In a powerful, unexpected moment at the Vatican, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met inside St. Peter’s Basilica on April 26 — just ahead of Pope Francis’ funeral Mass. Metropolitan Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia was not aware of the moment as it happened — he was already in St. Peter’s Square. He only heard applause when President Zelenskyy stepped into the square.

Commenting on the historic moment April 26, Archbishop Gudziak said that, through the encounter, “Pope Francis is giving a gift” to the world — “maybe not the last one, but a gift at the time of farewell to the prospects of peace.”

The quiet summit marked the presidents’ first face-to-face meeting since a tense February Oval Office meeting, and also took place as Trump has put pressure on Zelenskyy to accept his terms for peace negotiations, which would allow Russia to control Ukrainian territory it seized by warfare.

“The circumstances should not be underestimated,” Archbishop Gudziak said. “They were circumstances which inspire. Which point to profound truths about human life and which call to responsibility. They are also majestic circumstances. First, in St. Peter’s Basilica, and then outside in the piazza.”

“What is noteworthy,” Archbishop Gudziak said, “is that they sat down and both the photographs and initial reports indicate that there was an encounter, there was a meeting — the first after the ruptured rendezvous at the White House in February.”

He commented that amid “fundamentally devious” rhetoric of President Vladimir Putin, President Zelenskyy “representing the entire Ukrainian people is in a painful predicament of trying to negotiate a just peace, in a field of both inflammatory and deceptive language.”

“It is good that the channels of communications on a personal level between Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy have reopened. I would not venture to predict what the consequences of this conversation may be, but it is clear that President Trump is beginning to understand that Vladimir Putin has no interest in peace. He has not stepped back from his initial and continuously repeated U.S. intentions of obliterating Ukraine. And history shows that every time that there is a Russian occupation, the Ukrainian Catholic Church is also obliterated. So Ukrainians have no illusions about the intentions of the Russian side,” Archbishop Gudziak told OSV News.

The Ukrainian prelate added that “it’s clear that having first promised to end the war in 24 hours, he sees that Putin does not want peace and is doing everything to undermine its possibility by continuing brutal attacks on a daily basis, killing civilians, children and destroying schools and hospitals.”

Just two days after Pope Francis’ death, Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Kyiv April 23, killing at least 12 people and wounding over 70 in the biggest attack on Ukraine’s capital this year. Russia’s aerial assault began at 1 a.m. April 24 and lasted 11 hours.

President Putin announced a temporary ceasefire for May 8-11.

In a video message recorded in mid-January but released only after he died, Pope Francis urged young people to learn to really listen to others.

“Dear young people, listening is something very important in life, learning to listen,” he said in the video posted to YouTube April 27, the day after his funeral.

“When someone speaks, wait until they finish so you can really understand,” the pope said. “Then, if you feel like it, you can say something, but it’s important to listen” first.

Pope Francis recorded the video for Luca Drusian, an Italian who runs a program called “Listening Laboratory,” to help people of all ages learn the art of listening and to experience being heard.

The pope told the young people that if they looked around, they would notice that “people don’t listen. Halfway through an explanation, they will reply, and that does not help peace.”

“Listen,” he urged them. “Listen a lot.”

And, since he was speaking to young people, he added, “Don’t forget your grandparents; grandparents teach us a lot.”

The pope ended by telling the youngsters, “I pray for you; pray for me,” and giving his blessing by making the sign of the cross.

In his message for World Communications Day in 2022, Pope Francis focused on “listening with the ear of the heart.”

“The lack of listening, which we experience so often in daily life, is unfortunately also evident in public life, where, instead of listening to each other, we often ‘talk past one another,'” he wrote.

Listening, he said, is “the first indispensable ingredient of dialogue and good communication. Communication does not take place if listening has not taken place.”

In what might be the latest instance of God’s poetic timing, Pope Francis, known for his pastoral leadership in caring for the poor, marginalized and the environment, died on Easter Monday, April 21, right in between Easter Sunday and Earth Day.

The shockwaves following the 88-year-old pontiff’s death have been felt around the world, and Arkansas has been no exception. Clergy and lay leaders from across the state shared their thoughts with Arkansas Catholic, along with instances of the pope’s impact on their own lives and ministry. Catholics from Arkansas on the ground in Rome were also able to provide a glimpse into the heart of the faith during the week following the pope’s death, sharing conversations and testimonies from other Catholics from around the world in the streets. 

