During the Interregnum
Date: April 26, 2025
Author: Fr. Edward McNamara, LC
Question: Priests from various parts of the globe asked versions of the following question: "During the interregnum, what should be said in the Eucharistic Prayer at the prayer for the Pope?
Answer: Most of the recent manuals don't go into such detail, but old manuals from before the Second Vatican Council can still be found touching on the more arcane aspects of liturgy.
In this case the Pope's name, and the entire phrase referring to the Pope, is omitted from the Eucharistic Prayer during the period of the "Sede Vacante." Mention is made only of the local bishop and the clergy according to the literary form of each prayer.
For example, in Eucharistic Prayer II it would be: "Together with … N. our bishop, and all the clergy," and in the Diocese of Rome: "Together with …. all the clergy."
An analogous procedure is followed in each diocese following the death or retirement of the local ordinary, unless an apostolic administrator has been appointed who is also mentioned by name.
A reader queried: "I was intrigued to see the Holy Father lying in state wearing red liturgical vestments. What is the deeper significance and meaning of this gesture?"
There was a tradition of the papal liturgy, now practically discontinued, that, instead of black, the pope celebrated funeral liturgies wearing red vestments -- "Papa luget in rubro," the pope weeps in red.
Although the pope generally now uses violet vestments for funerals, a vestige of the earlier practice remains in vesting the deceased Holy Father in red, the color of the apostles; or, according to some scholars, because the pope is the successor of Peter who was a martyr."
Also, since the Holy Father passed on the first day of the Easter Octave the Masses celebrated during this time were the Masses of the day and not the Masses for the dead. It is possible to mention Pope Francis and entrust his soul to God during the memento for the dead proper to each Eucharistic Prayer.
Another reader asked why a pall was not used at the papal funeral Mass. This is because the Holy Father asked for great simplicity modifying the already simplified norms for papal funerals issued by St. Paul VI.
These norms, also followed for the funerals of Blessed John Paul I and further modified by St. John Paul II, asked that the coffin used in the funeral be the plain cypress wood box, placed at ground level, and with the open Book of the Gospels placed upon it. There was never any indication of the use of the pall in these rites.
Several readers asked regarding prayers for the Pope, especially those for his intentions related to gaining a plenary indulgence.
During these days, most prayers directly for the Holy Father, such as those in the Prayers of the Faithful, or intercessions of the Liturgy of the Hours, are usually omitted.
With respect to plenary indulgences, it is certainly not the Church's intention to make them unavailable during the interregnum. Since God is not bound to time, I suggest praying the usual prayers, perhaps praying for the intentions of the future Pope, and let the Good Lord take care of the rest.
* * *
Readers may send questions to zenit.liturgy@gmail.com. Please put the word "Liturgy" in the subject field. The text should include your initials, your city and your state, province or country. Father McNamara can only answer a small selection of the great number of questions that arrive.