Sede Vacante

When the Pope resigns or dies, before the election of a successor, the Petrine See of Rome becomes vacant (sede vacante). The canon laws governing this period of interregnum are specified in the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici gregis, later modified by the Motu Proprio Normas nonnullas. During the period of sede vacante, certain offices in the Roman Curia are suspended, and some offices have special roles as specified in Universi Dominici gregis.

Cardinals who are under the age of 80, as calculated on the day before the Apostolic See becomes vacant, are eligible to elect the Roman Pontiff in the Conclave.

Special liturgical rites are used for the Papal Funeral, for the Conclave and for the Inauguration of the Pontificate.

Office	Prelate
Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church of Apostolic Camera	Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B. (78)
Vice-Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church of Apostolic Camera	Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata (76)
Cardinal Electors
Cardinal Non-Electors
Senior Cardinal-Bishop of Cardinal Electors	Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re (79)
Senior Cardinal-Priest of Cardinal Electors	Cardinal Godfried Danneels (79)
Senior Cardinal-Deacon of Cardinal Electors	Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran (70)
Junior Cardinal-Deacon of Cardinal Electors	Cardinal James Michael Harvey (63)
Secretary of College of Cardinals	Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri (72)
Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations	Msgr. Guido Marini (48)
Assistant Masters of Ceremonies of Liturgical Celebrations	Msgr. Vincenzo Peroni (44) Msgr. Kevin Gillespie Msgr. Massimiliano Matteo Boiardi, F.S.C.B. Msgr. John Richard Cihak (43) Msgr. Jean-Pierre Kwambamba Masi (52) Msgr. Marco Agostini (50) Msgr. Guillermo Javier Karcher Msgr. Pier Enrico Stefanetti (61) Msgr. Stefano Sanchirico (45) Msgr. Diego Giovanni Ravelli Msgr. Konrad Krajewski (49) Msgr. Francesco Camaldo (60)
Auditor General of Apostolic Camera	Bishop Giuseppe Sciacca (58)
Protonotaries Apostolic de numero of Papal Household	Msgr. Leonardo Sapienza, R.C.I. (60) Msgr. Francesco Di Felice (78) Msgr. Bryan Chestle (79) Msgr. Renzo Civili (86) Msgr. Francesco Bruno (90) Msgr. Leonardo Erriquenz (81) Msgr. Marcello Rossetti (81)
Prelate Auditors of Roman Rota	Msgr. Alejandro W. Bunge (61) Msgr. Piero Amenta (51) Fr. Markus Graulich, S.D.B. (49) Msgr. Davide Salvatori (41) Msgr. Vito Angelo Todisco (56) Msgr. Felipe Heredia Esteban (52) Fr. David Maria Jaeger, O.F.M. (58) Msgr. Giovanni Vaccarotto (73) Msgr. Settimio Maroncelli Msgr. Alejandro Arellano Cedillo (51) Msgr. Michael Xavier Leo Arokiaraj (55) Msgr. Abdou Yaacoub (66) Msgr. Gerard McKay (64) Msgr. Giovanni Verginelli (77) Msgr. Jair Ferreira Pena (57) Msgr. Grzegorz Erlebach (58) Msgr. Angelo Bruno Bottone (70) Msgr. Giordano Caberletti (65) Msgr. Maurice Monier (60) Msgr. Robert Michael Sable (65) Msgr. Giovanni Battista DeFilippi (72) Msgr. Kenneth E. Boccafola (74)
Cleric Prelates of Apostolic Camera	Msgr. Assunto Scotti (58) Msgr. Krzysztof Józef Nykiel (48) Msgr. Osvaldo Neves de Almeida (68) Msgr. Winfried König (80) Msgr. Philip James Whitmore (54) Msgr. Paolo Luca Braida (53) Msgr. Luigi Cerchiaro (71)
Cardinal Dean of College of Cardinals	Cardinal Angelo Sodano (85)
Protodeacon of College of Cardinals	Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran (70)
Substitute for General Affairs of Secretariat of State	Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu (64)
Secretary for the Relations with States of Secretariat of State	Archbishop Dominique François Joseph Mamberti (61)
Prefect of Prefecture of the Papal Household	Archbishop Georg Gänswein (56)

Sede Vacante

at the Death or Resignation of the Supreme Pontiff

Offices that continue to be exercised

Offices in the Roman Curia that are suspended

Offices with Special Duties at the Death or Resignation of the Supreme Pontiff

Offices with Special Duties in the Conclave

See Also