What Happens After the Pope Dies? A Visual Timeline of Rituals and Traditions

The funeral for Pope Francis, who died on Monday, will follow a centuries-old tradition, with rituals spanning several days and a viewing of his body for mourners from around the world.Immediately After the Pope’s DeathInside the Vatican, the ritual begins when a doctor is summoned to certify the pontiff’s death, and write a report.The doctor then ensures that the body will be perfectly preserved for the viewing, and the pope’s body is dressed in a white cassock.

Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, Latin for “Rite of Burial for the Roman Pontiff,” a book introduced by the Vatican last year that simplifies papal burials, allows for the confirmation of death to take place in a pontiff’s personal chapel rather than his bedroom.The cardinal chamberlain, “camerlengo” in Italian, other Vatican officials and members of the pope’s family will congregate in the chapel for a ceremony.The body is placed in a coffin made of wood and lined with zinc.

The pope will be dressed in red, with his miter and pallium, the traditional headdress worn by bishops and a strip of white wool worn like a collar, placed next to him.The camerlengo arranges for the use of a ceremonial hammer to destroy the so-called fisherman’s ring, used by the pope to seal documents, to prevent forgeries.A new one will be forged when the next pope is elected....