Irish-born cardinal announces Pope Francis’s death

An Irish-born cardinal made the announcement to the world that Pope Francis had died.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, 77, confirmed that the head of the Catholic Church had died on Easter Monday after bouts of ill health including pneumonia.

Cardinal Farrell is camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, a key role during “sede vacante”, the period when the Church is without a pope.

Kevin Joseph Farrell was born on September 2 1947 in Dublin and lived on Galtymore Park in Drimnagh, Dublin.

After finishing primary and secondary school, he attended the University of Salamanca in Spain and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, before being ordained as a priest on December 24 1978.

In August 2016, Pope Francis called him to serve in the Roman Curia, as prefect of the new Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life.

Father Michael Collins, who has authored books about Pope Francis, said that as camerlengo, Cardinal Farrell had the role of verifying the Pope’s death.

“So what happens next is, it was an Irishman, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who actually made the official announcement of the Pope’s death to the world,” he told RTE Radio.

“He is what’s called the camerlengo, the key keeper, and he’s got the position of verifying the pope’s death.”