Sede Vacante

At the resignation or death of the Pope 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
Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church of Apostolic Camera	Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell (76)
Vice-Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church of Apostolic Camera	Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari (64)
Cardinal Electors
Cardinal Non-Electors
Senior Cardinal-Bishop of Cardinal Electors	Cardinal Pietro Parolin (69)
Senior Cardinal-Priest of Cardinal Electors	Cardinal Vinko Puljić (78)
Senior Cardinal-Deacon of Cardinal Electors	Cardinal James Michael Harvey (74)
Junior Cardinal-Deacon of Cardinal Electors	Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, S.D.B. (63)
Secretary of College of Cardinals	Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari (64)
Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations	Archbishop Diego Giovanni Ravelli (58)
Assistant Masters of Ceremonies of Liturgical Celebrations	Fr. Didier Jean-Jacques Bouablé Fr. Yala Banorani Djetaba Msgr. Ľubomír Welnitz, Opus J.S.S. (46) Msgr. Krzysztof Marcjanowicz (47) Msgr. Ján Dubina (44) Msgr. Massimiliano Matteo Boiardi, F.S.C.B. (49) Msgr. Marco Agostini (61) Msgr. Pier Enrico Stefanetti (72)
Protonotaries Apostolic de numero of Papal Household	Msgr. Paolo Luca Braida (64) Msgr. Brian Edwin Ferme (69) Msgr. Cesare Burgazzi (65) Msgr. William V. Millea (71) Msgr. Franco Piva (85) Msgr. Leonardo Sapienza, R.C.J. (71)
Prelate Auditors of Roman Rota	Msgr. Pierangelo Pietracatella (54) Msgr. Antonios Chouweifaty, L.M. (55) Msgr. Laurence John Spiteri (73) Msgr. Robert Gołębiowski (62) Msgr. Hans-Peter Fischer (62) Msgr. Francesco Viscome (56) Msgr. Miroslav Konštanc Adam, O.P. (60) Msgr. José Fernando Mejía Yáñez, M.G. (68) Msgr. Pietro Milite (53) Msgr. Antonio Bartolacci (62) Msgr. Manuel Saturino da Costa Gomes, S.C.I. (71) Msgr. Alejandro W. Bunge (72) Msgr. Davide Salvatori (52) Msgr. Felipe Heredia Esteban (63) Msgr. Vito Angelo Todisco (67) Msgr. David-Maria A. Jaeger, O.F.M. (69) Msgr. Michael Xavier Leo Arokiaraj (65) Msgr. Jair Ferreira Pena (68) Msgr. Grzegorz Erlebach (69) Msgr. Maurice Monier (71)
Cardinal Dean of College of Cardinals	Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re (90)
Protodeacon of College of Cardinals	Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino (91)
Substitute for General Affairs of Secretariat of State	Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra (64)
Secretary for Relations with States of Secretariat of State	Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher (70)
Prefect of Prefecture of the Papal Household	Vacant

Office	Prelate
Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church of Apostolic Camera	Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell (76)
Vice-Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church of Apostolic Camera	Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari (64)
Major Penitentiary of Apostolic Penitentiary	Cardinal Angelo De Donatis (70)
Vicar General for the Vatican City State of Roma	Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, O.F.M. Conv. (58)
Vicar General for the Vicariate of Rome of Roma	Vacant
Archpriest of Papal Basilica of Saint Peter	Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, O.F.M. Conv. (58)
Substitute for General Affairs of Secretariat of State	Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra (64)
Secretary for Relations with States of Secretariat of State	Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher (70)
Almoner of His Holiness of Dicastery for the Service of Charity	Cardinal Konrad Krajewski (60)
Prefect of Prefecture of the Papal Household	Vacant
Prefect of Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura	Cardinal Dominique François Joseph Mamberti (72)
Dean of Tribunal of the Roman Rota	Archbishop Alejandro Arellano Cedillo, C.O.R.C. (61)
Auditor General of Office of the Auditor General	Dr. Alessandro Cassinis Righini (58)
Secretaries of Dicasteries of the Roman Curia
Other Officials of Apostolic Penitentiary
Other Officials of Apostolic Signatura
Other Officials of Roman Rota
Apostolic Nuncios and Delegates to Nations
Holy See Representatives to World Organizations
Pontifical Swiss Guards

Office	Prelate
Secretary of State of Secretariat of State	Cardinal Pietro Parolin (69)
Pro-Prefect for the Section of New Evangelisation of Dicastery for Evangelisation	Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella (Rino) (72)
Pro-Prefect for the Section of Evangelisation of Dicastery for Evangelisation	Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle (66)
Prefect of Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith	Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández (61)
Prefect of Dicastery for the Eastern Churches	Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti (68)
Prefect of Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments	Cardinal Arthur Roche (74)
Prefect of Dicastery for the Causes of Saints	Cardinal Marcello Semeraro (76)
Prefect of Dicastery for Bishops	Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, O.S.A. (68)
Prefect of Dicastery for the Clergy	Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik (유흥식 라자로 / 俞興植) (72)
Prefect of Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life	Cardinal João Bráz de Aviz (77)
Prefect of Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life	Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell (76)
Prefect of Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity	Cardinal Kurt Koch (74)
Prefect of Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue	Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, M.C.C.J. (71)
Prefect of Dicastery for Culture and Education	Cardinal José Tolentino Calaça de Mendonça (58)
Prefect of Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development	Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J. (77)
Prefect of Dicastery for Legislative Texts	Archbishop Filippo Iannone, O. Carm. (66)
Coordinator of Council for the Economy	Cardinal Reinhard Marx (70)
Prefect of Secretariat for the Economy	Dr. Maximino Caballero Ledo (64)
President of Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See	Archbishop Giordano Piccinotti, S.D.B. (49)
President of Commission for Confidential Matters	Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell (76)
President of Committee for Investments	Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell (76)
Other Members of Dicasteries of the Roman Curia

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