SEDE VACANTE! The Seat is Empty
At the death of a Pope, there are numerous things that begin to occur. For many of us who are Catholic, to say nothing of those who are not, we are often unaware of what actually takes place. Here is a good brief rundown of what occurs during the Sede Vacante – ‘The Seat is Empty’ – interim between Pontificates.
Stage 1 – Confirmation of Death: traditionally, there is a ceremonial calling of the pope’s baptismal name three times to confirm he has passed.
Stage 2 – Official Notification and Announcement of the Pope’s Death: The beginning of the full period of mourning as funeral preparations ensue.
Stage 3 – The Funeral and Burial: which usually happens within a week of his death, during which time the body will lie in state in Rome for the public to pay their last respects.
April 26, 2025, is the date set for Pope Francis’ Funeral Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica – Rome. After the funeral the pope is normally buried beneath Saint Peter’s in Rome, although Pope Francis revealed in 2023 that he had asked to be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
Stage 4: is the ‘Sede Vacante’ (the seat is vacant) period. In this time all major decisions are put on hold, barring those related to the election process for the new pope. The College of Cardinals takes responsibility for caretaking the Church through this time.
Stage 5: is the Conclave. Within 2 to 3 weeks of the pope’s dying, the cardinals gather in a conclave in the Sistine Chapel to prayerful discern and elect a new pope under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This process is carried out under a pledge of secrecy on the part of the cardinals.
Stage 6a: is the Election of the New Pope, which can only happen when a two thirds majority is reached. Black Smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel means the majority has not been reached, White Smoke means a new pope has been chosen. Dean of the College will ask the newly elected if he accepts his election and then he will ask by what name he wishes to be known. Then he will go into the ‘chamber of tears’, the room off of the Sistine Chapel, where he will put on the Papal White Cassock and other vestments before he appears on the Loggia Balcony.
Stage 6b: Once White Smoke, is seen, the Dean of the College of Cardinals will come out to announce publicly from the Loggia balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, “Habemus Papam” (We have a Pope), along with the Cardinal’s Name and with his newly chosen Papal Name.
Below is a timeline of events during the full Period of Mourning for Pope Francis:
FUNERAL MASS FOR POPE FRANCIS
PROCEDURES FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE FRANCIS
During these days of mourning for Pope Francis, prayers for the Holy Father are encouraged as we reflect on his death and give thanks for his papacy.
Priests are invited to offer a special Mass for Pope Francis scheduled so that as many of the faithful as possible may attend. Care should be taken that such Masses be celebrated according to the norms of the liturgical calendar.
The Third Edition of the Roman Missal:
By decree of the Cardinal Archbishop of Toronto, dated 21 April 2025, and in accord with the norms of Canon Law, the following Masses are permitted, as noted:
Within the Octave of Easter, in addition to the Mass of Solemnity of the Day:
- “Mass for the Dead: For a Pope” (Red vestments): found on page 1395 of the CCCB edition of the Roman Missal.
Within the weekdays of the Easter Season:
- “Mass for the Dead: For a Pope” (Red vestments): on the occasion of the news of the death of Pope Francis, found on page 1395 of the CCCB edition of the Roman Missal;
- “Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions: 2. For the Pope” (White vestments): in thanksgiving for the ministry of Pope Francis, found on page 1234 of the CCCB edition of the Roman Missal;
- “Mass for the Election of a Pope” or “Mass for the Holy Spirit” (White vestments): for the Cardinals as they gather in Conclave to elect a new Pope, found on pages 1238 and 1330 respectively of the CCCB edition of the Roman Missal;
- “Mass for the Pope” (White vestments): for the newly elected Pope, found on page 1234 of the CCCB edition of the Roman Missal.
The Homily:
Care should be taken that the homilies during Masses offered for Pope Francis reflect upon the Petrine ministry and its role within the Church. Of significance should be mentioned the perennial themes of Pope Francis’ ministry which focused on enriching our relationship with the Lord Jesus through the sacraments, and also through a life centered on mercy, care for the poor and the marginalized, synodality and listening, encounter and dialogue, the joy of the Gospel and evangelization, humility and simplicity, and care for creation.
