Local priest discusses what happens next after death of Pope Francis
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The catholic church and Catholics around the world are still in mourning after the news that Pope Francis has died, but what does the church do following the death of the pope?
The College of Cardinals is now being called to Rome to take part in the selection of a new pope, beginning a very private and sometimes time consuming process.
On Wednesday, Pope Francis’s body was taken to Saint Peter’s Basilica, where his body lies in state for thousands of visitors to the Vatican. The pope’s passing, though, did come at an awkward time for the church, as his passing came during the Easter celebration.
Father Corey Bruns, parochial vicar at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Bowling Green, says, “The church right now is really focused on praying for the soul of Pope Francis. And so, we’ve entered kind of this period of mourning. So we hang blank black bunting on the doors of the church. It’s kind of weird this year because it’s during the octave of Easter. And so normally the moment the pope would die, you would have funeral masses being celebrated around the world for him. And we can’t do that. Liturgical speaking. We’re kind of bound with the celebrations of Easter.”
While the catholic church is actively searching for a new pope, the effect on local churches and dioceses across the world will be minimal as important functions the dioceses handle will still be actively attended to as the search for a new pope continues.
Bruns says, “Certain things continue happening. So the Apostolic Penitentiary, the cardinal prefect of that still exists. So, dealing with annulment cases, questions related to, the sacrament of confession and stuff. Those things continue to take place, during the interregnum. So we won’t see a problem or anything kind of with those things that come from Bowling Green, from the Diocese of Owensboro, etc.”
While Catholics wait for the conclave to make a decision, the cardinals will be actively discussing and voting on who the new pope will be, a process that has taken up to a few years but more recently has taken only just a few days.