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor recounted his two encounters with Pope Francis. The first was when he accompanied Father Ruben Quinteros to his native Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2010 following the diocesan priest’s ordination. The pope was the archbishop of Buenos Aires at the time.

He then met the pope during his ad limina visit with bishops from Texas and Oklahoma in January 2020 before the pandemic began.

“There was no desk,” he said during his homily April 27 at a memorial Mass for the pope at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock. “He had us sit in a big circle and introduce ourselves. He invited us to help ourselves to some pastries on the side table, and then he told us where the bathroom was. We didn’t expect that. Very down to earth. He asked us questions and invited us to ask him questions. There were no prepared statements. Instead, there was a conversation with a certain amount of give and take. His questions to us were largely about what we were doing to reach out to those on the periphery in our own dioceses, and in particular, the welcome we were giving to migrants and what kind of care we were giving to others who were suffering. His concern was always for the poor. The meeting lasted two hours. I left knowing that he was really interested in what we thought.”

Father Ruben Quinteros

Father Ruben Quinteros, pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary and St. Mary churches in North Little Rock, shared the following message in a Facebook tribute to the pope. 

“Happy Easter, Pope Francis!!! Jesus embraces you with the Easter joy! Thank you for teaching me how to live my priesthood in the most real and accessible way to my flock. Thank you for challenging me by listening to the voices of the members of the Church, whose voices are being silenced by the self-righteousness of many. Thank you for your love and unwavering dedication to serving the marginalized, the poor, the immigrants. Thank you for loving our wounded Church, thank you for loving our humanity in all its vulnerability. Rest in peace!”

Jeff Hines

Jeff Hines, director of the Office of Faith Formation, said the pope undertook important work to empower Catholics to evangelize the faith.

“Pope Francis taught us that we are all missionary disciples. He wrote about it in ‘The Joy of the Gospel,’ where he taught us how to be missionary disciples. He taught as Jesus taught, through his words and the example of his life. In 2023, Pope Francis dedicated his Wednesday audiences to the topic of evangelization. He said that the Gospel is always good news for everyone. In fact, the pope’s messages inspired our faith formation office to create our office’s podcast, Apostolic Zeal. It is one of Pope Francis’ last catechesis series and shows what he was all about.”

Cackie Upchurch

Cackie Upchurch, former director of Little Rock Scripture Study now living in Fort Smith, said Pope Francis was like a breath of fresh air in the history of the Church. 

“The election and introduction of Pope Francis in 2013 felt to me like a ‘new life’ moment, brimming with possibility and joy and urgency. At a time of growing disparity between the rich and poor, Francis’ words and deeds reminded us that God’s heart is full of compassion. In a world filled with violence and insecurity, Francis called for the courage to prioritize peace. In a world where migration is a fact of life and often spurred by desperation, Francis was unafraid to beg for bridges and not walls. I am convinced that he was the leader needed for this moment in our world and in our Church. I am grateful to God for the very human face of leadership in our Church.”

Rep. French Hill

Rep. French Hill was among the bipartisan congressional delegation chosen to attend the funeral April 26.

In an interview with Arkansas Catholic, the member of the Cathedral of St. Andrew said he had audiences with Pope Francis in 2021 and 2023.

“I was humbled to be a part of the congressional delegation to attend the funeral and pay our respects on behalf of the American people… It was just overwhelming to walk into St. Peter’s Square and see hundreds of thousands gathered under a perfect, beautiful, cloudless blue sky, 67 degrees with a nice breeze. The music and the Mass were beautiful and such a tribute to His Holiness. I have not witnessed a formal Mass at that scale, obviously, before and so I was just so impressed with the whole ceremony and liturgy.”

Arkansas parishioners

Parishioners from the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock, led by rector Father Joseph de Orbegozo, are on a pilgrimage in Rome for the Jubilee Year — coincidentally overlapping with the week of the Pope’s death and funeral. Father de Orbegozo has spent the week sharing anecdotes and pictures with Arkansas Catholic and talking to people from around the world in the streets outside the Vatican. 

