This past Monday, it was announced that Pope Francis died at the age of 88 after the St. Peter’s Basilica Easter services. Francis had served as the pope for over 12 years. The Catholic Church is now preparing a conclave in order to elect the next pope. In the interim, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, a former bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, will head the Catholic Church.
Who is Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell?
Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell was born September 2, 1947, in Dublin, Ireland.
His education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree obtained from the University of Salamanca in Spain, numerous degrees in philosophy and theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, as well as a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Notre Dame.
After entering the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ in 1966, the Legionaries of Christ ordained Farrell for priesthood in December 1978, at Our Lady of Guadalupe, Basilica in Rome.
Following his ordination, he took on the role of chaplain for the Regnum Christi Movement at the University of Monterrey in Mexico. In 1983, he relocated to the United States, where he began serving the community of St. Bartholomew Parish in Bethesda, Maryland.
Farrell was incardinated in 1984 in the archdiocese of Washington. After serving at multiple parishes, Farrell served as director of the archdiocesan Spanish Catholic Center, Catholic Chartities in the archdiocese.
In 1995, The Vatican bestowed him with the title of monsignor before he was named archiodecese vicar general and Annuncation Parish in Washington pastor. Farrell was appointed auxiliary bishop of Washington in December 2001 and attained episcopal consecration in February 2002.
Poep Francis called Farrell to serve as prefect of the new Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life in the Roman Curia in 2016. In 2019, Francis nominated Farrell as the Holy Roman Church’s Camerlengo.
Farrell would be appointed president of the Commission of Confidential Matters in 2020 and in 2023, President of the Vatican City State Supreme Court which he assumed January 1, 2024.
What was Kevin Joseph Farrell’s role in Dallas?
Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell served as Bishop of Dallas from 2007 to 2016, a time of significant growth for the diocese, which expanded to over a million Catholics.
While in Dallas, Farrell played key roles within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, including serving as treasurer and chairing several major committees. He also held leadership positions at Catholic institutions such as the University of Dallas and The Catholic University of America. .
What is Kevin Joseph Farrell’s role presently?
Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell is presently serving as the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. In this pivotal role, Farrell oversees the administration of the Vatican during the period between the death of a pope and the election of his successor called the interregnum.
In this role, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell was the figure responsible for announcing the death of Pope Francis. Other responsibilities in this role include safeguarding the papal apartments, coordinating the funeral rites, and facilitating the preparations for the conclave that will elect the next pontiff.
Though he handles the Vatican’s administrative functions in this transitional time, his authority is limited; matters reserved for the pope remain untouched. The entire process is governed by Universi Dominici Gregis, the apostolic constitution that lays out the official procedures for managing the Church in the absence of a reigning pope.
When will the next pope be elected?
Typically scheduled 15 to 20 days after a pope’s death, a papal conclave will likely elect a new pope. This will take place at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City between May 6 and May 12, 2025. Until that time, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farell will serve as the head of the Catholic Church.