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What Happens When The Pope Dies · The Infographics Show Podcast

• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Okay, let's face it. Infographics they're great, right, Yeah, easy
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: to understand, visually appealing, good for a quick overview, but
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: sometimes you just want more.
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: Yeah, sometimes you need that deep.
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: Dive exactly, and that's what we do here on beyond infographics.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: So today we're going deep into something with centuries of
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: tradition and a little mystery. We're talking about what happens
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: when a pope dies.
• 0:30
  Speaker 3: It's a really interesting process. It's not just about mourning
• 0:33
  Speaker 3: a religious leader. It's about this global institution with over
• 0:36
  Speaker 3: a billion followers and how it keeps going.
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: So first things first, right, someone has to make it
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: official that the pope has actually passed away. That's where
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: the camer Lengo comes in, this high ranking Vatican official.
• 0:46
  Speaker 3: Yeah, the camer Lngo is key here. And you know,
• 0:48
  Speaker 3: historically there were some pretty dramatic traditions, like they used
• 0:51
  Speaker 3: to call out the pope's baptismal name, and there's even
• 0:54
  Speaker 3: this story, maybe a myth, about tapping their forehead with
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: a hammer.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: Wait a hammer.
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: Really, it's kind of a legend.
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  Speaker 3: The Vatican says it never happened, but you know, it
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  Speaker 3: shows you how serious this all was that these days
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: of course, medical professionals confirm the death, but the camer
• 1:08
  Speaker 3: lango still does certain symbolic things.
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: So once it's official, what does the camer Lanngo actually.
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: Do a lot?
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  Speaker 3: Actually, first they have to tell the College of Cardinals,
• 1:18
  Speaker 3: which is basically the governing body of the Catholic Church.
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  Speaker 3: You could think of them like the Pope's cabinet. They
• 1:24
  Speaker 3: elect the new pope, they handle church affairs.
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: So like the board of directors for the whole Catholic
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  Speaker 1: Church exactly.
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: And then, of course the world needs to know, so
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: the camer Lango makes sure there's an official announcement, and
• 1:34
  Speaker 3: then the morning period begin.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: Right the morning period, that's the noven daily, isn't it
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: nine days? Sounds like something from ancient Rome.
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: You got it? Nine days.
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: It's a time for intense morning and prayer, not just
• 1:45
  Speaker 3: within the church, but often you see it all over
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  Speaker 3: Italy too. The Pope's body lies in state at Saint
• 1:50
  Speaker 3: Peter's Basilica, so people can pay their respects and their
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: daily masses and prayers.
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: It must be powerful for people of faith to say
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: goodbye like that in such a historic place. I've also
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: heard about some well unusual traditions around papal funerals, embalming,
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: removing organs. I even read somewhere that some churches have
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: jars with the hearts of past popes. Is that true?
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: It is?
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: Those practices have their roots in history. They show how
• 2:15
  Speaker 3: much reverence popes were held in and still are. Embalming
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: was common for centuries, and removing organs, especially the heart.
• 2:23
  Speaker 3: It was a way to create relics objects that people
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: venerate because of their connection to holy figures.
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: So a way to keep a piece of the pope
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: even after death in a way. That's fascinating. But are
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: these practices still common today?
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: Not really?
• 2:35
  Speaker 3: Pop Francis, for example, he wants a simpler approach, no
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  Speaker 3: big displays, no fancy platform for his funeral, and he
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: wants to be buried in a single wooden coffin, which
• 2:46
  Speaker 3: is breaking from the tradition of using three.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: Interesting how individual popes can shape these traditions, isn't It
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: shows how the church evolves even with all that history.
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: Exactly, And while the world mourns, the church has to
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: keep going. That's where state of veconte comes in. It
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: means that seat is vacant, right.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: The church can't just stop everything, so what happens during
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: this time? Does the College of Cardinals do they just
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: take over all the pope's responsibilities.
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: Not quite. They become caretakers. Really.
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: They focus on essential stuff and prepare for the new
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: pope's election. But they can't make any big changes, you know,
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: doctrinal changes or policy decisions. It's about keeping things stable
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: until there's a new leader.
