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With the death of Pope Francis, here is what to expect during the Interregnum

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The death of Pope Francis:

Pope Francis memoriumPope Francis died on Easter Monday morning, April 21, 2025 at 7:35 a.m., following a period of convalescence after a severe respiratory infection.

His death was announced live from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta by Cardinal Kevin Farrell at approximately 9:53 a.m. Rome time, which marked the end of his 12-year pontificate.  The Director of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican City State, Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, released the official medical report on the death of Pope Francis, stating “The cause of Pope Francis’ death has been identified as a stroke, followed by a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse“.

The Holy See Press Office announced that the rite of ascertainment of death and placement of the late Pope Francis’ body in the coffin took place on Monday at 8:00 PM Rome time. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church,  presided over the rite in the Chapel of the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.  Normally according with Church tradition,  the body of Pope Francis would have been placed in three coffins, one inside the other.  In this case, as has been the case so often with Pope Francis, he broke tradition by asking that his body be places in a single casket lined with Zinc.

In the announcement, the Press Office indicated that those present included the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, and family members of the late Pope Francis, along with Dr. Andrea Arcangeli and Dr. Luigi Carbone, the Director and Deputy Director of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene, respectively.

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, told journalists that the Pope’s body could be transferred to Saint Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning, so that the faithful may pray before his mortal remains.

“The translation of the Holy Father’s mortal remains to the Vatican Basilica, for the veneration of all the faithful, may take place on the morning of Wednesday, April 23, 2025, according to the arrangements that shall be determined and communicated tomorrow, following the first Congregation of the Cardinals,” Mr. Bruni said.

The Catholic Church during the Interregnum:

The term interregnum comes from Latin, from inter- ‘between’ + regnum ‘reign’. and denotes temporary rule between reigns or during suspension of normal government,

The death of Pope Francis sets into motion a series of formalized rites and observances that occur during the interregnum, which begins upon the pontiff’s passing and ends with the election of his successor. The period of time during which the papacy is vacant is known as the sede vacante, Latin for “vacant seat.”

Cardinal Kevin FarrellThe pope’s death is first ritually verified by the cardinal camerlengo, or chamberlain, who who runs the ordinary affairs of the Vatican city-state during the sede vacante.

In this case, as mentioned above, the cardinal camerlengo is Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, who was Bishop of Dallas, Texas from 2007 to 2016 and has recently occupied several posts in the Vatican.

A traditional nine days of mourning now commences:

Pope Francis lies in state at Saint Peter's BasilicaThe body of Pope Francis will lie in state at Saint Peter’s Basilica for several days.

This allows global dignitaries and heads of state to pay their respects and allow for travel time for the Cardinal-Electors from various countries to get to Rome and attend the funeral.

Upon burial, the Pope’s body has traditionally been placed in three coffins, each one inside the other.  In the case of Pope Francis, he has chosen to be buried in simple wooden casket lined with zinc rather than the three nested coffins.

The Funeral of Pope Francis:

The Pope’s funeral, which per tradition is held within four to six days of his death, will be on Saturday April 26, 2025 at 10:00 AM in Saint Peter’s Square.,

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside at the Mass, which will be con-celebrated by Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, and priests from across the globe.

The late Pope’s body will then be taken to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major for entombment.

The Conclave to elect a new Pope:

Cardinals gathering for a Papal Conclave to elect a new PopeDuring the interregnum, all cardinals under the age of 80 who are eligible to participate are summoned to Rome to prepare for the secret conclave inside the Sistine Chapel to choose the next pontiff.

The word “conclave” is a Latin noun dating back to ancient Rome meaning a locked room, typically used to store valuables or imprison someone.  Here is what to expect in the Conclave:

As of  April 21, 2025, there are 252 cardinals, of whom 135 are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope.  One Cardinal-Elector, Antonio Cardinal Cañizares Llovera (Spain), seen as arch-conservative has said that, due to health concerns, he will not take part in the upcoming conclave, bringing the number of Cardinal-Electors down to 134.

Another arch-conservative, Vinko Cardinal Puljić (Bosnia & Herzegovina) was erroneously reported as not taking part, but has since confirmed that he will take part in the Conclave.

The conclave typically commences between 15 to 20 days after the pope’s death, which means that the earliest date would likely be May 6.  The Cardinals spend the Conclave housed in private rooms in the Domus Marthae Sanctae — essentially a residence hotel in the Vatican with dining facilities that usually houses visiting clergy and laity. Per tradition, the cardinals are cut off from the outside world, including televisions, phones, computers and newspapers, which certainly fits in with the definition of “Conclave”.

