The death of a pope is an event that paralyzes the Catholic world and sets in motion a strict protocol of ancient traditions in the Vatican. From the moment the death of the pontiff is officially declared, the period known as “sede vacante” begins, during which preparations for mourning and the election of his successor are initiated.
In these traditions and rituals, there are phrases and words, many of them in Latin, and also places, that have appeared in the news after the death of Francis and will continue until the election of the new pope.
Words and phrases used when a pope dies and during the conclave
- Sede vacante: Period of time when there is no pope (literally “vacant seat”).
- Camerlengo: cardinal who administers the Vatican during a papal vacancy. A chamberlain. The current one is the American Kevin Farrell.
- Ring of the Fisherman: It is the ring that distinguishes each pope and each pontiff wears a different one. The camerlengo cancels or marks it as soon as a pontiff dies as a symbol of the end of his papacy and it cannot be used again.
- Papal mourning: are nine days following the funeral of the pope. Only after the mourning can the conclave to elect the new pope begin.
- Conclave: Assembly of cardinals to choose the new pope. It comes from the Latin: con (with) + clavis (key).
- Electing Cardinals: Cardinals under 80 years old, who are eligible to vote and be elected as pope.
- College of Cardinals: is the council where all the cardinals of the Catholic Church are. Once a pope dies, the camerlengo informs the dean of the College of Cardinals and then he informs the rest of the cardinals and the ambassadors to the Holy See. The dean is also responsible for convening the conclave and asking the chosen one if he accepts being pope and what name he will use.
- Extra homnes: “Everyone out.” The phrase uttered by the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Ceremonies to remove any strangers from the Sistine Chapel and proceed with the conclave voting. After that phrase, the doors are closed and locked.
- Black smoke: the color of the smoke that appears from the roof of the Sistine Chapel when in the conclave vote the minimum two-thirds majority to elect a pope is not achieved.
- White smoke: the color of the smoke that signals when the conclave has chosen a new pope.
- Habemus Papam: the phrase pronounced by the cardinal protodeacon on the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to announce that the Catholic Church has a new pope. After that, he informs of the name of the cardinal and the name he chose for his papacy.
- Urbi et Orbi: means “for the city (Rome) and the world.” It is the blessing that the pope gives on Easter Sunday, Christmas, and the day of his election.
Most mentioned places for a conclave
- St. Peter’s Basilica: the largest Christian church in the world. Most of the popes are buried in its crypts. Francis chose Santa Maria Maggiore, a papal basilica located in the center of Rome. From the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the name of the new pope is announced, and minutes later he appears to greet the faithful.
- Sistine Chapel: is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican City, the official residence of the popes, although not in the case of Francis, who lived in the more modest Domus Sanctae Marthae.
- Domus Sanctae Marthae: the residence where the pope lived and the place where the cardinals stay and eat during the conclave. There they are without cell phones and isolated from any contact with the rest of the world, except for the cooks and cleaning teams. A bus takes them to the Sistine Chapel.