Any personal reflections on the Holy Father are best offered subsequent to the Prayers After Communion.
Universal Prayer or Prayer of the Faithful:
At all Masses celebrated between now and the election of the new Pope, petitions can be offered in the Universal Prayer. The following are provided as suggestions:
For Pope Francis:
- For Pope Francis, who faithfully served the Church as the Successor of Peter: that the Lord may welcome him into the joy and peace of His eternal kingdom, we pray to the Lord.
- In gratitude for the life and ministry of Pope Francis: that the seeds of mercy, justice and compassion he sowed may continue to bear fruit in the Church and the world, we pray to the Lord.
- In this time of mourning the death of Pope Francis; that the People of God throughout the world be consoled by faith and strengthened in hope as they await a new shepherd for the Church, we pray to the Lord.
During Sede vacante; For the Conclave:
- For the College of Cardinals, that they may be guided by the Holy Spirit as they elect the next Successor to St. Peter, we pray to the Lord.
- For the Cardinals gathered in Rome for the papal conclave: that the Holy Spirit will guide them in their prayerful deliberations, we pray to the Lord.
- For the Cardinals of the world, that the Holy Spirit will inspire their hearts and minds as they choose our next Pope, we pray to the Lord.
For the newly-elected Pope:
- For our Holy Father, N., that God may strengthen and bless him as he begins his ministry as our Chief Pastor and Shepherd, we pray to the Lord.
- For N., our newly elected Holy Father, that God may guide him in his ministry of unity and service, we pray to the Lord.
- For our new Pope, N.; that the Holy Spirit will guide him in his life of service to the Church and the world, we pray to the Lord.
The Eucharistic Prayer:
During the time of sede vacante, the formula for the Eucharistic Prayer is adjusted as follows:
Eucharistic Prayer I (The Roman Canon)
Be pleased to grant her peace,
to guard, unite and govern her throughout the whole world, together with N. our Bishop, and all those who, holding to the truth, hand on the catholic and apostolic faith.
Eucharistic Prayer II
Remember, Lord, your Church, spread throughout the world, and bring her to the fullness of charity, together with N. our Bishop and all the clergy.
Eucharistic Prayer III
May this Sacrifice of our reconciliation, we pray, O Lord, advance the peace and salvation of all the world. Be pleased to confirm in faith and charity your pilgrim Church on earth, with N. our Bishop, the Order of Bishops, all the clergy, and the entire people you have gained for your own.
Eucharistic Prayer for Various Needs I
Lord, renew your Church (which is in N.) by the light of the Gospel. Strengthen the bond of unity between the faithful and the pastors of your people, together with N. our Bishop, and the whole Order of Bishops, that in a world torn by strife your people may shine for thas a prophetic sign of unity and concord.
The Liturgy of the Hours and Devotions:
Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer celebrated on days when there is no obligatory memorial, feast or solemnity, may use the closing prayer from the Mass for the Election of a Pope or Bishop.
The faithful should be exhorted to offer their private prayers, works and almsgiving for the successful election of a new Pope. The simple custom of frequently praying the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for this intention is encouraged. The election of the new Pope should be prayed for in the recitation of the Rosary.
Other Considerations:
A portrait of Pope Francis may be placed adjacent to the Paschal Candle, should a parish wish to do so. Parishes that have flagpoles, may fly their flag(s) at half-mast until the end of Pope Francis’ funeral Mass in Rome.
Rules Governing The Election Of A Pope – Conclave
Pope Benedict XVI made key changes to the papal election process, primarily focusing on the two-thirds majority requirement. He reversed a reform by Pope John Paul II that allowed for a simple majority to elect a new Pope after a certain number of rounds of voting. Benedict restored the traditional rule that a two-thirds majority of attending cardinals is required to elect a new Pope. Additionally, he allowed for the conclave to begin early if the cardinal electors had gathered in Rome.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the changes:
Two-thirds majority requirement:
Benedict XVI reinstated the traditional rule that a new Pope must be elected by a two-thirds majority of the cardinals present at the conclave. This rule had been modified by John Paul II, who had allowed for a simple majority after a certain number of rounds of voting.