Papal conclaves, as a legally mandated process, officially began in 1274 in Viterbo, Italy with Pope Gregory X’s bull Ubi periculum. Prior to this, while papal elections had been held under similar circumstances, this was the first time such a formal requirement was introduced.

Historically most conclaves last a few days, although the longest in history started in 1268 lasted two years and nine months. After several rule changes to speed up the process over time, the average length of a conclave since the beginning of the 20th century has been three day

The Conclave to elect Pope Francis was one of the shortest conclaves in history, lasting just over 24 hours.

The Conclave process explained:

To begin with, a special morning Mass will be held in Saint Peter’s Basilica, after which the cardinal electors will gather inside the Sistine Chapel, which has overseen all papal conclaves since 1858.  The conclave will officially begin when the words “extra omnes” (Latin for “everybody out”) are said by the master of the papal liturgical celebrations.  This expels everyone but voting cardinals from the Sistine Chapel.

Voting begins as Cardinals vote the first time by writing on a piece of paper headed “Eligo in summen pontificem,” Latin for “I elect as supreme pontiff.” Ballots are then stuffed into an urn and counted.

Three cardinals delegated as scrutineers count the ballots, ensure everyone has voted, each make a count, and then burn the ballots. A two-thirds majority is required for a cardinal to be named the new pope.

After the first day, four ballots will be held each day.

Needless to say, there will be much speculation over the next few days as to who will be selected.

Anyone trying to handicap the outcome should remember that Jorge Mario Bergoglio was considered too old to be elected pope in 2013 at age 76, and that Karol Wojtyla wasn’t on any front-runner lists going into the 1978 conclave that elected him Pope John Paul II.  And, of course, the oft-repeated expression: “He who goes in to a Conclave as Pope, comes out a Cardinal“.  So, we’re not placing any bets!

For what it’s worth, 108 of the electors were appointed by Pope Francis, 22 by his predecessor Pope Benedict and five by Pope John Paul II.

Scheduled canonization of Carlo Acutis postponed:

Th Canonization of  Carlo Acutis had been scheduled for April 27, 2025 and will now have to be postponed, since we have no Pope to proclaim him a saint.

The Holy See Press Office statement reads: “Following the death of Supreme Pontiff Francis, notice is hereby given that the Eucharistic celebration and Rite of Canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, scheduled for April 27, 2025, II Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy, on the occasion of the Jubilee of Adolescents, is suspended,”

Mass, without the canonization of Carlo Acutis, will be held in St. Peter’s Square on April 27.  No word as to who will be the main celebrant.

This will no doubt disappoint those who have already made arrangements to travel to Rome for the Canonization and are unable to change their plans.

Well, perhaps if they go ahead with their plans to travel to Rome, they might be in Saint Peter’s square and get to hear “Habemus Papam”:…Latin for we have a Pope!  That would be quite a treat to be there for a first glimpse of whoever is chosen.

The Jubilee of Teenagers will continue as planned (with a few exceptions):

The first-ever Jubilee of Teenagers figured as one of the most anticipated events of 2025 and is especially dedicated to young people, who will have a unique experience of “faith, spiritual growth, and intercultural exchange.”More than 80,000 teenagers are expected to gather in Rome for the Vatican’s Jubilee of Teenagers (April 25-27), According to the Dicastery for Evangelization, with young people registered from the United States, Brazil, India, Spain, Portugal, France, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Germany, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Australia, Argentina, and Nigeria.

Due to the death of Pope Francis, the following changes will be made to the Jubilee of Teenagers:

Due to the time of mourning, the musical celebration at Circus Maximus scheduled for April 26 at 5 p.m. has also been canceled.

The official program includes several highlights, beginning with the Via Lucis (Way of Light), an act of piety in which the apparitions of the risen Christ are meditated upon, which will take place on April 25 in the EUR neighborhood (now called Europa), just outside Rome.

Saturday, April 26, the pilgrimages to the Holy Door will continue to be on the schedule.

The swearing-in of new members of the Swiss Guard, normally held on May 6, has been cancelled and will be held sometime in the fall.

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Why all the interest in Garabandal?

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Why all the recent interest in Garabandal?

Plaque in Garabandal where St. Michael the Archangel appearedThe apparitions of both Saint Michael the Archangel and the Blessed Virgin Mary took place in 1961.

So why the increasing level of interest in these apparitions today?  After all, 1960’s seem like a long time ago, and the world seems to have moved on from the reported apparitions here in Garabandal.