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  Speaker 1: Got it, a holding pattern? So after the nine days
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: of mourning, what comes next?
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  Speaker 3: The funeral itself. It's usually a big event held in
• 3:28
  Speaker 3: Saint Peter's Square, led by the Dean of the College
• 3:30
  Speaker 3: of Cardinals, and traditionally popes are buried in the Vatican Grottos,
• 3:34
  Speaker 3: that's the crypts underneath Saint Peter's Basilica. Almost one hundred
• 3:37
  Speaker 3: popes are buried there.
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: Wow, that's some serious history. You mentioned before though about
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: Pope Francis wanting things different. Does that apply to his
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: burial too?
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: It does.
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  Speaker 3: He said he wants to be buried in the Santa
• 3:47
  Speaker 3: Maria Majoria Basilica in Rome, a place that has special
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: meaning for him. He'd be the first pope in over
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  Speaker 3: a century to be buried outside the Vatican, shows his
• 3:55
  Speaker 3: humbler approach.
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  Speaker 1: Interesting how those traditions are changing, even in something like
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: a table funeral shows there's room for individual choices even
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: at a century's old institution. But of course the big
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: question is how do they choose the next pope. They
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  Speaker 1: don't like have campaigns and debates, do they?
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  Speaker 3: No, not quite. The process is called a conclave, and
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  Speaker 3: it's one of the most secretive elections in the world.
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: Okay, now really intrigued, tell me more.
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  Speaker 3: Well, it all starts with all the cardinals under eighty
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  Speaker 3: years old. They gather in wait for it, the Cystine Chapel.
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  Speaker 1: That Cistine Chapel with the Michelangelo Seal.
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  Speaker 3: The one and only, and they're locked inside, sworn to secrecy.
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  Speaker 3: Their job elect the next leader of the Catholic Church.
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  Speaker 1: Talk about pressure making a decision like that with all
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: those masterpieces staring down at.
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  Speaker 3: You, right, the weight of history right there. And to
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: keep the world updated, they use a system that's simple
• 4:43
  Speaker 3: but dramatic. Smoke signals ah.
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  Speaker 1: Yes, the smoke signals. Black smoke means no pope yet, right,
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  Speaker 1: and white smoke means they've got one.
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  Speaker 2: You got it.
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  Speaker 3: It's a visual announcement. The whole world watches, everyone waiting
• 4:54
  Speaker 3: to see what happens.
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  Speaker 1: Must be incredible when that white smoke finally appears, a
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  Speaker 1: new era for the church is beginning.
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: It's a mix of so much tradition, history, the sacred,
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  Speaker 3: and the political. Few things can compare.
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: I think we've covered a lot of ground already, from
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  Speaker 1: a pope's passing to that anticipation of a new one
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: being chosen. It's so much more than meets the eye.
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  Speaker 2: It really is.
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  Speaker 3: It shows the power of tradition but also this human
• 5:19
  Speaker 3: need for faith and leadership.
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: Before we get into the details of the conclave and
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: how that selection actually works, just a quick reminder to
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: everyone listening. We love bringing you these deep dives.
• 5:28
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• 5:30
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• 5:33
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• 5:34
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• 5:36
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• 5:38
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• 5:40
  Speaker 2: We appreciate all the support.
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: All right, back to the conclave. Let's see how a
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: new pope is chosen.
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: So we've got those cardinals locked in the Cystine Chapel.
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: They've got a big job ahead of them. But how
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: does it actually work. It's all about secret ballots and
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  Speaker 3: getting a two thirds majority. Picture this, these cardinals surrounded
• 5:57
  Speaker 3: by Michelangelo's work, writing down the name of the choice
• 6:00
  Speaker 3: on a little piece of paper.
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: It sounds like a movie, all those whispers, those big
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  Speaker 1: decisions being made.
