Cardinal Kevin Farrell, head of the Vatican’s family and laity office.
| Photo Credit: AP
Following the death of Pope Francis on Monday morning (April 21, 2025), Irish-born American Cardinal Kevin Farrell, took over as the acting head of the Vatican. He is the ‘camerlengo’ or the chamberlain — the cardinal in charge of formally verifying the pope’s death and the one who runs the ‘Holy See’ before the election of another.
It was Cardinal Farrell who made the announcement just over two hours after Francis had died.
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Pope Francis had nominated the cardinal for the role of camerlengo in 2019.
Cardinal Farrell, 77, was born in Dublin on September 2, 1947. He entered the Legionaries of Christ religious order in 1966 and was ordained a priest for the Mexican-based order in 1978. He left six years later and became a diocesan priest in the Washington Archdiocese.
He is also known for his sense of humour and for speaking Spanish with an Irish brogue.
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He worked in a series of parishes but also took on increasing charge of the books in the archdiocese — he has a keen mind for finances but says he never finished his MBA. He became auxiliary bishop of Washington in 2001 and served under the ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick before being made bishop of Dallas in 2007.
Pope Francis, left, is flanked by Cardinal Kevin Farrell during a vigil at Campo San Juan Pablo II in Panama City in 2019.
| Photo Credit:
AP
Cardinal Farrell moved to Rome in October 2016 to head the laity office. Within hours of his arrival, Pope Francis announced that Farrell would be made a cardinal.
It was a sign, later confirmed with his nomination as camerlengo, that Pope Francis fully intended to entrust Cardinal Farrell with some of the most important responsibilities of the church, including after he was gone.
What is the duty of a camerlengo?
According to tradition, the camerlengo certifies the pope’s death, seals the papal apartment, and breaks the pope’s fisherman’s ring to symbolise the vacancy at the Holy See. He leads the procession accompanying the coffin into St. Peter’s Basilica and presides over the burial.
The camerlengo also gets written reports from Vatican offices about their current assets; a copy of the current and projected budget for the Holy See; and any other information from the Vatican’s economic ministry that would be useful for cardinals and the future pope. Farrell and the dean of the College of Cardinals, Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, then play key roles organizing the meetings of cardinals preceding the conclave.
Cardinal Farrell already heads top Vatican committees on finances, investments and confidential matters, as well as its supreme court, making him particularly well-suited to deliver a financial prospectus to the new pope.
As camerlengo, he has the right to ask all the Vatican departments for budget reports, economic information and details on other ongoing affairs.
(With inputs from Agencies)
Published – April 22, 2025 11:48 am IST
