Pope Francis dies at 88 years old one day after Easter Sunday
Pope Francis, the first pope born outside of Europe in over a millennia, has died.
Almost exactly a dozen years ago, I made my way as a reporter for USA TODAY to Rome. After a 12-hour flight, I found myself standing with throngs of Catholic faithful in Saint Peter’s Square and waited. And waited.
For days and nights, all eyes were glued to an impossibly thin metal chimney that sprouted from the fabled Sistine Chapel. Four times, the smoke that poured forth was black, meaning that the College of Cardinals assembled inside had not chosen a new pontiff.
And then there it was, on the fifth ballot, pure white smoke – doctored with chemicals to achieve this heavenly effect – filled the sky. The cheer was immediate and sustained. Not long after, a tall man arrived on the balcony before us. In those instants, Argentine-born Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio had transformed into Pope Francis.
On April 21, the world awoke to news that Pope Francis had died. The news seemed impossible to believe for many, after the pope, admittedly ailing for weeks with respiratory issues, had delivered an impassioned if halting Easter message just the day before.
But another papal transition awaits. It is not a quick or easy process. And it is a highly political one as well. The success of this year’s Oscar-contending film “Conclave” means more people now have a better sense of just how this very ancient election unfolds.
Dusting off my memories of covering a papal funeral and two conclaves – the death of Pope John Paul II and election of Pope Benedict in 2005, and subsequently Francis’ election after Benedict’s abrupt retirement – here’s a quick sketch of what we might expect.
When will Pope Francis’ funeral be held and what will it be like?
Typically, a papal funeral is held four to six days after death, which in part gives time to the College of Cardinals to arrive in Rome for both this solemn occasion and the subsequent conclave. There are 252 cardinals, and while some do hold positions that keep them in Rome, the ancient seat of the Vatican, most will be traveling in from abroad.
The last pope to die in office was Pope John Paul II. He was revered by many throughout Europe for standing up to Communism, even as others felt him too conservative in his religious views. Rome quickly became jammed with faithful pilgrims from around the world, and thousands were in attendance as his casket made its journey through Saint Peter’s Square. Many desperately tried to touch it, as Italian carabinieri held the crowds back. After the funeral mass, Pope John Paul II joined a number of his predecessors in being buried inside the world famous basilica.
There already are indications that things may be different with Pope Francis, who stood out among pontiffs for his humble nature that was exemplified by choosing the name of Saint Francis, a man known for helping the poor. While there are as yet no details on the funeral itself, there’s a good bet it also will take place in Saint Peter’s Square to better accommodate pilgrims.
But there is word already of one significant development: Pope Francis had stipulated that he wanted to be buried in a Roman church called Saint Mary Major, where he often would go to pray in front of an icon of the Virgin Mary. In fact, this was the first place he went, in a wheelchair, when he was recently released from a nearby hospital.
What to expect if you go to Rome for the upcoming papal funeral and conclave
Being in Rome during a papal transition is not like any other event. Whether or not you are Catholic or even religious, the outpouring of passion and emotion is inescapable throughout this storied global capital as everything from news programs to street conversations all seem to revolve around who might be selected to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
That said, if you want to attend it will pay to have extra savings on hand. Why? By coincidence, 2025 is the year of the Giubileo, or the Vatican’s Jubilee, a period lasting from late December of last year into the first days of 2026 that is meant to draw Catholics from around the world for an endless sequence of religious ceremonies, conferences and concerts.
The last Jubilee was 10 years ago, and Roman officials spent much of 2024 cleaning the city’s famous fountains and buildings so they would sparkle. Roman friends report that with the arrival of spring weather the city’s streets are already impassable in many popular areas, just as hotel and apartment rental options also are difficult to come by. If you want to go and happen to have friends in Rome, this would be the time to ask for a favor.
How to find out about all the conclave drama that leads up to the white smoke
Conclave translates to “under key,” a reference to the fact that once the 252 cardinals start meetings to discuss the best candidates for the papacy, they do so literally under lock and key, inside the Sistine Chapel and underneath the staggering religious frescos by Michelangelo.
If you’re wondering how much one can see of these proceedings, the answer is zero. As depicted in “Conclave,” all the discussions and subsequent voting is done in complete secrecy. Not only are there no cameras allowed, but the cardinals adhere to a strict code of secrecy. They live together throughout the conclave in the Casa Santa Marta inside the Vatican walls.
So what you’re left with in terms of handicapping the race for pope is the endless guess-work by the Vatican experts at Rome’s top media outlets.
There, you’ll find folks speculating about various factions being formed by the cardinals, each of which are trying to advance their candidate to the top spot. The winner must receive two-thirds of the cardinals’ votes, and often it takes multiple votes before things shift around enough for one cardinal to become the overwhelming favorite.
In the end, it’s all guess work as to who’s in the lead during a conclave. Which is why, day after day, the deeply faithful and the merely curious alike assemble before St. Peter’s to stare at that slim chimney.
When the smoke is black, you can hear a collective sigh. And when it’s finally white, the cheers explode, followed by a literal stampede as seemingly all of Rome rushes to this famous square to celebrate.
The first official papal election was 1276. If you can be there for this one, by all means go. There’s nothing quite like it in our human history.
