Rituals surrounding the pope’s death begin with the Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, or Camerlengo. The Camerlengo is a member of the papal household with administrative responsibilities. Following the pope’s death the Camerlengo directs governmental operations, and under the authority of the College of Cardinals, he helps prepare the papal funeral and conclave. The Camerlengo is called to confirm the pope’s death. In the past, confirmation came when the Camerlengo called the pope’s baptismal name several times with no response. Despite evocative reports that the Camerlengo taps the pope’s head with a small hammer, no historical evidence supports the claim. Today, technology may be part of the confirmation process; an electrocardiogram confirmed John Paul II’s death. The Camerlengo also destroys the papal ring and seal before witnesses. Once done to avoid forgeries, today this symbolizes the conclusion of the pope’s reign.
Prior to the funeral, the pope is clothed in episcopal vestments to lay in state in St. Peter’s Basilica. Revisions to papal funeral rites eliminate the Canaletto, the “death bed” or bier, in favor of an open wooden coffin lined with zinc. Similarly to the visitations we may have experienced closer to home, people come to pray and be present with the pope’s body as well as with one another. This reminds us of the incarnation’s centrality in our faith and underscores the holiness of our embodiment; we acknowledge the pope’s death even as he is still physically present to us.
The funeral mass is four to six days following the pope’s passing. Many popes, though not all, are entombed in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica. Pope Francis will be interred in the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major, a place that nurtured his Marian devotion and where he frequently prayed. Francis’s interment ends the older practice of using a succession of three coffins made of cypress, lead, and oak. These three materials may have been given symbolic significance (some sources indicate cypress represented humility while oak represented strength).
Practically speaking, sealing a cypress coffin in lead helps preserve the body and secure any items buried with the pope. In the past, these have included a rogito (a summary of the pope’s life and accomplishments), his papal ring, and sacks of coins. For instance, Benedict XVI had sacks of gold, silver, and copper coins from the papal mint; the number of coins represented the length of his papacy. The change to a singular wooden coffin reflects Francis’s desire for simplified papal funeral rites underscoring the pope’s identity as Christ’s disciple and as pastor. These symbols remind us that we remain one with the pope through baptism and the Eucharistic feast; death cannot separate those bound together through Christ and the Holy Spirit as we place our hope in the resurrection.
During the Novendialis, nine-days of prayer, cardinals in Rome celebrate memorial masses while around the world people join in masses and prayers as well. These nine days are part of the transition from funeral rites to the papal conclave beginning 15 to 20 days after the pope’s death. In a way, the conclave marks the last step of the church’s public pilgrimage through grief since it opens the door to celebratory rituals for the next bishop of Rome and pope.
Image: Unsplash/Annie Spratt
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