Pope Francis was acclaimed for maintaining a simple and uncomplicated life, yet when he died, a number of antiquated and somewhat incomprehensible rituals were immediately implemented. Among the first? His home was almost immediately sealed, and the cause is more interesting than you might think. Pope Francis died on Monday, and Catholics all over the world are mourning his loss as their spiritual leader.
At the age of 88, the Pope died after a stroke. When a pope steps down, the Vatican initiates a rigorous and tradition-bound process. For example, the Vatican released the first startling images of Pope Francis in his sleeping position on Tuesday, providing a melancholy glimpse into the holy rites commemorating his life. The photos show Vatican officials and members of his family gathered to bid him a solemn farewell, with ceremonial guards around his open coffin. Francis holds a rosary in his folded hands and wears scarlet robes, which represent martyrdom and Christ’s blood.
Following Pope Francis’ death, senior Vatican officials sealed and closed his personal residence with a silk string across the door on Monday. The sealing happens immediately when the Pope resigns or dies. The Vice-Camerlengo, now Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari, is present at the ceremony. To keep the room peaceful, a silk cord is tied across the door and sealed with wax. Nobody has entered, as demonstrated by the undamaged seal.
Only after the conclave concludes and a new Pope is elected will the room be unlocked and the seal broken. According to CBS News, Pope Francis has declined to reside in the Apostolic Palace’s typical papal apartments. Rather, he stayed in a small room at Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican’s guesthouse, which is more like a hostel. “He lives in a small room,” said Lucas Schaerer, a Vatican insider who became friends with Pope Francis in 2008, in a 2015 People interview.
Why was Pope’s residence sealed? What was the reason for the closing of the Pope’s residence? Because Pope Francis chose to live in the modest quarters of the church guesthouse, Casa Santa Marta, rather than the more traditional Apostolic Palace, the ritual appears to be primarily ceremonial, but it also has a practical purpose. According to Sky News, the ritual developed as a way of “preventing looting” following a pope’s death.
More importantly, it protects against any manipulation of papal documents or the unauthorized publishing of materials reserved for the future pope. To ensure this, the Camerlengo, or Chamberlain, who is presently Cardinal Kevin Farrell, head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life, seals the documents as a Roman Curia official.
Another ritual. The famed Fisherman’s Ring worn by Pope Francis during his pontificate has come into focus as the Catholic Church prepares for funerals and memorial celebrations. The ring is estimated to be worth roughly $520,000, but its true value is far larger. Within the Catholic Church, the signet ring represents the pope’s authority.
A newly elected pope usually receives the ring and burns it after death. Cardinal Kevin Farrell is the camerlengo, or Cardinal, who will execute this ceremony in this case. Originally designed as a seal for the pope’s private letters, the ring now has ceremonial importance, and its destruction assures that it cannot be used after the pope’s death.
Following official confirmation of the pope’s death, and just before the papal conclave begins to elect a new pope, the ring and its accompanying bulla (papal seal) are destroyed in front of the College of Cardinals. The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis’ burial will take place on Saturday, April 26 at 10 a.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square.
Francis once declared that he wanted to be buried at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome’s Esquilino neighborhood, where his remains would be transferred after the public liturgy.