Early Conclave start:
Before his resignation, Benedict XVI amended the rules to allow the conclave to begin earlier than previously mandated, if all cardinal electors had gathered in Rome.
Excommunication for breaking secrecy:
Benedict XVI also made the penalty for breaking the oath of secrecy during the conclave automatic excommunication for anyone who wasn’t a cardinal.
Though the rules for appointing a new pope have changed over the centuries, John Paul II updated them significantly on Feb. 22, 1996 with the release of “Universi Dominici Gregis” (UDG), which allowed a pope to be elected by a simple majority if no one had been elected after 12 days of voting. Benedict XVI reversed that rule in 2007 and returned to the traditional two-thirds vote. Then, six days before he retired, he amended the rules again, permitting a conclave to start early if the cardinal electors had gathered in Rome.
Conclave: Latin cum (with) and clavis (key): a room locked with a key.
UPON POPE’S DEATH OR RESIGNATION
Step 1: The camerlengo, or chamberlain (Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone) assumes control. He seals the private papal apartments.
Step 2: All senior members of the curia (government) resign.
Step 3: During the vacancy, “cardinals are to wear the usual black cassock with piping and the red sash, with skullcap, pectoral cross and ring,” according to John Paul II’s UDG.
Step 4: The day after Benedict resigned, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, 85, dean of the College of Cardinals, formally informed the cardinals that the papacy is vacant and called them to Rome.
Step 5: As the electors gather in Vatican City, all cardinals, regardless of age, hold meetings called “general congregations” to discuss the challenges facing the Church and the qualities needed in the new pope. They also use the time to meet the papabile, the leading candidates. Cardinals swear an oath to keep the discussions secret.
Step 6: They have the old pope’s fisherman’s ring destroyed, a tradition that harkens back to days when it was to prevent forgeries during the interregnum.
Step 7: The cardinals set the date for the conclave by a simple majority vote.
Step 8: Under Benedict’s change, it can begin once all the cardinal electors are present, not the previously required 15 to 20 full days after the death or resignation.
Step 9: To be allowed to vote, cardinals cannot have reached their 80th birthday before the day when the Apostolic See becomes vacant. (Cardinal Lubomyr Husar of Ukraine is excluded because his 80th was two days before Benedict left.) There are 115 cardinal electors.
Prior to Benedict’s election in 2005, cardinal electors stayed in the Apostolic Palace where the pope resides and slept on cots in makeshift rooms with sheets as room dividers (anything more permanent would damage the 16th century building). John Paul II had a modern five-storey guesthouse, Domus Sanctae Marthae, built nearby in 1996 so the cardinals could sleep and pray in comfort. The 131 rooms and suites are distributed by lot. Since its upper floors can be seen by Roman neighbours, window shutters are closed and locked. It has a dining room, and five chapels.
Only specially authorized and vetted personnel, including cooks, cleaners and doctors, are allowed into the building immediately before and during the conclave.
All those non-voters allowed into the conclave area—for example, the master of papal liturgical celebration—are sworn to “strict secrecy,” promise not to bring in recording equipment and must take an oath to that effect. The penalty is automatic excommunication.
CONCLAVE BEGINS
Step 1: The cardinals take part in a eucharist, ideally in the morning.
Step 2: In the afternoon, they assemble in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace. Wearing “choir dress” (their formal red-cloth and white-lace outfits) and chanting Veni Creator they walk to the Sistine Chapel, where the election takes place.
Step 3: Michelangelo’s masterpiece, according to the UDG, must “remain an absolutely enclosed area until the conclusion of the election, so that total secrecy may be ensured with regard to everything said or done there in any way pertaining, directly or indirectly, to the election of the supreme pontiff.” The area is swept for bugs, cameras and any other surveillance equipment.
