Irish-American Cardinal Farrell Steps In as Vatican’s Interim Leader After Pope’s Death

Irish-American Cardinal Kevin Farrell has taken over as the acting head of the Vatican following the death of Pope Francis, assuming the role of Camerlengo, tasked with managing Vatican affairs during the papal transition.

Irish-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell has assumed the role of acting head of the Vatican following the death of Pope Francis, stepping into his solemn duties as Camerlengo, the official who administers the Holy See during the interregnum.

Announcing that Pope Francis had “returned to the home of the Father,” Cardinal Farrell, 77, now finds himself at the heart of one of the most sacred and historic transitions in Catholic tradition. Appointed Camerlengo by the late pontiff in 2019, Farrell is responsible for managing Vatican affairs until a new pope is elected.

Born in Dublin in 1947, Farrell studied in Spain and Rome before working across Mexico and the United States. He served as Bishop of Dallas from 2007 until Pope Francis named him head of the newly created Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life in 2016 and elevated him to cardinal.

In 2023, Pope Francis also appointed Farrell as President of the Supreme Court of Vatican City and head of the Commission for Confidential Matters, consolidating his influence in Vatican affairs.

As Camerlengo, Farrell will supervise the verification of the pope’s death, lead the ceremonial laying of the body in a coffin, and preside over the movement of the late pontiff’s remains to St Peter’s Basilica for public veneration. Vatican sources suggest the ceremony could take place as early as Wednesday.

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Farrell will also coordinate preparations for the papal conclave, during which the College of Cardinals will elect the next pope. Though rare, the Camerlengo is technically eligible to be elected pontiff, as in the historic cases of Pope Leo XIII in 1878 and Pope Pius XII in 1939.

Farrell’s rising prominence has surprised many outside the Vatican, but within the Roman Curia, his reputation for administrative acumen and loyalty to Francis is well established.