From the Death of a Pope to Habemus Papam

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Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21st, 2025. What happens now?
For those of us who are still labeled the John Paul II generation, it will be the third time that we see a new pope elected. As I was reflecting on this with my husband we were saying how strange it is that our children have had “so many” popes in their lives when we only had one for our entire youth. Who is the pope? What happens when a pope dies? And how is a new pope elected? These are all questions that my younger children have been asking. In an effort to answer these questions I have pulled together a few resources.

Who is the pope?

This lovely picture book Our Holy Father, the Pope: The Papacy from Saint Peter to the Present by Don R. Caffery is a great way to introduce children to the papacy. Not only does it answer many questions about who the pope is and what he does, but it also highlights the lives of five different popes: St. Peter, St. Clement I, St. Leo the Great, St. Pius X, and  St. John Paul II. This lays a wonderful foundation. Sometimes we take a person, like the pope, so much for granted that we forget to deepen our children’s relationship with him. I am totally guilty of that! Going back through my school plans I realized that the last time we actually studied the papacy was in 2013… For, you guessed it, Pope Francis’ election! One of my girls was an infant and two were not even born yet, lol! So it is high time to remedy this deficiency in their Catholic education…

What happens when a Pope dies?

By now we have all seen the videos of the camerlengo, the pope’s chamberlain, Cardinal Farrell announcing Pope Francis’ death and sealing the papal apartments. The camerlengo will now assume the papal interregnum, the period between the death of one pope and the election of another. This short article explains well the historical significance and the current importance of the camerlengo. The current camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, has fulfilled this office since 2019.
Right after the pope’s death the camerlengo initiated a novena (nine days) of mourning and prayers for the deceased pope. During this time the funeral took place, on April 26th, as it traditionally has to take place between day 4 and day 6. Pope Francis’ funeral Mass took place in Saint Peter Square and he is buried at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome. The camerlengo is also in charge of preparing for the Conclave, the election of the next pope.

What is the Conclave?

This brand new picture book We Have a Pope, by Katherine Bogner, illustrated by Kortnee Senn answers this question beautifully. It is simply yet powerfully written and explains the nuances of the Conclave in a simple language. Coupled with the beautiful illustrations it brings the intricacies and traditions of the Conclave within the reach of even the youngest listener.
The Conclave is the election of a new pope. Only cardinals under the age of 80 are allowed to vote. They have 15 to 20 days after the pope’s death to assemble in Rome. They will lock themselves in the Sistine Chapel and take an oath of secrecy. Nothing that happens in the Sistine Chapel can be repeated and they will be secluded from the rest of the world for the entirety of the Conclave. The Conclave has been scheduled to start on May 7th, 2025.

The Sistine Chapel, a rabbit trail

Why are the Cardinals secluded in the Sistine Chapel? Mainly, tradition. First used for a conclave in 1492, it has become traditionally used to conduct papal elections since 1878. This is a wonderful opportunity to do an in-depth study of this art treasure and its author, Michelangelo.
Picture books:

• Michelangelo, by Diane Stanley
• Stone Giant: Michelangelo’s David and How He Came to Be, by Jane Sutcliffe
• Michelangelo’s Surprise, by Tony Parillo
• The Sistine Chapel by Vittorio Giudici

This article will also run you through the Sistine Chapel’s history and the different paintings. It is all truly remarkable. And here you can find better details of the different paintings. This wonderful podcast From Nana’s Back Porch, new to me, also has a great history of the Sistine Chapel to listen to.

The election

The election of the new pope will most likely take multiple rounds of voting. A candidate is elected only with a two third majority of votes. The College of Cardinals has a page on the Cardinal candidates to become pope. It is a fascinating page to get to know many cardinals and probably our future pope. If, at the end of a vote, no candidate has received the two third majority, the ballots will be burnt and black smoke will come out of the Sistine Chapel’s chimney. On the other hand if a candidate did receive the two third majority, white smoke will issue from the chimney. This is when things get exciting!
Periodic Table of Videos has a wonderful video explaining the chemical compounds behind the black smoke and the  white smoke (5:03).

Habemus Papam!

Once the white smoke appears, the world holds its breath for a moment. The suspense is very intense. Then the dean of the College of Cardinal will appear on the balcony of Saint Peter’s Square and ask the candidate if he accepts the position and invites him to choose his papal name. This is the grand reveal of who our new pope will be! The new pope is then introduced under his new name and the words “Habemus Papam” (we have a pope) seal the deal!

A hands-on approach

You know how much I love Lapbooks! Recommended in the May Booklover booklist you can find this Papal Unit Study and Lapbook from Jessica at Shower of Roses. Lapbooks are a wonderful, hands-on way for children to acquire knowledge. Jessica did a phenomenal job with her Papal Lapbook and I highly recommend it! This is another resource that we have not used  since 2013, lol! I feel really bad for my younger girls. Why can’t they all learn by osmosis, lol!
The Catholic Toolbox has a file folder game to elect a pope! How fun!

Fun facts

• Not just cardinals are eligible for the papacy! But any baptized male who is at least 35 years old and has received the necessary theological education can be elected pope. But, yes, usually a cardinal is elected to the papacy.
• Sede Vacante Stamp: Vatican City’s Postal and Philately Service of the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems released a series of special stamps on April 28th that will only be used until the next pope is elected! I am sure that all stamp collectors are rushing to get their hands on these. 
• Historically the cardinals spent the whole time of the Conclave in Vatican City, in poor lodgings. But John Paul II opened the Domus Marthae Sanctae in 1996 where the cardinals will be staying in more comfort for the time of the Conclave.

Last but not least, the novena for the Conclave

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, we pray in union with the whole Church for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Cardinals. May the Princes of the Church listen attentively to Your Spirit during the conclave.Almighty God, we pray that the conclave brings us a Pope who pleases You by guiding Your Church to grow in faithfulness to You. We pray together with the intercession of our Mother Mary and all the Saints. Please Lord, protect and guide your Church during this time of transition. 
Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

We will be following the happenings of the Conclave through EWTN and CNA.
Love,
Mattie.

This post was written in collaboration with Mary Machado of Our Domestic Church.

Photo Credits

• Pope Francis’ election picture: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. By Tenan on Wikimedia Commons, March 13, 2013.
• Picture of the Sistine Chapel: Antoine Taveneaux Taken on 14 June 2014, This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.