Pope Francis has died and his funeral has taken place. May his soul rest in peace. Requiescat in pace.
We now have no Pope until the gathering of the Cardinals meets to elect a new pope. This gathering is called a “conclave” which means that the cardinals are all locked into a secure building which has rooms for them, dining etc. No one may enter or leave. The place is in the Vatican and is heavily guarded with electronic blocking. “Conclave” comes from 2 Latin words “cum”=con and “clavis”=clave with together mean “locked in with a key”.
The conclave will probably begin on May 5. It can take an undetermined time (2 to 4 days) to elect a new pope who will be the 267th pope and successor to St Peter. We know that the cardinals are guided by the Holy Spirit in electing the new pope.
This period while we wait for a new pope to be elected is called “sede vacante” = “ with the chair being empty”. This means that the chair of St Peter (the place of authority held by the pope as the successor of St Peter) is vacant. The symbol for this period of “sede vacante” is the keys of authority given by Our Lord Jesus Christ to St Peter with an umbrella over them. I am sending you a photo of this. When the new pope is elected, this will be replaced by symbolic sign of the new pope.
Now is the time for us to pray that God will give us and our Catholic Church a new pope who will lead us into holiness and maintain us in the Faith as we witness in the world to the love and mercy and compassion of God and proclaim in every way that Jesus Our Lord is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Columban Fr Robert McCulloch worked in Pakistan for 34 years, and currently lives in Rome.
