After the death of Pope Francis Last Monday, April 21, all the high controls of the Catholic Church must resign from their functions, according to strict procedures in the Vatican City. However, the only one who will maintain his role will be the Camarlengothe cardinal in charge of administering the “current issues.”
On this occasion, the 77 -year -old Irish cardinal Kevin Farrell, will act as “interim potato” and must direct the Catholic Church until the election of the new Pontiff in the conclavethe meeting held by the Cardenalicio College to be able to choose a new Holy Father, who will also be the bishop of Rome and the sovereign of Vatican.
It is worth mentioning that Farrell will have the “powers“Of a Pope, although reduced, because he will have to manage the Vatican affairs while the 9 days of mourning are celebrated and subsequently The 20 -day deadline is elapsed to organize a conclavewhere cardinals from all over the world participate under 80 years.
According to the authorities in the Vatican, Kevin Farrell was chosen to be the Camarlengo by Pope Francis in February 2019, Since the Argentine considered that the Irish cardinal was going to be able to gather “quietly” the entire congregation, to fix the date of the conclave and perform all the funeral and religious cermonies.
Who is the interim Pope?
Kevin Joseph Farrell He was born in the city of DublinIreland, on September 2, 1947 and made the decision to pursue his studies in higher education together with his older brother, the bishop Brian Farrellat the University of Salamanca, Spain, where he graduated in theology and later made a master’s degree in philosophy.
At 30, Farrell was ordered priest in the city of Rome, Italy, and decided to start his pastoral ministry in Monterreythe capital of the state of Nuevo León in the Northeast of Mexico, where it taught seminars on bioethics and social ethics. However, five years later, it was incorporated into the archdiocese of Washington D. c.
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After more than two decades in the capital of the United States, the Pope John Paul II appointed Kevin Farrell the Auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washigton D. C, where he received the consecration during an Eucharist in 2002. However, six years later, the BENEDICT XVI PAPA He designated them as Titular bishop of the diocese of Dallas.
As a bishbo of Dallas, Kevin Farrel was responsible for supervising the Department of Immigration Services and Refugees in the State of Texas, where he directly supported the administration and coordination of all the groups designated in the sectors of evangelismsocial justice, education and institutional development.
Subsequently, at the end of August 2016, the Irishman was appointed by the Pope Francis as the first prefect of the new “Dicasterio for laity, family and life”, so that a year later, it could become a cardinal of the Catholic Church as a member of the Pontifical Commission for the State of the Vatican City.
Finally, in February 2019, he was appointed at 70 as the current shrimp by Pope Francis, and for that same reason he was in charge of announcing the death of the Pontiff on April 21, 2025. Given this situation, Kevin Farrell will administer temporarily The Vatican until they choose a new Holy Father.
“With deep pain I have to announce that Pope Francis has died,” Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrel announced from the Vatican pic.twitter.com/bitjc8uelg
– Prensalibrecasanare (@prensalibcasan) April 21, 2025