Vatican's powerful figure: Who is cardinal Kevin Farrell?

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Camerlengo of the Roman Catholic Church, has recently been in the news for declaring the death of Pope Francis. The Camerlengo, Farrell, is a very powerful figure in the Church and is tasked with conducting the Church's business upon the death of the Pope.

About cardinal Kevin Farrell

Kevin Farrell, 77, is an Irish-born cardinal and was elected as Camerlengo in 2019. He is a master of theology and has dedicated his entire life to spreading Christianity. Farrell was ordained as a Catholic priest in Rome in the year 1978 and has been working for the Church in different capacities ever since.

Controversy surrounding Farrell

Farrell's opinion on homosexuality has been controversial in the past. In 2018, he denied Ireland's gay-friendly president permission to speak at the Church, and he was widely criticized.

The Role of Camerlengo

The Camerlengo is a significant individual in the Roman Catholic Church, particularly between the time of the death of a Pope and the election of a new one.

The Camerlengo has the responsibility of:

• Confirming the death of the Pope
• Announcing the Pope's death to the public
•  Managing the governing of the Church for the transitional period
•  Maintaining a smooth administration of the Church affairs

The importance of the role of Camerlengo

The Camerlengo's office is based on history and tradition. "Camerlengo" comes from medieval Latin "cameralingus," i.e., chamberlain, or the chamber attendant of the sovereign. The Camerlengo's announcement of the Pope's death is final, and he has a key role in the election of the next Pope.

The ritual of confirming the death of the Pope 

It is according to custom that the Camerlengo softly strikes the Pope on the head with a silver hammer in order to confirm his death. If the corpse does not stir, the Camerlengo announces the Pope's death.

Pope Francis' passing has put the role of this office into focus

Cardinal Kevin Farrell's position as Camerlengo is a key one, and his announcement of Pope Francis' death has highlighted the role of this position in the Roman Catholic Church. Although Farrell's opinions have been controversial, his commitment to the Church can be seen in his years of service and devotion to propagating Christianity.