Perhaps it lies in the fact that so much of what we took for granted in the world has recently been turned upside down. 

Things just don’t seem quite right compared to the world of just a few years back.  So much has changed, it is hard to keep up:

Covid-19 response:

In some countries churches were closed under the guise of “preventing the spread” of Covid, but bars and clubs providing so called “adult entertainment” have remained open.  Meanwhile economies have been destroyed (although the pharmaceutical companies seem to have done quite well), families torn apart and people live in irrational fear (ever seen a person driving in a car, alone, with a mask on?).  Australia set up “internment camps” for those with Covid-19, in England people have been arrested for holding an outside church service…….and we could go on and on.

Destruction of traditional Christianity:

Sexual Deviation is being normalized and even encouraged, both by certain governments as well as the entertainment industry……especially to vulnerable young children.  Drag shows in public venues have become all too common in many cities and towns….all in the name of being “inclusive”.

The U.S. now issues passports for non-binary people….you don’t have to declare yourself male or female.  And, in many states you can change the sex assigned at birth on your birth certificate.  

They want you to “follow the science” but not when it comes to physical anatomy, apparently. 

Socialism and Marxism are promoted as ideals, even though there is no evidence that either has ever worked.  You cannot find a single example of where socialism has worked.  Perhaps because people are so poorly educated that they cannot even define socialism.  The basic definition of socialism is that people have private property, but the government owns the means of production (factories, farms, etc.)  Countries such as Sweden are held up as examples where socialism works…..but Sweden is not Socialist…you can read this article from a former President of Sweden.

In the U.S. racism is raising its head in the form of “anti-racism”, which is in itself a form of racism, since everything is seen through the prism of skin color.

Attacks on the family:  everything from our schools to our society aim to diminish the importance of the family.  The family unit is the basis of society and therefore is the first target of the Devil.  The United Nations and the European Court seem inclined to view your children as theirs, not yours.  And it goes on and on.

Abortion has become a Sacrament to some:  killing of the unborn is the rallying cry for many as life is continually de-valued.  How ad it is to watch the 2024 U.S. elections, where many abortion restrictions were voted down.  Of course, many European countries have already progressed further down that path.

Division within the Church:  Even within the Church there is division:  why did Pope Benedict XVI resign?  Why do not more priests and bishops speak out against the sin of abortion? Why does the Vatican some times seem to embrace ideologies not in keeping with Catholic beliefs?  Why do many Catholics not believe in the True Presence of the Eucharist?  Why did the U.S. elect a nominally Catholic president who promoted abortion?

Why was the Bishop of Tyler, Texas removed by Pope Francis in November 2023?

The list goes on and on with no end in sight.  We are not defeatist...we realize that God is in charge…but we do look for trends that will help us discern the messages given at Garabandal.

War in Europe and the Middle East:  The war in Ukraine goes on, although the news has now taken a back seat to the ongoing war in Gaza, which could easily widen to involve the U.S. in a “third world war”.  We will the U.S. go to war in Iran?  How about Europe?  No one seems to have an answer.

So what has this to do with Garabandal?

It is no surprise that people are beginning to think that these things cannot continue and that we are approaching a time when God will intervene in a way similar to what has been foretold by the children in Garabandal.  Of course, this is not unique to Garabandal, since others have predicted such events as well.

"The Pines" in Garabandal Spain
“The Pines”

The visionaries of Garabandal were told of a world-wide warning (an illumination of conscience for everyone) and, within a year of that warning,  a miracle to be left in the pines of Garabandal….a physical sign to be seen around the world.

Within the context of such an unsettled world, people are expecting the warning of Garabandal to take place very soon.  Note that Mari Loli, who knows the date of the miracle, said it would be “within the same year“.  So is that a mis-translation, a mis-understanding, or is that correct?

Could this be the year? 

We have no idea, but the miracle is supposed to occur during the lifetime of one of the visionaries, Conchita, who is now in her 70’s.  So obviously we need to stay aware of the signs.and it is useful to point out that often times prophecies don’t seem to make sense until after they occur, and when we look back we say “of course, now I understand”.

Garabandal:  A warning and prophecy for our time?

Garabandal, Spain

An American president, Ronald Reagan, talking about nuclear disarmament with the Soviet Union, said “Trust, but verify”.  This is not a bad policy to follow when evaluating the various stories about Garabandal and the prophecies.  Every year we see a lot of interest in Garabandal, especially early in the year, since the miracle is supposed to occur in March, April or May.  The world-wide warning is to occur prior to this, then we could be on the cusp of that event.

