With the death of Pope Francis, Irish-American Cardinal Kevin Farrell has been given the responsibility of acting head of the Vatican. As Pope Francis is declared to have 'returned to the Father's house', Farrell takes on the role of 'Camerlengo (the person who runs the Vatican after the death or resignation of the Pope)'.

Pope Francis nominated him for the role in 2019. He will now remain in this position until the next pope is elected. This means he will also play an important role in the century-old mourning program, including the funeral of Pope Francis . 

The Pope, who is considered the successor of Saint Peter, leads the Catholic Church . His 1.4 billion worldwide  Followers are . Catholics believe that the Pope's relationship is directly linked to Jesus Christ, so he becomes a major source of spiritual guidance. Along with the Bible, papal directives help shape the faith and practice of the Church. Other Christian denominations such as Protestants and Orthodox Christians do not recognize his authority.

After the funeral of Pope Francis, a conference of cardinals is called to elect a successor . The conference should start within at least 15 and at most 20 days after the death of the Pope. There are more than 250 cardinals from more than 90 countries, but 135 'cardinal electors' up to the age of 80 choose Francis' successor at the conclave. Among them, 53 are from Europe, 23 from Asia, 21 from Latin America, 18 from Africa, 16 from North America and 4 cardinals from Oceania.

Cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel . It is a Renaissance wonderland adorned with Michelangelo's famous frescoes. Voting is held four times a day, morning and afternoon, until one candidate receives two-thirds of the votes.  If the

decision is not reached, they may take a break for prayer after the third day . Since then, one can take another break every seven votes. If the Pope is not elected after 33 rounds, a vote is held between the two candidates who receive the most votes.  It is common for

conferences to last several days. The longest conference in history that started in June 1268 lasted for 9 years and 9 months. But as many rules have been changed over time to speed up the process, the average length of a conference since the beginning of the 20th century has been 3 days . Since then the conference of 1922 lasted for five days . Both Pope Francis and his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI were elected two days later.

Cardinals cannot communicate with the outside world until the vote is successful  . Only doctors, master of ceremonies, cooks and cleaning staff are allowed to enter there . They are also bound to maintain the confidentiality of all matters relating to the conference. 

At the end of each session, ballots are burned in a stove in the chapel and the smoke rises up a 60-foot chimney. If the vote fails, black smoke is released, while white smoke indicates that a new pope has been elected . But chemicals are used to make smoke black or white. 

Francis' funeral Saturday 

The funeral of Pope Francis, who died on Monday, will be held on Monday. Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88 due to a stroke. He was admitted to a hospital in Rome on February 14 after suffering from bronchitis. But later, pneumonia was found in both his lungs . He was discharged from the hospital on March 23. 

The body of the Pope, who died on Monday, is kept in the church of the Santa Marta residence . It is said that he will be moved to St. Peter's Basilica for the last darshan from Wednesday . His funeral Mass will be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Francis' predecessors were also buried there .