Who is Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the acting head of the Vatican after Pope Francis’ death?

On April 21, the Catholic world plunged into mourning when it learned of the passing away of Pope Francis. This solemn piece of news was, however, not broken by any media outlet but by Kevin Farrell, an Irish-American cardinal, little known in the wider world.

Announcing the news, Farrell said, “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.”

“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and his Church,” Farrell added. “He taught us to live the values of the gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and marginalised. With immense gratitude for his example of a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the triune God.”

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Reporting the news of the 88-year-old pontiff’s demise is part of Farrell’s duties as the camerlengo — the person who runs the Vatican after the death or resignation of a pope. In addition to becoming the de-facto head of the Vatican’s administration, Cardinal Farrell will also carry out preparation for the conclave, the process by which a new pope is elected.

We take a closer look at who exactly is Farrell and what are his responsibilities.

Cardinal Farrell’s career

Born in 1947 in Dublin, Kevin Farrell attended the University of Salamanca in Spain and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, according to the Vatican. He was ordained a priest in 1978 and served as chaplain of the Regnun Christi Movement at the University of Monterrey in Mexico.

He moved to the US to join the Archdiocese of Washington in 1984, according to his Vatican biography. Later, in 2002, Farrell was appointed auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, and served in that role until 2007, when he became bishop of the Diocese of Dallas.

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Notably, Farrell, between 2002 and 2006, worked with Theodore McCarrick, the former cardinal who was defrocked in 2019 following a Vatican investigation that determined he had sexually abused minors as well as adults. At the time, Farrell denied knowledge of the alleged abuses. “Did I ever know? No. Did I ever suspect? No. Did he ever abuse any seminarian in Washington? No,” he was quoted as saying.

It was in 2016 that Pope Francis called on him to work at the Vatican as the prefect of the newly established Vatican Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. Around three years later, he was nominated by the pope to be Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church.

Funnily, he has described the phone call that led to his appointment as cardinal. Speaking to The Irish Times, Farrell explained how when his secretary in Dallas told him that Pope Francis was on the phone to tell him he would be made a cardinal, he told her, “Like hell he is”.

“I kept saying to her, ‘No, that is one of my bishop friends, just messing.’”

Since then, he has been entrusted with other jobs of significant responsibility, such as president of the Commission for Confidential Matters and president of the Vatican City State Supreme Court.

Cardinal Farrell, most notably, did not share the same views as Pope Francis on same-sex marriages. However, he extended support to the pontiff on his views on divorced and remarried Catholics.

Farrell’s responsibilities as camerlengo

The camerlengo assumes great responsibilities in the aftermath of a pope’s death or, in rare cases of resignation. As the Church enters the period of sede vacante, which means empty seat, the camerlengo — in this case, Cardinal Farrell — takes charge.

First and foremost, it is the camerlengo’s duty to ascertain the pope’s death. For this, he would have stood over the papal body and ceremoniously called the Pope’s baptismal name three times. It is only when there is no response to the calls that the Pope is officially pronounced dead.

As camerlengo, Cardinal Farrell also held “a first moment of prayer” following the death of the pope, and the placing of the body into a wooden and zinc coffin . In addition, he locks the papal apartments. He is also tasked with the breaking of the Pope’s signet ring and seal with shears, to prevent them from being used by anyone else.

Cardinal Farrell will also be tasked with making arrangements for the conclave , the process through which the next pontiff is selected. And in the interim period, he will carry out the day-to-day administration of the Vatican. This also includes requesting financial information from Vatican departments. He can also demand “the budget and consolidated financial statement of the Holy See for the previous year, as well as the budget for the following year,” according to the constitution of the church’s central administration.

As per a CNN report, during a papal interregnum — the period between the death of one pope and the election of another — all leaders of the Vatican offices cease to carry out their work aside from the camerlengo and two others.

Cardinal Farrell, the next pope

But can Cardinal Farrell be the next pope? The Vatican’s rule don’t dismiss him as a contender owing to his position as camerlengo. But historically, it has rarely happened.

The Times reports that only two camerlengos have been elected pope before: Gioacchino Pecci, as Pope Leo XIII in 1878, and Eugenio Pacelli, as Pope Pius XII in 1939.

With inputs from agencies