Julie Favorite, a parishioner of the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock, reflected on the pope’s kindness. 

“When I look at Pope Francis, he speaks with kindness and love, and it is reflected in his eyes. You can see it without him speaking — welcoming to everyone.” 

Mark and Kristen Hall, parishioners from St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers, witnessed the pope’s body being transferred from his home to St. Peter’s Basilica. 

“It’s changed our plans some, we’ve had to adjust some of the sites that we visit, but it’s also allowed us opportunities. Like today (April 23), we were able to be at St. Peter’s Square when they transferred Pope Francis’ body from his home, Santa Marta, from the chapel there, and processed through part of the square really close to us. We were able to see his body as well as all of the cardinals and archbishops. Then they took him into St. Peter’s Basilica,” Kristen said. 

Mark added. “We feel like, in a way, you’re losing your leadership, your leader, but part of the Catholic faith is such an orderly line of events that take place. It was a surprise to us, but there’s such structure and order to how these things are done. It’s comforting, because yes, you’re losing your leader, but there is a process in place, so there’s not a worry about what’s going to come next.”

“You can sense the anticipation here,” Kristen said. “It’s like the world is waiting as they’re gathering to say goodbye to Pope Francis. There’s also this anticipation of what we know comes next with the conclave — everyone eagerly waiting to find out who the next leader will be. Before we started recording (this message), we were talking about how there are people here from all over the world and news crews from countries all over the world here, gathering together for this transition.” 

Father de Orbegozo said, “It’s truly incredible. We’ve heard from, we had mentioned among us, news crews from Brazil, CNN Brazil, from Italy, Ireland, Sharon Aureli, one of the parishioners at the Cathedral, was interviewed by the Associated Press for somewhere, maybe England. Reporters everywhere — we’ve seen reporters and journalists all over.”

Editor Malea Hargett contributed to this article. 

CORRECTION: The original publication of this article incorrectly spelled Sharon Aureli’s last name. This online version has been corrected.

Pope Francis was “a pope among the people, with an open heart toward everyone,” said Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, as he presided over the funeral of the pope, who died April 21 at the age of 88.

And the people — an estimated 200,000 of them — were present as 14 pallbearers carried Pope Francis’ casket into St. Peter’s Square and set it on a carpet in front of the altar for the funeral Mass April 26.

His burial was scheduled for later the same day in Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major after being driven in a motorcade through the center of the city where he served as bishop from the day of his election to the papacy March 13, 2013.

Security around the Vatican was tight, not only because of the number of mourners expected but especially because of the presence of kings, queens, presidents — including U.S. President Donald J. Trump — and prime ministers from more than 80 countries and official representatives from scores of other nations.

Also present were the residents of a Vatican palace Pope Francis had turned into a shelter for the homeless and the 12 Syrian refugees he brought to Rome with him from a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos in 2016.

The Gospel reading at the funeral was John 21:15-19, where the Risen Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” And when Peter says yes, Jesus tells him, “Feed my sheep.”

“Despite his frailty and suffering toward the end, Pope Francis chose to follow this path of self-giving until the last day of his earthly life,” Cardinal Re said in his homily. “He followed in the footsteps of his Lord, the Good Shepherd, who loved his sheep to the point of giving his life for them.”

The 91-year-old cardinal told the crowd that the image of Pope Francis that “will remain etched in our memory” was his appearance on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica the day before he died to give his Easter blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) and then to ride in the popemobile among the people who had come to celebrate Christ’s victory over death.

“The outpouring of affection that we have witnessed in recent days following his passing from this earth into eternity tells us how much the profound pontificate of Pope Francis touched minds and hearts,” Cardinal Re said. The Vatican estimated that 250,000 people — many of whom waited in line for three or four hours — filed past the late pope’s body in St. Peter’s Basilica April 23-25.

Within the Church, the cardinal said, “the guiding thread” of Pope Francis’ ministry was his “conviction that the Church is a home for all, a home with its doors always open.”

For Pope Francis, he said, the Church was a “field hospital,” one “capable of bending down to every person, regardless of their beliefs or condition, and healing their wounds.”

