Kevin Joseph Farrell. The cardinal who prepares the conclave and is in charge of the church until the election of the new Pope

His coat of arms, like the seal he uses to close access to the papal rooms, is adorned with the two keys of St. Peter and the Latin motto « Vacant Headquarters », which means the time he meddles between the death or renunciation of one Pope and the election of another. Kevin Joseph Farrell had, on April 21, the most solemn moment that his post of Camerlengo demands: to announce to the world the death of the pontiff. This process is today much less theatrical than it was in the past, when Camerlengo called the Pope’s name three times as he touched his forehead with a silver hammer. The American Cardinal, not only presided over to the funeral but, until the election of Francisco’s successor, assumes the position of interim chief of the Vatican acting state. During this period, it is up to the management of current matters, the Vatican temporal heritage, but not authorized and make decisions that affect the Catholic Church.

In the functions of Camerlengo (or Chamber), it is not only responsible for chairning the ritual of certification of Francisco’s death, but is in charge of removing the so-called “fisherman ring” from Francisco’s finger, which officially symbolizes the end of his papacy, destroying him with a great scissors, and thus ensuring that no one can approve documents with his papal seal, as is the central figure in the funeral preparations. Thus, the Pope’s body was placed in the Chapel coffin in the Santa Marta house, where he resided, having led the procession that took the body from the chapel to the Basilica of St. Peter.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell recalled the day Pope Francis asked him to be Camerlengo. They were returning to Rome from the 2019 World Youth Day in Panama, and Francis asked him the question in the business class. Farrell had been in Rome for just a few years, having been summoned from his previous post, that of Bishop of Dallas, to reorganize the newly graduated Dicker for the laity, family and life, a fundamental part of Francis’ reforms. Three years after he started working, Francis asked him to assume this role that is impregnated with myths and mysteries, but also has responsibilities in the real world: managing the Vatican during the often traumatic “interregnum” between chipping and helping to organize the conclave to elect the next pontiff.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, 77 -year -old Kevin Farrell has spent most of his career in the United States, eventually acquiring American citizenship. Formed by the legionaries of Christ, a congregation later disturbed by scandals of sexual abuse, and with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) of the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, Farrell became bishop of Dallas in 2007 before being called to the Vatican by Pope Francis. « I told him that he accepted the position, but with a condition, » said Farrell in an interview in 2022, smiling when he recalled the conversation they had. The condition was that the Pope would have to preach in Farrell himself, reflecting Farrell’s hope of dying before Francis and never forced to act as Camerlengo.

Being 11 years younger than the Pope, Farrell did not want to consider the possibility of living more than Francis, who attributed the merit of putting the Catholic Church on a crucial path of renewal, redirecting it away from the defensive of cultural war and back to its evangelical essence of inclusion. « We were always defending ourselves: self-preservation was the theme of the Church, » said Farrell. « And Pope Francis took us beyond self-preservation, » back to a message of welcome and accompaniment.

But the fateful day has come. « At 7:35 am, the bishop of Rome, Francisco, returned to his father’s house, » said Farrell on the 21st, in a video broadcast by the Vatican. It will remain in office during the “Apostolic Sedes Vacans”, and the last point foreseen for Camerlengo’s tasks in the Vatican protocol is the reopening of the Pope’s room and office, which can only occur when there is white smoke, signaling the choice of the new Catholic Church leader.

Farrell maintains, as said, the administrative functions, responding as Vatican’s head of state for earthly decisions, while religious aspects are suspended until the election of the new Pontiff. One of the rare curiosities in a quite erased profile is that his brother also holds a high position in the Vatican: 81 -year -old Bishop Brian Farrell is the Secretary Emeritus of the Dicker for the promotion of unity of Christians.