His coat of arms, like the seal he uses to close access to the papal apartments, is adorned with the two keys of Saint Peter and the Latin motto sede vacante. Indeed, it is when the seat is vacant, following the pope's death, that the role of the cardinal Camerlengo becomes crucial and far from merely symbolic.

The current holder of this position was appointed in 2019 by Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday, April 21. Born in Dublin, Ireland, 77-year-old Kevin Farrell spent most of his career in the United States, eventually acquiring American citizenship. Trained by the Legionaries of Christ, a congregation later troubled by sexual abuse scandals, and holding a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, Kevin Farrell became the bishop of Dallas in 2007 before being called to the Vatican by Pope Francis, who made him a cardinal in 2016 and appointed him as the prefect (minister) of the newly formed Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life.

On the evening of April 21, it was the cardinal Camerlengo's duty to confirm the death of the sovereign pontiff (a process far less theatrical than in the past, when the Camerlengo would call the pope's name three times while touching his forehead with a silver hammer), and to preside over his laying in state. This act made him the Vatican's 'interim' leader. However, his powers are less than those of a reigning pope: the Camerlengo manages the Vatican's temporal affairs, mainly administrative and financial matters.

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