With President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Olga Lyubimova, Russian minister of culture, seated near the altar, Cardinal Re said that “faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason and honest negotiation to find possible solutions.”

‘”Build bridges, not walls’ was an exhortation he repeated many times, and his service of faith as successor of the Apostle Peter always was linked to the service of humanity in all its dimensions,” the cardinal said.

Cardinal Re also recalled Pope Francis’ constant concern for migrants and refugees from his first papal trip outside of Rome to pray for migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, his visit to Lesbos and his celebration of Mass in 2016 on the U.S.-Mexican border.

At the end of the Mass, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, papal vicar of Rome, offered special prayers for the city’s deceased bishop, Pope Francis. Then, Eastern Catholic patriarchs and major archbishops gathered around the casket and led funeral prayers from the Byzantine tradition in honor of the pastor of the universal Catholic Church.

Sister Norma Pimentel, a Missionary of Jesus and director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, had knelt in prayer before the body of Pope Francis April 25 and was present for the funeral.

“The funeral of Pope Francis is a very important part of who we are as people of faith,” she told Catholic News Service. “We walk together, we cry together, we work together … doing what we believe is important in our lives as people of faith, and we say farewell together at the end.”

The funeral, she said, is a time “to join him in this last farewell and say thank you: Thank you for being you, for being there with us, and we’ll see you.”

Sister Pimentel is known especially for her work with migrants and refugees, a ministry close to the heart of Pope Francis.

“He was all about making sure that we understood the importance” of welcoming newcomers, she said. His message was: “Please open your hearts. Please care for them. That’s all they’re asking.”

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, also prayed alongside the pope’s body April 25 as it lay in state in St. Peter’s Basilica. “It was an important moment of confirming the news that I had heard but did not want to believe” — that the pope had died.

Pope Francis “had played such an important role in my life as a mentor, as a teacher,” the cardinal said. “It was really a 20-year friendship.”

“We have many reasons to grieve, but we have every reason to hope,” said the cardinal, who concelebrated the funeral Mass and would be among the cardinals voting to elect a new pope.

Pope Francis made history with his election in 2013 as the first Latin American as well as the first Jesuit ever elected.

He was elected at the age of 76, which seemed counterintuitive after what Pope Benedict XVI had said when announcing his resignation just 30 days prior. The 85-year-old German pope had said that “both strength of mind and body are necessary” to carry out the papal ministry in the modern world.

Pope Benedict was elected in 2005, just after his 78th birthday. Of the 103 popes whose exact age at election is known, Pope Benedict and Pope Francis were two of 18 churchmen elected while between the ages of 71 and 80.

Ambrogio Piazzoni, then-vice prefect of the Vatican Library and author of a book on the history of papal elections, distributed a sheet of “some curiosities” about the elections to reporters in 2013, after Pope Benedict announced his resignation and before Pope Francis was elected.

On the topic of the age of the pope at election, he said:

• Three popes were under the age of 25. The last was Pope Gregory V, who was 24 when elected in 996.
• Seven were between 25 and 40 years old. The last was Pope Leo X, who was 37 in 1513.
• Eleven were between 41 and 50. The last was Pope Clement VII, who was elected in 1523 at the age of 44.
• 24 popes were in their 50s. The most recent was Blessed John Paul II, who was 58 years old when he began his papal ministry in 1978.
• 37 were between 61 and 70 years old. The last was Pope John Paul I, who was 65 when he began his 33-day papacy in 1978.
• Only three popes were over 80 when elected. The last, chosen by cardinals in 1406, was Pope Gregory XII. He was 81.

FAMOUS LASTS

Piazzoni also provided a list of “lasts”:

• The last pope who was not a cardinal yet when elected was Pope Urban VI in 1378.
• The last who was not even a priest yet was Pope Leo X.
• The last born in Rome was Pope Pius XII, elected in 1939. He was also the last serving Vatican secretary of state elected.
• The last African was Pope Gelasius, elected in 492.
• The last Frenchman elected was Pope Gregory XI in 1370.
• The last Greek was Pope Zachary in 741.
• The last Englishman was Pope Adrian IV in 1154.
• The last Italian was Pope John Paul I in 1978.
• The last Dutchman was Pope Adrian VI in 1522.
• The last Palestinian was Pope Theodore in 642.
• The last Pole was Pope John Paul II in 1978.
• The last Portuguese was Pope John XXI in 1276.
• The last Syrian was Pope Gregory III in 731.
• The last Spaniard was Pope Alexander VI in 1492.
• The last German was Pope Benedict XVI. When he was elected in 2005, it had been 950 years since a German — Pope Victor II — had been elected.