Having visited Garabandal many times, and talked to the villagers, we are believers in the sincerity of the villagers and the overall message of Garabandal.  But that does not blind us to reality, so we with so many interviews given by the visionaries realize it is possible through mis-translation or otherwise, that the details and timeline of the events can become blurred.

You have to remember that these were simple village children with little knowledge of the outside world…there was no internet or other communication available to them and Garabandal was a tiny hamlet miles from what anyone would even consider a village.  And their parents were simple as well.  One day back in the 1990’s (we can’t remember exactly when) we happened to be in Garabandal when a helicopter landed….and the whole village was in an uproar because they had never seen a helicopter before!  So to think that these people suddenly made up the apparitions and their message is just too incredulous to imagine.

And, of course, there were many witnesses to the events of Garabandal…..including skeptics, who went away believing in the apparitions.

Setting the record straight about Garabandal:

As the Bible says in 1st Thessalonians:  “Do not despise prophetic utterances.  Test everything; retain what is good.”  Prophecies can be confusing in their interpretation.  It has been said “It would not be a prophecy if we knew ahead of time its exact meaning, and if we could guess the right date of its happening.”

Garabandal was a sleepy village in 1961 when reported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary (preceded by Saint Michael the Archangel) to four young girls took place. Important messages for the world were also given to the girls at that time. Not that long ago…and yet the messages or apparitions have not been approved, nor disapproved, by the Church.

The “bottom line” from what we understand is:

1. A worldwide warning where everyone sees their soul as God sees it (an illumination of conscience).

2. A miraculous sign to be left at the Pines here in Garabandal within 12 months of the warning.  Mari Loli is quoted as saying “within the same year“, so we are not sure which is correct.

3. A final chastisement if mankind does not repent.

For a more detailed look at the prophecies of Garabandal, check out our page here.

Click here to see our page detailing the apparitions at Garabandal, Spain.

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Book Review: “The Stigmatists” by Paul Kengor

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'The Stigmatists' by Paul Kengor, phdStigmatists, visionaries, the three days of darkness:  terms you may be familiar with; and yet, like us, you probably have friends and relatives who think you are delusional or some kind of religious fanatic to believe such things (perhaps a subject to avoid at those family get-togethers). Oh, they might believe miracles from the Bible, and maybe some prophetic announcements, but that is as far as it goes.  People with with stigmata (the wounds of Christ) in the modern era….well, that is just too hard to swallow for many living in our “rational age”.

This book may not be for those described above….although I liked the page just before the preface “praise for Stigmatists” by Al Kresta, himself a former skeptic of such manifestations.  He echoed some of our feelings, saying  “When I returned to the Catholic Church, I shied away from purported private revelations, apparitions, relics, stigmatists, and other supernatural and/or preternatural phenomena.    I couldn’t shake the sense that there was a whole lot of gullibility passing as faith.  But to raise questions was to risk being regarded as an unbeliever and a skeptic“.

Note: we think a healthy dose of skepticism is warranted, but also realize the reality of such signs.

This book shows us that these stigmatists were normal, emotionally well-balanced people and not part of some sort of strange fanatical sect. Many, if not most, of them would probably not wish to have the burden of these physical signs.

Many of the stories in this book are well-known stigmatists. We like the fact that is laid out in Chronological order….beginning with Saint Francis of Assisi (1181/1182-1226), Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824) up to the 20th century….. Saint Faustina (1905-1938), Saint Padre Pio (1887-1968) and many others)

The author then takes up to the 20th and 21st centuries in the chapter “STIGMATISTS AMONG US” such as  Alexindra da Costa (1904-1955),  Marthe Robin (1902-1981) and a few who were new to us, such as Blessed ….so we especially enjoyed learning about them.

The book points out that these stigmatists were also visionaries, having experienced visits from saints and even Jesus Christ Himself.  The final chapter summarizes some of the prophetic warnings given to these stigmatists, many of whom were given visions of Hell and told of the coming ‘Three Days of Darkness‘.

This book is well-researched, as you can tell by the credits.  Since this is really a series of short stories, it is great for reading in front of the tabernacle at Adoration, perhaps in bed, or whenever you have a chance for some quiet time in what, for most of us, has become a very busy life.

About the author:Paul G. Kengor is an author and professor of political science at Grove City College and the executive director of Institute for Faith and Freedom, a Grove City College conservative think tank/policy center. He is also a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace.

The book has yet to be released, the release date is September 24, 2024.  You can pre-order it now through the TAN Books website. Once released, you can find it at most major bookstores.