Pope Francis, who was 88 years old, passed away. The head of the Roman Catholic Church "returned to the house of the Father" at his home, Casa Santa Marta, at 07:35 local time on Easter Monday, according to a Vatican announcement. In the history of the Church, he was the first Latin American pope.
As is customary, Kevin Joseph Farrell, the cardinal chamberlain (camerlengo in Italian) and the director of the Vatican's health service, certified the pontiff's death.
In contrast to the three nested coffins typically used during the burial of former popes, the Pope's corpse will now be brought to his chapel for a private ceremony and deposited in a single casket.
Pope Francis passed away after a heart attack and stroke, according to the Vatican, which also publishes his last will and testament detailing his final desires.
Only 135 of the current 252 Catholic cardinals are eligible to vote in the election of the next pope, since those above 80 are only allowed to participate in debates but not cast votes.
Since 135 cardinals are younger than 80, they have the power to choose Pope Francis's successor.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the head of the College of Cardinals, has 15 to 20 days after Francis's burial to call the cardinals to Rome.
Catholic Bishops Conference of Ghana
In the wake of Pope Francis' passing, the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference (GCBC) has called on Ghana's church to pray and be ready for the election of his successor.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference President and Catholic Bishop of Sunyani, the Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, issued a statement requesting prayers as the church grieves "our beloved Holy Father and as we prepare our hearts for the election of his successor."
According to Gertrude Ankah, Most Reverend Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast, paid homage to Pope Francis in a broadcast interview with Accra-based TV3, calling him a towering moral voice whose legacy crossed religious bounds.
He said that Pope Francis was a man who lived out his beliefs wholeheartedly in addition to being a preacher.
He praised the late pope's efforts to advance human dignity, interfaith cooperation, and environmental stewardship, saying, "Pope Francis did not just preach; he lived what he believed."
Cardinal Turkson: The hope for Ghana
Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson of Ghana may be a good choice, according to Most Rev. Palmer-Buckle, as the Cardinals get ready to hold a conclave to choose the next pope.
"He has a great deal of experience and is the perfect age, having held important positions in the Vatican... We shall offer him our prayers if the Cardinals think it is appropriate. Ghana would be very honoured if he were elected.
However, he pointed out that the College of Cardinals and the Holy Spirit's direction have the last say.
He urged Catholics everywhere to join him in spiritual meditation, saying, "Let the Lord show us who the next Pope should be."
How the next Pope will be selected
Within the conclave
53 in Europe
Asia: 23
Africa: 18; Latin America: 21
North America: 16
Oceania: 4
The cardinals reside in the five-story guesthouse, the House of St. Martha, which has 106 suites, 22 single rooms, and a state apartment, during the conclave. During his time as pope, Pope Francis resided in room 201.
Each day, the cardinals will go down the Via della Fondamenta to the Sistine Chapel, the site of the conclave. During this time, all external conversations are prohibited.
During the conclave, the faithful congregate in St. Peter's Square, anticipating the moment when smoke emerges from the Sistine Chapel's chimney.
Selecting the pope
Papal conclaves are famously unpredictable because to the extreme secrecy surrounding the election process. Until a new Pope is chosen, they are prohibited from communicating with the outside world when they enter the Sistine Chapel.
Doctors, confessors, masters of ceremonies, chefs, and housekeepers are the only individuals allowed in the chapel and guesthouse. However, they are also required to keep all information pertaining to the conclave confidential.
Since these individuals are not affiliated with any political party, unlike other global governments, it is impossible to tell precisely what their priorities are, where they stand on contentious subjects, or what will be on their minds when they cast their ballots. Davide Ghiglione of the BBC in Rome said, "It all adds up to a lot of intrigue and very little certainty."
The Sistine Chapel's Michelangelo frescoes and artwork can serve as some inspiration for the cardinals.
The Last Judgement, with trumpeting angels on clouds waking the dead, is shown above the altar.
Cardinals alternately cast their ballots on a plain card that reads, "I elect as Supreme Pontiff," in Latin.
They deposit their cards into the big silver and guilded urn after walking in line according to seniority.
The votes will then be read aloud and counted by three scrutineers, the camerlengo's helpers. After that, all of the paper cards are burned after being stitched together.
For the conclave, two furnaces are set up behind the Sistine Chapel.
The ballot papers are burned in the one on the right, and more smoke is produced in the one on the left to indicate which way the vote went.
Chemicals are used to create white smoke to announce the election of a new Pope or black smoke to indicate a failed vote.
People waiting in St. Peter's Square may see the chimney where the smoke is discharged. To prevent misunderstanding, bells are pealed in tandem with the discharge of white smoke.
Only after a two-thirds majority of votes is obtained—which may take some time—is a new Pope chosen.
The cardinals will cast their votes up to four times a day if it doesn't occur on the first afternoon. After the third day, if they haven't made up their minds, they may take a prayer break.
Every seven votes after that, they are free to take another break. A run-off between the two most-voted candidates will take place if, after 33 rounds, no decision has been determined.
Conclaves typically last a few days; the longest in history began in 1268 and lasted for two years and nine months.
However, since the turn of the 20th century, conclaves have lasted an average of three days due to a number of rule modifications that sped up the process. The longest lasted five years, in 1922.
After two days, Pope Francis was chosen, as was his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.
What does a name mean?
A pope must declare his papal name and openly accept the position in front of the College of Cardinals after being elected.
Pope Francis said in a news conference after his election that he was inspired by his Brazilian friend Cardinal Claudio Hummes and that his name commemorated St. Francis of Assisi.
When he was declared, Hummes gave him a hug and a kiss, the pope told reporters, adding, "Do not forget the poor."
Popes used their own names for almost 500 years. To make their given names simpler or to allude to earlier popes, these evolved into symbolic names.
The majority of popes throughout history have selected the name John primarily for this reason.
Following the announcement of his new name, the newly appointed Pope is escorted to the Sistine Chapel's "Room of Tears," an antechamber where he is first presented with his papal robes and accoutrements, which include a white cassock, a cape known as the mozzetta, and a white skullcap known as the zucchetto.
The area gets its moniker from stories of former popes who were brought to tears after being elected because they were so overcome by the gravity of the situation.
His personal choice of what to dress from that option within those initial few minutes may reveal how he feels about the position he has just been admitted into. Pope Francis famously chose a plain white cassock over the ornate crimson cope, a ceremonial garment used by clergy, with ermine.
The next Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church will be introduced to hundreds of devotees from across the globe from a balcony in St. Peter's Basilica that overlooks the plaza.
The plaza will resound with the customary greeting, "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum... habemus papam!" - "I announce to you a great joy... we have a Pope!"
Using extra BBC files
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