THE POPE HAS DIED: WHAT HAPPENS NOW
April 21 | 88 year old Pope Francis has died. It is a devastating blow to Catholics around the world, and invariably sets in motion a centuries-old series of events that, let’s face it, impact a trip of a lifetime to visitors of Rome (and other holy sites around the world). So if you’re in Rome, what happens now?
Step 1: Mourning
Every major Catholic church in the world now goes into mourning. This means that major churches around the world, such as Notre Dame in Paris, will close to tourism but remain open for reflective prayer, contemplation, and mass. Check with your tour operator if you have a tour of a major Catholic church in any city in the world if they have not contacted you yet. No doubt they’re swamped with work right now and may be slow to reach out with information, so please be understanding and patient. If you scheduled a dome climb at, for example, St Peter’s or the Duomo in Florence, check official websites for information. It’s likely those tourist activities will be canceled.
The Sistine Chapel will close one or two days after the Pope’s death to prepare for conclave (the election of the new Pope). The Vatican Museums should remain open, but check official websites to make sure.
The Pope’s earthly remains will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica. With it being the week after Easter, a Jubilee year, and the beginning of the high tourist season in Rome, expect wall-to-wall, shoulder-to-shoulder crowds.
Step 2: The Funeral
Four to five days after the Pope’s death, the funeral is held in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The funeral will be attended by world leaders, so expect heavier security than usual and random closures around the Basilica.
After the funeral is the burial, which usually takes place in the crypts below St Peter’s but Pope Francis specifically requested he be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore. If you’re planning a visit to that church, be aware of random closures and increased security and restricted activity around the church, especially during the Pope’s funeral.
Step 3: The Conclave
Conclave, or the election of the new Pope, takes place 15 - 20 days after a pope dies. This takes place in the Sistine Chapel. During this period, cardinals are sequestered within the Vatican, and each day they vote for a new pope. This process can take a week or it can take a month… it just depends on how contentious the election is. Each evening after all voting has finished for the day, the conclave announces its progress to the public by way of either white or black smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney, which can be seen from the Piazza San Pietro. Black indicates no new pope has been elected, white indicates a new pope has been elected.
Expect Piazza San Pietro to be absolutely packed with faithful, media, and onlookers all day every day. It will be an absolute madhouse, but it’s also history in the making. If I were in Rome during a new pope’s election, I would brave the crowds and check it out.
Step 4: Rome after Conclave
After the white smoke has been spotted, that evening the newly elected Pope will appear on a balcony above Piazza San Pietro to greet the faithful. Expect tourists to be restricted due to safety and security.
Immediately after conclave ends, the Sistine Chapel is cleared and cleaned and ready for visitors again. Expect at least two days of closure to remain after the end of conclave while they ready the chapel for the public.
After five or six days of ceremony and meetings after election, the new Pope is inaugurated in St. Peter’s, followed by a mass. The church and the piazza are closed to the public, and expect that closure to happen for at least an entire day. Check your tour operator or official websites for more information
And that’s a brief rundown of what to expect. Around Rome and in Catholic cathedrals around the world, expect church bells, mourning, celebrations, and random closures.
