The person tasked with leading the Catholic Church until a alternative for Pope Francis is elected is a bloke from Dublin called Kevin.
Raised in an Irish-speaking household within the working class suburb of Drimnagh, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell has risen to grow to be probably the most powerful men within the Vatican.
The 77-year-old’s firm opposition to same-sex marriage stands in contrast to Pope Francis’s decision to permit priests to bless same-sex couples.
But this didn’t stop the late Pope from appointing him ‘camerlengo’, giving him responsibility for ensuring a smooth transition.
After certifying Francis’s death, Farrell will prepare for the papal conclave, through which the following Pope will likely be elected.
This private gathering of cardinals on the Vatican must happen inside 15 to twenty days of the Pope’s death.
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Behind closed doors, cardinals will discuss and keep voting until a majority selects a successor.
White smoke released from a Vatican chimney will indicate the moment when this task is complete.
Farrell will likely stay on in his position as camerlengo after this until he turns 80 or resigns for health reasons.
But there’s a slim probability it’s Farrell himself who’s elected by his peers to function the following Pope.
That is likely to be a longshot nonetheless, as Farrell is nowhere near the bookies favourite.
Currently the chances are in favour of the progressive Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, who can be the primary Asian Pope, or the continuity candidate Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Farrell spent much of his profession within the USA, nevertheless it was in Drimnagh, in an Irish republican household, where he became an lively member of the Catholic Church.
At 13 or 14, Farrell joined the Legionaries of Christ, an ultra-conservative religious order whose founder abused not less than 175 children since he founded it in 1941.
There is no such thing as a indication Farrell was a victim, however the abuse scandals rocking the Catholic Church would linger throughout his profession.
In 2001, Farrell was consecrated as a bishop by Theodore McCarrick, a cardinal later kicked out of the clergy by Pope Francis after McCarrick was found to have used his position to sexually abuse adults and youngsters.
‘Never once did I even suspect’, Farrell said. ‘I used to be focused on running the archdiocese. What Cardinal McCarrick was doing here, there and in every single place and all around the world didn’t enter into my every day routine of running the archdiocese of Washington.
‘At no time did anyone ever approach me and tell me. And I used to be approached by over 70 victims of abuse [in different cases] from all around the United States after 2002.’
Farrell’s profession rose to latest heights when Pope Francis was elected in 2013 following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.
The late Pope appointed him to a newly created role on the Vatican in 2016, rising to the rank of camerlengo in 2019.
When Pope Francis died, Farrell said: ‘His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church.
‘He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized.
‘With immense gratitude for his example as a real disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.’
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