Cardinal Farrell steps in as Vatican navigates new chapter
On Monday, 21st April, Pope Francis passed away. The news of the Holy Father's death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell. He has taken on the role of camerlengo, the person who leads the Vatican after the death or resignation of a pope. Who is Cardinal Farrell, and could he be the successor to Francis?
Pope Francis died on 21st April at the age of 88. "Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father." With these words, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who temporarily assumed leadership over the Vatican, addressed the faithful. A person performing such a role in the event of a pope's death or resignation is called the camerlengo.
Temporary leader of the Vatican. Who is Cardinal Farrell?
The BBC presents the profile of Cardinal Farrell. As we read, the Irish-American clergyman was born in 1947 in Dublin. He studied at the University of Salamanca in Spain and at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He held pastoral duties worldwide, serving as a chaplain at the University of Monterrey in Mexico and working in a parish in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Altogether, the now 77-year-old cardinal has spent more than 30 years working in the Church in the United States.
In 2007, he was appointed the Bishop of Dallas, and in 2016, Pope Francis appointed him as the head of the newly established Vatican department responsible for pastoral ministry for families, giving him the title of cardinal.
In 2019, the pope appointed him as the camerlengo. The cardinal will hold this position throughout the sede vacante period—the time from the pope's death or resignation until the election of a new Holy Father. Farrell will be responsible for organizing the conclave, the process of electing a new pope. The clergyman will also preside over the formal confirmation of Francis's death and the placement of his body in the coffin. He will then lead the procession transferring the pope's body from the chapel of Domus Santa Marta to St. Peter's Basilica.
In 2023, Pope Francis also entrusted Cardinal Farrell with other roles—he became the president of the Supreme Tribunal of the Vatican City State and the chairman of the Commission for Confidential Matters.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell as the next pope? Here are the favourites
The BBC reminds us that history knows cases when a camerlengo became pope. This happened in 1878 (Gioacchino Pecci, or Pope Leo XIII) and in 1939 (Eugenio Pacelli, or Pope Pius XII). Therefore, Cardinal Farrell may run for the papal seat of the Bishop of Rome.
However, his name is rather absent from the list of favourites. The most frequently mentioned names include Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Robert Sarah, or Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. This group also includes Matteo Zuppi, Jean-Marc Aveline, and Pierbattista Pizzaballa.
