For the first time since the death of John Paul II on April 2, 2005, a pope has died while still in office. But there is no risk of the formalities being forgotten: At the Vatican, protocol is king. Accordingly, the days following Francis's death at the Vatican on Monday, April 21, at 7:35 am, will be meticulously organized, leaving no room for improvisation.

The last major update of the protocol to be followed after a pontiff's death dates back to the constitution on the vacancy of the Apostolic See, finalized under the pontificate of John Paul II in 1996. This text was marginally modified by two apostolic letters written by Benedict XVI in 2007 and 2013, which will be put into practice for the first time over the next few days. First, the curia will be busy dealing with the funeral of the deceased pope before turning its attention to the entire community of the faithful and its future by electing his successor.

The pontiff's death launches a nine-day period of mourning. The camerlengo, a sort of administrator of temporal goods and urgent financial matters during the vacancy of the See – a position held by the Irish Cardinal Kevin Farrell since 2019 – will bear the heavy responsibility of overseeing the course of events. He officially confirms the pope's death and seals his room before informing the cardinal vicar of Rome, who is responsible for notifying the rest of the world.

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