The 135 cardinals eligible to elect the next pope will enter the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave May 7, the Vatican announced.

The cardinals will first celebrate the “Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff” in St. Peter’s Basilica that morning before processing into the Sistine Chapel that evening.

The Vatican Museums announced that the Sistine Chapel would be closed to visitors beginning April 28 to allow preparations for the conclave to begin. The preparations include the installation of a stove to burn the cardinals’ ballots and a chimney on the roof to signal the election results to the world.

The date for the conclave was set during the fifth general congregation meeting of cardinals April 28, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, told reporters at a briefing later that day. The general congregation meeting was the first after a two-day pause to allow cardinals to participate in the funeral rites for Pope Francis.

More than 180 cardinals attended the April 28 meeting, including over 100 cardinal electors. During the session, about 20 cardinals offered reflections on the state of the Church, its mission in the world, the challenges it faces and the qualities needed in the next pope, Bruni said.

Topics addressed included evangelization, interfaith relations and the ongoing need to address clerical sexual abuse, he added.

The cardinals also discussed whether Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who relinquished the rights associated with being a cardinal after he was forced to resign in 2020, would be permitted to participate in the conclave. Bruni said no decision had yet been made, and Cardinal Becciu has been attending the general congregation meetings.

Bruni said the general congregation meeting April 29 would open with a reflection by Benedictine Father Donato Ogliari, abbot of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome and a member of the Dicastery for Bishops.

As cardinals entered the Vatican for the morning’s session, Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Stockholm was asked by reporters if he expected a long conclave. “I think it will be,” he said, “because up to now we don’t know each other.”

Meanwhile, Cardinal Walter Kasper, former president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, who is past the age limit to vote in the conclave, told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that he hopes the cardinal-electors “come to a consensus on the next pope very soon, in the footsteps of Francis.”

American cardinals at conclave

Here is a list of the U.S. cardinals who are under the age of 80 and eligible to enter the conclave May 7 to elect a new pope:

• Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, retired prefect of the Apostolic Signature
• Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago
• Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, retired archbishop of Galveston-Houston
• Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York
• Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life under Pope Francis
• Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, retired archbishop of Washington
• Cardinal James M. Harvey, archpriest of Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls
• Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, archbishop of Washington
• Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis
• Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, N.J.

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor issued this statement following the death of Pope Francis:

“The passing of Pope Francis calls us to pray for him and to reflect on our relationship with the Lord. As the spiritual leader for Catholics throughout the world, he led by word and example, always challenging himself along with us to be more Christ-like in the way we live our faith. He sought to be a messenger of hope and mercy for Catholics and others, calling all to a deeper relationship with the Lord through prayer and good works that reflected the compassion and love of Jesus.

“He was sincerely and deeply concerned about the poor and people living on the margins, and he was not afraid as their Shepherd to be their voice. As we join the world in mourning the Holy Father’s passing, let us pray for eternal rest for his soul. Eternal rest grant unto your servant, Pope Francis, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon him. Amen.”

With the death of Pope Francis April 21, the practical aspects of overseeing the day-to-day needs of the Church and organizing a papal election fall to U.S. Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell.

Standing in the chapel of Pope Francis’ residence, it was Cardinal Farrell who announced to the world that the pope had died.

The 77-year-old, Irish-born former bishop of Dallas, Texas, has been “camerlengo” or chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church since 2019, although the job was basically just a title while Pope Francis was alive.

Since 2016 he has served as prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life. But Pope Francis gave him other big jobs to handle simultaneously: he has been the sole administrator of the Vatican’s pension fund since November 2024; president of the Vatican Committee for Investments since 2022; and president of the Commission for Confidential Matters, mainly involving financial contracts, since 2020.

