs and the other two are identified according to the modalities provided for by the legislation on the vacant Apostolic See.
One of the duties of the camarlengo is to guard and administer the temporal goods and rights of the Apostolic See during the vacancy period.
When the Apostolic See is vacant, it is the right and duty of the Cardinal Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church:
- Request all administrations dependent on the Holy See the information regarding their financial and economic status, as well as information on any ongoing extraordinary matters.
- Request the Council for Economic Affairs the consolidated budgets and balances of the Holy See from the previous year, as well as the budget for the following year.
- Request from the Secretariat of Economic Affairs, when necessary, any information about the economic status of the Holy See.
Who is Kevin Farrell?
Farrell was born in Dublin, but he was ordained as a priest with the Legionaries of Christ in Rome in 1978. He later moved to Mexico and settled in the United States in 1984, which is why he also holds American nationality.
The current chamberlain stands out for having an unusual background in the ecclesiastical world, as he holds an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. He is the highest-ranking American bishop within the central administration of the Vatican and is recognized for his ability to make firm decisions and for his organizational effectiveness. He is fluent in English and Spanish, the most spoken languages in the Church, as well as Italian and Irish Gaelic.
Farrell’s style caught the attention of Pope Francis, who in 2019 appointed him to serve as camerlengo.