Following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, an Irish-American archbishop is now the acting head of the Vatican.
Kevin Farrell, 77, who announced the death of the Catholic leader, will serve as camerlengo — or "chamberlain" — until the next pope is elected.
As part of his duties during the papal interregnum, Farrell will run the Vatican's administration and help to organise the conclave, the process by which Pope Francis' successor is chosen.
In a short statement announcing the pope’s death on Monday, Farrell praised the pontiff for dedicating his life to the church.
"He taught us to live the values of the gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised," Farrell said.
Who is Kevin Farrell?
Farrell, who holds US citizenship, was born in Dublin on 2 September, 1947.
After studying in Spain and Italy, the cardinal worked for the Catholic Church in Mexico and the US.
In 1984, Farrell became a priest in the US capital. Almost two decades later, he was elevated to the position of auxiliary bishop of Washington in 2001.
During this role, he worked under the late ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was defrocked by the Vatican in 2019 for abusing children and adults. Farrell has repeatedly denied knowing anything about McCarrick’s behaviour at the time.
Nine years after he was appointed bishop of Dallas in 2007, Farrell received a call from Pope Francis asking him to move to Rome to head the laity office, a key area of the Argentinian pontiff’s reforms.
Within hours of his arrival in Italy in October 2016, Francis announced that Farrell would be made a cardinal.
On a flight back to Rome from the 2019 World Youth Day in Panama, the pope asked Farrell to serve as camerlengo in the event of his death.
What does the camerlengo do?
As well as taking charge of the day-to-day running of the Vatican before the next pope is elected, the camerlengo plays an important ceremonial function.
Farrell will have certified the pope’s death on Monday, before sealing the pontiff’s apartment and breaking his signet ring to symbolise the vacancy at the Vatican.
On Wednesday, Farrell will lead the procession accompanying Francis’ coffin into St Peter's Basilica.
Being camerlengo does not rule Farrell out from being the next pontiff. Although it is uncommon, a few of his predecessors were appointed pope, including Gioacchino Pecci, who became Leo XIII in 1878.
The funeral of Pope Francis, who died from a stroke followed by heart failure, will be held in St Peter's Square on Saturday morning.
