Dublin-born man to lead Catholic Church until new pope selected

It comes following the Pope's death on Sunday.

A new pontiff will need to be selected following the death of Pope Francis, which the Vatican confirmed this morning.

The 88-year-old had had health issues that kept him hospitalised for weeks.

While preparations are made following a mourning period for the voting process - the conclave - to begin, the cardinal camerlengo or chamberlain is left in charge.

Pope Francis selected Dubliner Kevin Farrell for this role, and he will oversee everything during the “sede vacante”, or the time when “the seat is vacant”.

The Church will temporarily be handed over to the College of Cardinals, but no major decision can be made until a new pope is elected.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin offered his condolences to the late pontiff, who spent 12 years as pope.

He said: "On behalf of the Government and the people of Ireland, I offer my heartfelt sympathies and my deepest condolences to all who mourn him, to His Eminence Cardinal Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, to his family and friends, and to the Catholic community worldwide that has lost an exceptional leader.

"Pope Francis’ long and distinguished papacy was marked by his unwavering commitment to the principles of compassion, peace, and human dignity. He spoke out for the poor, the marginalised, and the oppressed.”

"His solidarity with refugees, his calls for climate action, and his insistence on global peace and equality set him apart as a champion of justice in the modern world.”

During the Festival of Families in 2018, Pope Francis said mass at both Croke Park and Phoenix Park.

He will become the first pope in a century not to be buried in the Vatican, instead, he opted for his final resting place to be the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.