A Pope's Apartment Is Sealed Following His Death, but Why Does This Happen?

Following the news of the death of Pope Francis, a number of rituals and customs must be observed, as is the case every time the pope dies. This is the Catholic Church, after all. Ritual is everything.

One of those traditions involves sealing the pope's apartment, and many want to know why that custom is done. So, why are the pope's rooms sealed, and how long that tradition has been observed? Here's what we know.

The main reason for sealing the pope's apartments, per Vatican News, seems to be to prevent potential thieves. It's true, of course, that the pope's rooms are located in the highly secure Vatican City. Nevertheless, a measure is taken to ensure that his living quarters are not disturbed until a new pope is named. It's also a symbolic gesture that signifies the death of the pope and a changing of the guard.

Of course, sealing the apartments is a surefire way to know not only whether something was stolen, but also whether someone entered the apartment at all. This is crucial not just to prevent random thieves, but also to prevent cardinals and others who might have access to the Vatican from entering an area where they shouldn't be as the cardinals are working to elect a new pope.

Per CNN, via Yahoo!, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, as Pope Francis's Camerlengo, will be responsible for destroying his ring, which is known as the Ring of the Fisherman. The ring depicts Saint Peter in a boat and has the pope's name inscribed around it. Each new pope is given a customized version of the ring during their inauguration, and the prior pope's ring is destroyed either with shears or a hammer.

Unlike the sealing of the apartment, the destruction of the ring is a purely symbolic gesture. The move is designed to signify the end of one pope's reign of authority and the start of another. Most popes have a gold ring, but Francis's was gold-plated silver. Pope Benedict XVI broke this tradition when he resigned his authority as pope in 2013. Instead of having his ring destroyed, he had a cross etched on it to signify the end of his reign.

These are just two of the crucial traditions that are done each time a pope dies. The Catholic Church has never lacked for symbolic gestures, and as the head of the Catholic Church, the pope is subject to more rites than almost anyone else.

The conclave itself, which is where a new pope is selected, is also filled with rituals and procedures. Given that Catholicism has been around for thousands of years, it makes sense that they are invested heavily in ceremony. Many of the rituals make some sort of sense, and even the ones that don't have been inscribed with meaning by doing them over and over again. That's how any tradition becomes something important to those who practice it.