Now Cardinal Farrell’s responsibilities range from ensuring that nothing is touched or tampered with in Pope Francis’ rooms in the Domus Sanctae Marthae to selecting the technicians who will sweep the Sistine Chapel for electronic bugs, cameras and recording devices.

As chamberlain, Cardinal Farrell is the only person who may authorize the photographing of the pope’s dead body, but only for documentary purposes and only with the body dressed in pontifical vestments.

As chamberlain the cardinal takes temporary charge of the Church’s affairs until a new pope is elected. His first duty was to ceremonially certify the death of the pope.

According to rules set by St. John Paul II in 1996, Cardinal Farrell was to seal the pope’s office and bedroom and take possession of the Apostolic Palace and the papal palaces at St. John Lateran in Rome and at Castel Gandolfo, south of the city.

In consultation with senior cardinals, he makes the arrangements for the pope’s funeral and sets the date for the beginning of the meetings necessary to prepare for the conclave.

The chamberlain also is responsible for preparing the cardinals’ rooms in the Vatican’s Domus Sanctae Marthae guest house. The rules about what happens when the papacy is vacant specify that he is to be assisted by the “cardinals” who served the previous pope as secretary of state and as head of the office governing Vatican City State.

But Pope Francis’ most recent choice to lead the city-state government is not a cardinal. Pope Francis appointed Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist Raffaella Petrini as president of the office March 1. It was not immediately clear whether she would be part of the preparatory commission since she is not a cardinal.

While the office of pope is vacant, the chamberlain presides over what are called “particular congregations of the cardinals.” In addition to the chamberlain, the particular congregations include three cardinals chosen by lot. The chamberlain’s assistants serve for three days, then are replaced by three other cardinals chosen by lot.

The group of four deals with “ordinary affairs” not requiring the discussion and consent of the entire College of Cardinals, which meets under the presidency of the college’s dean, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.

The particular congregation is the only body empowered to decide whether a reason exists for anyone in the conclave to communicate with anyone outside the gathering.

Cardinal Farrell and his rotating board of three cardinal assistants also are responsible for giving approval to the individuals chosen to serve as priest-confessors, doctors and domestic staff for the cardinals in the conclave.

The chamberlain, with two masters of ceremonies, is responsible for administering an oath of secrecy to the non-cardinals whose service is needed by the conclave.

Under Pope John Paul’s 1996 rules, at the end of the conclave, Cardinal Farrell also is required to write up a report on the results of each ballot cast, place it in a sealed envelope and give it to the new pope after he is elected.

Although his role in the preparation and work of the conclave is key, the chamberlain’s duties end inside the Sistine Chapel with the election of a new pope.

Here is an explanation of some of the terms and practices related to the time between the death of Pope Francis April 21 and the election of his successor.

“Sede vacante”

Dioceses are also called sees. The Latin for “when the see is vacant” is “sede vacante.” When the vacant see is the pope’s Diocese of Rome, all major church decisions, such as new legislation or the appointment of bishops, stop until a new pope is elected. Only ordinary business and matters that cannot be postponed can be conducted by the College of Cardinals.

Interregnum

The period between popes is called an interregnum — between reigns — even though St. Paul VI set aside many of the regal trappings of the papacy and references to a papal “reign” gradually fell into disuse. Pope Paul inaugurated his ministry in 1963 with a coronation, then set aside the papal tiara. It was the last time a pope wore the beehive-shaped tiara, a triple crown.

Conclave

A meeting of cardinals to elect a new pope is a conclave. The word — from the Latin “cum clave” (with key) — means under lock and key. In 1268, cardinals couldn’t decide on a new pope. After nearly three years the people finally locked them up and cut their rations. The man elected, Pope Gregory X, ordered that in the future cardinals be sequestered from the start, and eventually the practice became normative.

Camerlengo

U.S. Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, as camerlengo, or chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, assisted by the vice chamberlain and a canonical adviser, is in charge of safeguarding the temporal goods of the church and its temporal rights during the interregnum. The chamberlain heads a three-member commission that oversees physical preparations for the conclave and leads what is called a “particular congregation” — a group of three other cardinals chosen by lot — to conduct the minor day-to-day business of the Vatican until a new pope is elected.

