Death and the conclave: What happens if a new pope dies?
What if a papacy was really, really short?
This “smoke signals” is a little bit dark. It’s what happens when you’re waiting around a press room all day.
The odd thing about an election in a gerontocracy is the way that “youth” factors into the discussion. Someone 79 years old might be tagged as too old to be elected, while another — in his 60s — might be framed as too young.
Of course, the real head of the Church is timeless, ageless, and ascended into heaven after only 33 years of age. But in contemporary times, selecting his terrestrial vicar means sorting through candidates who have nearly all surpassed the sunny end of the actuarial table.
In the conclave of 2025, the man selected to be pope is statistically most likely to be in his late 70s, and for at least some of the electors, he may well suffer the compounding health effects of a “white-collar” lifestyle, and eating habits which include fewer than the recommended number of vegetables.
History has recorded some very short papacies, some lasting just weeks. But given the shock that must come with being elected the successor of St. Peter — and the actuarial realities of the candidates — it surprising that no man elected has suffered a major medical episode at the conclave itself.
But as The Pillar waits around for the white smoke to billow, it’s a topic we’ve been discussing among ourselves.
What happens if the elected pope succumbs to the shock of the election, and leaves behind this mortal coil in the “room of tears?”
What does the Church do then?
The answer depends on when exactly the elected man should become dead.