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  Speaker 3: It's definitely got tradition and ritual. Yeah, each ballot gets
• 6:08
  Speaker 3: folded carefully put into a special chalice, and if no
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  Speaker 3: one gets two thirds of the votes, they do it
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  Speaker 3: again and again, up to four times a day.
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: Wow, that could take a while. And all that time,
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: the world's watching, literally watching the smoke from that chimney
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: on the Sistine Chapel. Crazy as something that simple can
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: be so important.
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  Speaker 3: It is a powerful symbol, isn't it That black smoke
• 6:27
  Speaker 3: up against the Roman skyline? Uncertainty, anticipation, waiting for what's
• 6:32
  Speaker 3: happening behind those closed doors, and then white smoke. It's
• 6:35
  Speaker 3: like everyone takes a breath excitement. A new chapter is
• 6:38
  Speaker 3: about to start.
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  Speaker 1: We talked before about the camer Lngo and all their
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: duties during this in between time. Does that role continue
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: even after the new pope is elected?
• 6:46
  Speaker 3: Absolutely, when the new Pope is chosen. The camera LNGO
• 6:48
  Speaker 3: gives them the fisherman's ring. That's the symbol of table authority.
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I've seen that ring. It's pretty and Saint Peter,
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  Speaker 1: isn't it the first pope casting his net.
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  Speaker 2: That's it.
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  Speaker 3: It's a connection to the very beginning of the papacy
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  Speaker 3: and the camer Lngo's right there for that handover of power.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, so White Smoke, we know there's a new pope.
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  Speaker 1: What happens next? Is it like a big reveal? Do
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  Speaker 1: the doors open? New Pope walks out to cheering crowd.
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  Speaker 3: Not quite that dramatic, but it is full of anticipation.
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  Speaker 3: A cardinal, a senior one goes out onto the balcony
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  Speaker 3: overlooking Saint Peter's square and they say it that famous
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  Speaker 3: Latin phrase, habimus pop bomb.
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  Speaker 2: We have a pope.
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  Speaker 3: And then we see the new Pope exactly Whitecassick, papal
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  Speaker 3: name chosen. They come out onto the balcony address the
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  Speaker 3: people give their first blessing as the new leader of
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  Speaker 3: the church. The start of a new era, a real
• 7:32
  Speaker 3: meeting point of history, tradition, and the future of this
• 7:35
  Speaker 3: global faith.
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: It's pretty mind blowing to think about all that history,
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: all those expectations resting on one person.
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  Speaker 3: It's a role unlike any other spiritual leader, global influence,
• 7:45
  Speaker 3: and each pope brings something new, their own perspective, their
• 7:49
  Speaker 3: own priorities.
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: Speaking of perspective, we've been talking about the process itself,
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: but I'm curious what stands out to you about this
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: whole transition beyond the specific rituals and stuff.
• 7:58
  Speaker 3: The big picture, it's this mix of things staying the
• 8:00
  Speaker 3: same and things changing.
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  Speaker 2: That's what I find fascinating.
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  Speaker 3: You have traditions that are hundreds of years old, rituals
• 8:05
  Speaker 3: that haven't really changed. It shows you how strong the
• 8:07
  Speaker 3: Catholic Church is, how it's kept its identity across generations.
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  Speaker 1: There is something comforting about that, isn't there that connection
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: to the past.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, But then you also see each pope brings their
• 8:17
  Speaker 3: own personality, their own vision, whether it's Pope Francis and
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: his focus on simplicity or the different views each pope has,
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  Speaker 3: theological political I'm always this evolution within all the continuity.
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: Tradition and progress, trying to keep the past but also
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  Speaker 1: adapt to the present exactly.
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  Speaker 3: That tension that's what makes it so interesting. Even institutions
• 8:37
  Speaker 3: that seem so old, so fixed, they can change, They
• 8:40
  Speaker 3: can reflect what's happening in the world.
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: Great point, and it shows that the Catholic Church is
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: still relevant even in a world that's constantly changing. We've
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: covered a lot today, but I do want to be
• 8:48
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• 8:51
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  Speaker 1: It really makes you think, doesn't it, all this depth,
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• 9:36
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• 9:45
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