There’s an historical process that takes place surrounding the death of Pope Francis. First, the pope’s chief of staff calls out his baptismal name three times, and if there is no response, a death certificate is prepared. The Chief of Staff then takes the Ring of the Fisherman from Francis and destroys it, along with the papal seal to ensure there are no forgeries. He then starts planning for the body to lie in state, makes the funeral arrangements, and preps for the election of a successor which is done 15 to 20 days after the Pope’s death.
The faithful can pay their respects to Francis within the nine-day mourning period at St. Peter’s Square.
The College of Cardinals will soon hold several meetings at the Vatican to start the process of selecting a new pope.
They will prep for the upcoming papal election, called a conclave, 15-to-20 days after the Pope’s death, depending on how long it takes for the cardinals to arrive in Vatican City. Conclaves are held in the Sistine Chapel and have historically lasted an average of four days. The candidate needs a two-thirds majority to become Pope. Ballots used in the last round are burnt and used to create smoke signals. Black smoke means a failed election while white means a successful one