Officials from the Vatican have confirmed the death of Pope Francis on Monday , aged 88. The Catholic leader had been battling illness, following extended stays in hospital earlier in the year. The process to elect a new Pope, via the Conclave, is now underway.
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What is the Conclave, and how does it work?
Conclave is the name given to the election of the new Pope. In the advent of his death, all heads of department at The Vatican lose their authority barring a few senior officials. Document forgeries are prevented by the destruction of the papal seal.
First comes the formalities. Pope Francis’ body will be displayed in the Basilica, allowing the public to pay their respects. Up to six days later, a mass funeral takes place. Approximately 15 days after the death, Conclave begins its session.
It is made up of all cardinals under the age of 80. These ‘electors’, around 138 of them, meet in the Sistine Chapel to discuss who will be next in the papal hotseat. During this time, the cardinals are all completely isolated from the outside world.
No outside communication, no phones, nothing but their serious business. There are two rounds of voting in both the morning and the evening. Black smoke emerges from the chimney at St. Peter’s if no Pope has been chosen by the end of session.
However, once they’ve whittled it down to their chosen replacement, plumes of white smoke will emerge, along with the ringing of the famous bells. Though the process usually takes a few days, some elections have lasted weeks – or even months
What is the Prophecies of the Pope? Famous theory predicts end of the world…
The loss of Pope Francis has already triggered a few doomsday theories. The so-called ‘Prophecy of Saint Malachy’, according to some believers, predicts that a further 112 popes would reign from 1590 onwards before the world ends.
The text also contains a specific prediction that the apocalypse – along with the second coming of Jesus Christ – would take place in 2027, aligning with one interpretation that Pope Francis is the 112th person to hold the position. However, it’s not exactly watertight.
Many historians have dismissed the texts as a hoax, attributing the near-perfect descriptions of Popes up to the 17th century, before a series of vague descriptions follows. So no need to start prepping for the end just yet. We’ve got other issues to handle…