Dean of the College of Cardinals

Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re is the current dean. As dean, he calls the cardinals to Rome and presides over their daily meetings before the conclave. Because Cardinal Re is over 80 and ineligible to enter the conclave, the dean’s duties inside the Sistine Chapel will be handled by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the top-ranking cardinal-bishop of those under 80. Inside the chapel, Cardinal Parolin will administer the oath of secrecy and preside over the conclave. When a candidate achieves a two-thirds majority vote, Cardinal Parolin — in the name of the entire college — asks the candidate if he accepts the election and what name he will take.

Cardinal-electors

Only cardinals under the age of 80 on the day the “sede vacante” begins can enter a conclave and vote for a pope. Even if he is retired from other church posts, if a cardinal is under 80 he is considered an active cardinal for the purposes of the conclave. As of April 21, the day of Pope Francis’ death, there are 135 cardinal-electors.

General congregations

All cardinals who are able to go to Rome attend the general congregations, which are daily meetings in which the College of Cardinals prepares for a conclave, discusses the needs of the church and handles more serious church business that must be attended to between popes. Cardinals over 80 may participate in these meetings but they are not required to. General congregations end when the cardinals enter into conclave.

Particular congregations

Between popes, the church’s camerlengo and three other cardinals chosen by lot handle the day-to-day business of the Holy See in daily meetings called particular congregations. These continue while the cardinals are in conclave. Every three days three new cardinals are chosen by lot to assist the camerlengo.

“Extra omnes”

The Latin command, “all outside,” orders everyone who is not authorized to be in the Sistine Chapel during the conclave to leave before the conclave starts.

Secrecy

Cardinals take two oaths of secrecy not to reveal to anyone anything directly or indirectly related to the election of the pope. The first oath is taken the first day a cardinal joins the general congregation; the second, at the start of the conclave. The few non-cardinals authorized to assist the cardinals while they are in conclave also take an oath of secrecy.

Scrutineers

These are three cardinals, chosen by lot at the start of a conclave, to oversee the depositing of the marked, folded ballots for pope into an urn. They shake the urn, count the ballots to assure the number of votes and voters matches, then open each ballot and record and read aloud the name on it. They add the votes cast for each candidate to determine if a pope has been elected and handle the burning of the ballots and any notes taken by cardinals.

“Infirmieri”

Three cardinals are chosen by lot at the start of a conclave to oversee conclave voting by any cardinal-electors who are too ill or infirm to sit through the conclave sessions in the Sistine Chapel. On each ballot, after depositing their votes in an urn, they go together to the sick cardinals with blank ballots and a locked box in which the completed ballots can be placed through a slit. They return to the conclave and deliver the votes.

Revisers

Three cardinals, chosen by lot at the start of a conclave, recount and verify each round of balloting for the election of a pope.

White smoke, black smoke

The traditional signal, from a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, indicates whether a pope has been elected: Black smoke, no; white smoke, yes. The smoke is generated by burning conclave ballots and notes with chemicals to make the smoke the right color.

Against the backdrop of deep differences with the Trump administration over migration and foreign aid, as well as concerns for Ukraine and for Gaza, the Vatican secretary of state welcomed U.S. Vice President JD Vance to the Vatican.

Vance met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, and with Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Vatican foreign minister, April 19 in the Apostolic Palace.

A Vatican statement said areas of agreement, such as the defense of religious freedom, as well as the areas of tension with the Trump administration, were discussed.

“There was an exchange of opinions on the international situation, especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees and prisoners,” the Vatican statement said.

While “other issues of mutual interest were also discussed,” the Vatican said that “hope was expressed for serene collaboration between the State and the Catholic Church in the United States, whose valuable service to the most vulnerable people was acknowledged.”

The vice president arrived at the Vatican with his wife, Usha, and three children. Cardinal Parolin greeted all of them before holding talks with Vance and his entourage. Vance was in Rome for talks with the Italian government and, with his family, was visiting tourist sites in the city and participating in Holy Week and Easter services. The Vance family attended the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica April 18 and was expected to attend Easter morning Mass in St. Peter’s Square April 20.

A quick encounter with Pope Francis was possible Easter morning, but was not scheduled officially as the pope continued to recover after a long hospitalization. The pope died Easter Monday.