Since Monday April 21, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis, Irish Cardinal Kevin Farrell has been acting at the head of the Catholic Church from the Vatican. Aged 77, prefect of the dicastery for the laity, family and life, he is now in charge of the current affairs of the Holy See until the election of a new pontiff. His powers, strictly limited to administrative management, do not allow him to take decisions with a lasting impact on the Church.
Cardinal Farrell paid tribute to the memory of Pope Francis, saying: " He dedicated his entire life to the service of the Lord and his Church. As Camerlingue, it is his responsibility to officially declare the death of the pope, convoke the congregations of cardinals, organize the funeral, and set the date of the conclave, which must be held between 15 and 20 days after the pontiff's death.
Born in Dublin on September 2, 1947, Kevin Farrell came to the United States in 1967. Ordained a priest in 1978 for the Legionaries of Christ, he began his ministry as a chaplain at theUniversity of Monterrey, Mexico. There, he addressed issues of bioethics and social ethics. In 1984, he was incardinated into theArchdiocese of Washington, before being appointed Auxiliary Bishop of that city by John Paul II in 2001. In 2007, he became Bishop of Dallas.
In this role, he held various positions, including Chancellor of the University of Dallas, member of the Board of Directors of the Catholic University of America, the Papal Foundation, as well as President of the New Evangelization of America. He was then called back to Rome in 2016 by Pope Francis to head the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life.
In this position, Cardinal Farrell promotes the integration of the laity, particularly women, into the Curia. He worked to appoint women to positions of responsibility, such as undersecretaries of the dicastery and consultors to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He also warns against a " clericalized Church ", insisting on the need for more open governance.
In 2019, he is calling on alleged victims of the Canadian Catholic community Famille Marie-Jeunesse to lodge a complaint: " They should be strongly encouraged to lodge a complaint with the relevant authorities," he explains then This statement is part of a drive for openness and transparency regarding abuse in communities recognized by the Church.
Since his appointment as Camerlingue in 2019, Kevin Farrell has also been responsible, in 2020, for chairing the Commission for the Control of Confidential Contracts, before being appointed President of theVatican City State Court of Cassation in 2023. This Monday, April 21, 2025, he is now the interim pope, pending the election of the next head of the Catholic Church.
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