Pope Francis died - Which Ukrainians will elect a new pope?
Photo: Pope Francis (Getty Images)
After the death of the Pope, a special period begins in the Catholic Church. Oleksii Samsonov, director of Radio Maria and a Roman Catholic priest, explains how the church is going through this time, what the Pope's death means for Ukraine, and what the future of Catholicism looks like.
Sede Vacante: when Pope died and new one has not yet been elected
"The church itself is going through an extraordinary time called Sede Vacante, or the vacant throne. This is when there is no pope, no visible head of the church," Samsonov explains.
According to him, the Pope's funeral should take place within 4-6 days, after which preparations for the conclave, a meeting of cardinals to elect a new Pope, will begin.
"After the death of the Pope, a conclave is convened. All cardinals under the age of 80 participate in it. There is currently only one Ukrainian cardinal, Father Mykola Bychok, Bishop of the Melbourne Eparchy of the UGCC in Australia," says the priest.
During the conclave, the cardinals are physically isolated. "They enter the Vatican and are literally locked up. There is no communication with the world. The Internet, the telephone-everything is turned off so that no one has any influence," Samsonov says.
Conservatives or reformers: where church is headed
Pope Francis is known as a pontiff who tried to modernize the church. But after his death, the question of the balance between tradition and reform is once again being raised.
"The Catholic Church is one billion people, and everyone can have different views on different situations. Some have more liberal views, and some have conservative views," Samsonov says.
According to him, the Cardinals will vote according to their idea of the future of the church - whether it should be more liberal or more traditional, focused on prayer and evangelical values.
At the same time, the priest emphasizes: "We have the promise of Jesus Christ that 'nothing can overcome the church'. Regardless of who the pope is, the church will exist and proclaim the Gospel. The church is led by Christ himself."
"We have lost a friend": what Pope's death means for Ukraine
"I think that we, as Ukrainians, have lost a person who, despite everything, was our friend. We did not always understand the Pope, this is a fact. But he loved Ukraine and was worried about it," Samsonov emphasizes.
According to the priest, Pope Francis helped Ukraine both officially and unofficially: humanitarian support, assistance in prisoner exchanges, and meetings with Ukrainians.
"I think now some things that were closed will come out," he adds.
The priest also recalled the Pope's last address before his death: "We pray for the martyred Ukraine and we pray for a just peace for Ukraine."
"Every word of the Pope matters. When he says "just", it means not just peace at the expense of someone, but just peace," concludes Samsonov.
Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. He was the 266th head of the Roman Catholic Church and had held the position since March 13, 2013.
