The death of a Pope marks the beginning of a centuries-old tradition, now made simpler by Pope Francis, but still deeply symbolic.

🔹 The Process:
From the moment of death to the election of the new Pope, several important steps follow:

• Confirmation of death
• Public viewing
• Funeral
• Burial
• Nine days of mourning (Novendiali)
• The Conclave (where cardinals vote for the next Pope)

🔔 Step 1: Confirming the Pope’s Death
This is the job of the Camerlengo, the Vatican official who manages Church affairs while the seat is vacant. He gently taps the Pope’s forehead three times with a silver hammer, calling him by his baptismal name. Once there’s no response, he declares the Pope deceased, seals his private chambers, and begins the official mourning period.

💍 The Pope’s Fisherman’s Ring, a symbol of his authority, is immediately destroyed to prevent any misuse.

🪦 Step 2: Lying in State & Funeral Rites
Traditionally, the Pope’s body lies in state for three days so the faithful can pay their respects. Thanks to new instructions from Pope Francis, the display is now more simple: the body lies in a single wooden and zinc coffin, no longer on an elaborate platform.

The Pope is dressed in white and red liturgical garments, but without the papal staff (pastorale) beside him. The funeral Mass takes place at St. Peter’s, usually three days after death. Pope Francis has asked that his own funeral be modest—just like his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.

⚱️ Step 4: Burial
While most Popes are buried in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis has expressed a wish to be laid to rest in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, near Rome’s Termini station—a location deeply personal to him.

🗳️ Step 5: The Conclave
Roughly two weeks after the Pope’s passing, the cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel to elect the new pontiff. They vote in secret—up to four times a day. If no one is elected, black smoke rises from the chapel. When a new Pope is chosen, white smoke signals the joyful news.

Once elected, the new Pope is asked if he accepts. Upon saying yes, he chooses his papal name, dresses in white, and appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s for the famous Habemus Papam (“We have a Pope”) announcement.

🔹 Key Changes under Pope Francis
Francis wanted simpler, more spiritual ceremonies. He updated:

• The language used (more humble and human)
• The rituals (fewer formal steps)
• The prayers and music (more flexible and modern)
• The funeral masses (shorter and easier to organize)
• The Pope’s body now stays in one wooden-zinc casket, no longer moved through three different coffins.
• The body is displayed in the coffin, not on a raised platform.
• Titles like "Supreme Pontiff" are replaced by “Pope” or “Pastor.”
• Burial can now happen outside St. Peter’s Basilica. Francis prefers Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
• Fewer, updated prayers and more freedom in music choices.