It was the obligation of theCamerarius (papal chamberlain), the head of theCamera Apostolica, to formally establish the death of the pope.[4] Gradually, this led to the theory that the Camerarius, as the chief of theRoman Curia, should conduct normal business even after the death of the pope, and also conduct the burial and the preparation for the new election. This process was evident during the tenure of CamerariusBoso Breakspeare, nephew of Pope Adrian IV, who served as chamberlain during the late 12th century.[5] During the longsede vacante of 1268 to 1271, the importance of the Camerarius was so clear that the Cardinals prepared to elect a new one if he died.[5]
The papacy was most recentlysede vacante from 21 April[6][7] to 8 May 2025 following the death ofPope Francis.[8]
According toUniversi Dominici gregis, the government of theHoly See and the administration of the Catholic Church duringsede vacante falls to the College of Cardinals, but in a very limited capacity. At the same time, all the heads of the departments of theRoman Curia "cease to exercise" their offices. The exceptions are theCardinal Camerlengo, who is charged with managing the properties of the Holy See, and theMajor Penitentiary, who continues to exercise his normal role. If either has to do something which normally requires the assent of the pope, he has to submit it to the College of Cardinals.Papal legates continue to exercise their diplomatic roles and both theVicar General of Rome and theVicar General for the Vatican City State continue to exercise their pastoral role during this period. Thepostal administration of theVatican City State prepares and issues special postage stamps for use during this particular period, known as "sede vacante stamps".
Thecoat of arms of the Holy See also changes during this period. Thepapal tiara over thekeys is replaced with theumbraculum, orombrellino inItalian. This symbolizes both the lack of a pope and the governance of the camerlengo over thetemporalities of the Holy See. The camerlengo also ornaments hisarms with this symbol during this period, which he removes once a pope is elected. Previously during this period, the arms of the camerlengo appeared on commemorativeVatican lira coinage. It now makes its appearance onVatican euro coins, which are legal tender in allEurozone states.
Theinterregnum is highlighted by thefuneralMass of the deceased pope and the general congregations of the College of Cardinals for determining the particulars of the election, and finally culminating in thepapal conclave to elect a successor. Once a new pope has been elected, andordained bishop if necessary, thesede vacante period ends, even before thepapal inauguration.
Cardinals present in Rome may wait a maximum of fifteen days after the start of the vacancy before they hold the conclave to elect the new pope, although this period may be extended by five days by a vote of the college. After twenty days have elapsed, they must hold the conclave, even if some cardinals are not present. The period from the death of the pope to the start of the conclave was often shorter but, after CardinalWilliam O'Connell arrived too late for two conclaves in a row,Pope Pius XI extended the time limit. With the next conclave in 1939, cardinals began to travel by air. Days before his resignation in February 2013,Pope Benedict XVI amended the rules to allow the cardinals to begin the conclave sooner if all voting cardinals are present.[10] Historically,sede vacante periods have often been quite lengthy, lasting many months, or even years, due to deadlocked conclaves.
The longest period without a pope in the last 250 years was the approximately half year from the death in prison ofPius VI in 1799 and the election ofPius VII inVenice in 1800.
Conclaves and papal elections are generally completed in short order, but there have been several periods when the papacy has been vacant for months or even years.
The following table detailssede vacante periods in excess of a year:
The termsede vacante can be applied to Catholic dioceses, archdioceses, andeparchies outside of Rome. In such cases, this means that the particular diocesanbishop orarchbishop has either died, resigned, been transferred to a different diocese or archdiocese, or lost his office and a successor has not yet beeninstalled or assumed office. If there is acoadjutor bishop for the diocese, then this period does not take place, as the coadjutor bishop or archbishop immediately succeeds to theepiscopal see.
If the college of consultors fails to elect a qualifying person within the time allotted, the choice of an administrator passes to themetropolitan archbishop or, if the metropolitan see is vacant, to the senior-most by appointment of thesuffragan bishops. Thepope can also decide to name an administrator himself to a diocese or archdiocese instead of waiting for the college of consultors of a particular diocese, metropolitan archbishop or the senior-most by appointment of the bishops within the ecclesiastical province to appoint a diocesan administrator where it is then called asapostolic administrator. Usually, the emeritus bishop will be appointed in such a case. If the appointed apostolic administrator is a diocesan bishop or archbishop of a diocese or archdiocese, then he governs two dioceses which are his own and the vacant one, with the latter being temporarily while a successor of a vacant diocese is not yet installed or assumed office.[15]
Before the election of the administrator of a vacant see, the governance of the see is entrusted, with the powers of avicar general, to theauxiliary bishop, if there is one, or to the senior among them, if there are several, otherwise to the college of consultors as a whole. The administrator has greater powers, essentially those of a bishop or archbishop except for matters excepted by the nature of the matter or expressly by law.[16] Canon law subjects his activity to various legal restrictions and to special supervision by the college of consultors (as for example canons 272 and 485).
Vicars general and episcopal vicars lose their powerssede vacante if they are not bishops or archbishops;[17] the vicars that are themselves having both positions retain the powers they had before the see fell vacant, which they are to exercise under the authority of the administrator.[18] However, vicar generals retain their duties and responsibilities of the office—specifically duringsede vacante serving as right-hand to thediocesan orapostolic administrator to establish continuity—until the succeeding bishop is installed or assumes office on a diocese.
Acoat of arms of the last bishop or archbishop of a diocese or archdiocese, either the arms of a transferred, retired or dead previous bishop or the one as bishop of a transferred diocese, may also be used duringsede vacante period to indicate and establish continuity while awaiting for the installation of a successor. Once a successor is installed or assumed office which ends thesede vacante period, the coat of arms of a new bishop will replace his predecessor's arms.
The name of a bishop or an archbishop is not mentioned in theEucharistic Prayer of theMass while a successor is not yet installed or assumed office. After mentioning thePope, the celebrant will either immediately mention the statement "and all the clergy", skipping the name of a bishop or generally stating all the bishops as "the Order of Bishops". If a locally appointed diocesan administrator or anapostolic administrator is a bishop, however, his name is mentioned ("our Administrator", or simply as "our Bishop") as if a diocese has a prelate installed in office.
Additionally, the administrator may not sit on thecathedra even if he is a bishop or an archbishop, as it symbolizes the office of a full-time or mainstay prelate, and the former only serves as the temporary head of a diocese while a successor is not yet installed into office. He may only use a chair reserved for the main celebrant of a Mass.
The termsede vacante is also used in theAnglican Communion, including in the canon law of theChurch of England.[22] When a diocesan see is vacant, its temporalities vest in theCrown as guardian, including the bishop's right of patronage tobenefices. The exercise of this is termed the Crown'ssede vacante patronage.[23] It is also used in other contexts where there is a vacancy in a see.[24][25][26]
^Noble, Thomas F. X. (1984).The Republic of St. Peter : the birth of the Papal State, 680-825. Philadelphia. p. 207.ISBN0-8122-7917-4.OCLC10100806.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^As is usual in English, in canon law also (Code of Canon Law, canon 203), the initial day is not counted in calculating the length of a period, unless the period began with the beginning of the day.
^SeeCodex Iuris Canonici Canon 502 § 3 (noting that an episcopal conference can transfer the functions of the consultors to the cathedral chapter).
^Sede vacante Wills: A Calendar of Wills Proved Before the Commissary of the Prior and Chapter of Christ Church, Canterbury During Vacancies in the Primacy (Cross & Jackman, 1914)
