He is the camerlengo: He takes over the pope's duties and must destroy his ring

AUTHOR: M.J. GDNUS

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican's camerlengo, officially confirmed the death of Pope Francis this morning, ushering in a period of transition within the Catholic Church.

Who is the Vatican camerlengo?

The camerlengo is a key figure in the Vatican during the period between the death of a pope and the election of his successor - the so-called "sede vacante" period. That responsibility has now been taken over by Irish Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is 77 years old and has been holding this position since 2019.

His duties include officially confirming the death of the pope, sealing the papal chambers and, traditionally, destroying the papal ring. The camerlengo is about to take the ring off the pope's hand and symbolically break it with a hammer. During the transition period, the camerlengo has administrative powers, but may not make any decisions concerning church teaching.

This ring, known as the "fisherman's ring", bears the image of Saint Peter fishing from a boat, and is traditionally used to seal important Vatican documents. The name of the pope is also on the ring, and after his death it is destroyed. A new ring is made for the new pope when he is elected.