# What will happen, when Benedict dies?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-benedict-dies/700193>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 2, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-benedict-dies/700193 "2014-10-02T16:29:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2023, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-benedict-dies/700193/21 "2023-01-01T02:29:48Z")

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One thing about this, I must suppose, is that all the living-memory referents for a papal funeral are for cases where the Pope In Office was the one who passed, leaving the RCC under caretaker administration.

Then you have how the only papal funeral since _1978_ was that of JP2 in 2005 – and Wojtyla was someone who had served almost 27 years, highly influential in both spiritual and secular-political world issues, respected among fellow high clerics both in his church and outside of it, _highly_ popular among the base. So his passing and funeral were Big Deals beyond the mere ceremonial formality, involving everyone who is anyone wanting a seat in the crowd and with the presence or representation of virtually every prelate of rank in the historic Christian churches.

Like others I expect that for Benedict all the proper formalities and ceremonies will be followed, with the parts related to succession or _Sede Vacante_ skipped, and that in attendance of secular guests you will see a difference of more representatives (Ambassadors and lower-in-the-line royals) as opposed to proper Heads of State/Government or reigning monarchs.

As mentioned earlier he is to be buried in the papal crypt – after all, for 8 years he _ **was** _ the Bishop of Rome, Supreme Pontiff, Sovereign of the Holy See, etc., and _everyone_ in there is a dead former Pope: his main difference is he became former before he became dead.

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**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2023, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-happen-when-benedict-dies/700193/22 "2023-01-01T11:50:25Z")

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> [@APB](#):
>
> As for the camerlengo, the point about his role in a conclave is that, unlike other officials, he _continues_ in office. So Francis’s camerlengo will just remain in office and will organise Benedict’s funeral, in exactly the same way that he would do if it was Francis who died. The difference will instead be that Benedict’s death will (presumably) not trigger the suspension of the rest of Francis’s household.

Turns out that the current Camerlengo is just this guy called Kevin. That doesn’t seem right, somehow.

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