The days between the death of a Pope and the election of his successor are packed with centuries-old ceremonies and rituals, following a timetable intended to find a new pontiff within three weeks.
Tradition begins at the moment of the Pope’s death, as an official given the title camerlengo, or chamberlain, calls out the Pope’s name three times at his bedside to ensure he has died.
His next task is to deface and smash the pescatorio, or “ring of the fisherman”, which symbolises papal authority and was once used as a seal on official documents.
