Washington: Paying tribute to Pope Francis, U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order, directing all American flags to fly at half-mast. "I just signed an executive order putting the flags of our country all of them at half-mast in honor of Pope Francis. He was a good man, worked hard. He loved the world," President Trump said speaking from the White House accompanied by first lady Melania Trump and Easter bunny.
Pope Francis's death will be followed by a nine-day mourning period called "Novemdiales", a tradition that dates back to the Roman times. Reportedly, a senior member of the Royal Family will attend Pope Francis's funeral at the Vatican. The funeral must take place four to six days after the pope's death.
According to CBS News, during the nine-day mourning period, cardinals from around the world gather in Rome and begin meeting in "General Congregations," a sort of campaigning period where various papal candidates give speeches about their visions for the church, mapping out the direction they think it should take.
How New Pope Is Elected?
Between 15-20 days after the pope's death, voting will commence for the selection of the new Pope, as the Cardinal Electors of the papal conclave isolate themselves from the world and begin the centuries-old process of choosing the next pope. Only cardinals under the age of 80 — currently a group of about 135 — are eligible to vote.
Behind closed doors in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel, the cardinals will cast ballots for their choice, repeating the process until a candidate emerges with a two-thirds-plus-one majority. The paper ballots are burned after each round of voting, sending up black smoke to signal no choice has been reached yet, and finally white smoke to reveal that a new pope has been selected.