Step 4: The cardinals say a communal oath and then an individual oath to uphold the rules. The punishment for making “any form of pact, agreement, promise or other commitment of any kind” is immediate excommunication. The conclave starts.
Step 5: During the election the cardinals refrain “from written correspondence and from all conversations, including those by telephone or radio, with persons who have not been duly admitted to the buildings set aside for their use,” according to UDG. The only exception is in cases of “proven and urgent necessity.” It is explicitly forbidden to “receive newspapers or periodicals of any sort, to listen to the radio or to watch television.”
Step 6: They are never to reveal anything about what happens during the conclave upon punishment of ex-communication.
Step 7: Cardinals can walk or be bused to the Sistine Chapel for voting. No one can approach the cardinal electors enroute.
VOTING PROCEDURE
There are three phases to voting, which usually occurs twice in the morning and afternoon:
Phase 1: The ballots are prepared and distributed. Each is rectangular and the upper half bears the words, Eligo in Summum Pontificem (I elect as supreme pontiff); room is left on the bottom to write the name of the person chosen so the ballot can be folded in half. During the voting, everyone but the 115 cardinal electors must leave the Sistine Chapel. Nine of the electors are chosen by lots to act as scrutineers, Infirmarii (those who collect votes of the sick) and revisers. There are rules to have others take those positions as the voting continues. Though traditionally the candidates are cardinals, the electors can choose anyone who is a male Catholic who has reached the age of reason, isn’t a heretic, schismatic (refuse communion with true Catholics) or “in simony” (buying or selling sacraments or Church positions).
Phase 2: Each elector holds up his folded ballot to all to see and goes to the altar, where he says, “I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.” He places it in a silver and gilded bronze urn. One of the infirmarii collects the ballots from the ill. If at the residence, then all three infirmarii collect an elector’s ballot in another urn. There are even rules if the cardinal is unable to write.
Phase 3: After everyone including the scrutineers have voted and all the ballots have been placed in the urn, the container is shaken and then opened. Each scrutineer records each vote. The third also reads the ballot choice out loud while he “pierces each one with a needle through the word Eligo and places it on a thread, so that the ballots can be more securely preserved. After the names have been read out, the ends of the thread are tied in a knot, and the ballots thus joined together are placed in a receptacle or on one side of the table. The revisers must double check the ballots. If no one obtains at least two-thirds of the vote on that ballot, a pope has not been elected. There are two votes in the morning and then, after a break, two more in the afternoon. Before the electors leave the chapel, the scrutineers burn the ballots in a stove installed for that purpose, along with any notes made by the cardinals. If there is no decision, chemicals are added to the fire in another stove to produce black smoke so the outside world knows that no pope has been elected. After balloting has been unsuccessful for three days, voting can be suspended for a maximum of one day for prayer and informal discussion. Then, after another seven ballots, there is another pause. Another seven votes and another pause. Another seven votes. If there still isn’t a winner, then a Vatican version of sudden-death rules take effect. The electors’ vote is restricted to the two leading contenders as of the last ballot. Those two can’t vote for themselves. But the two-thirds rule still applies.
ELECTION
When the two-thirds majority is reached, the cardinals invite in senior Vatican officials. Then the dean or senior cardinal asks the winner two questions on behalf of the entire college:
- Do you accept your canonical election as supreme pontiff?
- By what name do you wish to be called?
- If the person elected is already a bishop, then he’s immediately the bishop of the Church of Rome—The Pope.
- The final ballots are burned, using chemicals to create white smoke so the outside world knows there is a new pope.
- The conclave ends immediately. The camerlengo records the voting results, which will be given to the new pope and then sealed in an envelope and kept in the archive.
- The new pope, after being dressed in papal garb in the nearby Room of Tears, is escorted to the papal apartment. The doors are opened, and a senior cardinal announces to the world: “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam” (I announce to you a great joy: we have a Pope). Then the new head of the Catholic Church appears on the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
SOURCES: Vatican documents including “Universi Dominici Gregis” and “Normas Nonnullas”
For more information see: https://collegeofcardinalsreport.com/