CARDINAL Kevin Farrell (aged 77) is a key figure in the papal succession owing to his 2019 appointment as camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber. The responsibilities of the camerlengo—or chamberlain—include confirming the pope’s death, overseeing certain rites connected to the papal funeral, preparing for the conclave, and administering the affairs of the Holy See during the sede vacante, the period between pontificates.
Born Kevin Joseph Farrell in Drimnagh, Dublin, into a staunch nationalist family, he was raised speaking Irish. His parents instilled the language from an early age, and today Cardinal Farrell speaks Irish, English, Italian and Spanish fluently.
When the Dublin-born cardinal met with Pope Francis, the pair often switched seamlessly into Spanish—a shared tongue from Farrell’s early missionary work in Mexico and the Pope’s upbringing in Argentina.
It was Cardinal Farrell who made the official announcement of Pope Francis’s death—delivered in Italian—shortly after the pontiff passed away in April 2025.
Ordained in 1978 for the Legionaries of Christ, Farrell initially served in Mexico before transferring to the Archdiocese of Washington in 1984. There, he held various roles including director of the Spanish Catholic Centre and secretary for financial affairs.
In 2001, he was appointed an auxiliary bishop of Washington, later serving as moderator of the curia and vicar general.
Farrell was appointed Bishop of Dallas in 2007, where he served for nearly a decade. In 2016, Pope Francis named him the first prefect of the newly created Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. He was elevated to the College of Cardinals later that year. He has since taken on further roles, including President of the Supreme Court of Vatican City in 2024.
In his role as camerlengo, Farrell is now overseeing the Church’s administrative affairs during the current sede vacante.
Farrell has at times faced criticism for what have been seen as conservative decisions—among them, his 2018 refusal to approve former Irish president Mary McAleese as a speaker at a Vatican event on women’s leadership. The incident drew international attention and prompted organisers to relocate the event outside Vatican grounds.
Farrell’s older brother, Bishop Brian Farrell, also rose to prominence within the Vatican. Born in 1944, Brian was ordained in 1969 and entered the Holy See’s Secretariat of State in 1981. He became head of the English-language desk in 1999, and in 2002 was appointed secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity—a role he held until retiring in February 2024. He also served as vice-president of the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews.
In Ireland, Brian Farrell was known for his opposition to the 1985 legislation that allowed the sale of condoms without a prescription, reflecting his conservative stance on social issues at the time.
Together, the Farrell brothers—raised in a modest Dublin household—have become two of the most senior Irish clerics ever to serve in the Vatican.
The cardinals from Britain and Ireland
Cardinal Kevin Farrell is the only Irish-born prelate in the College of Cardinals.
Uniquely in history, there are currently four English-born cardinals:
Vincent Nichols
Born in Liverpool in 1945, Cardinal Nichols has served as the Archbishop of Westminster since 2009 and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2014. He currently serves as the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.
Arthur Roche
Born in Yorkshire in 1950, Cardinal Roche is the Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. He was made a cardinal in 2022 and is considered a significant figure in the Vatican, particularly for his role in overseeing liturgical matters.
Timothy Radcliffe
Born in London in 1945, Cardinal Radcliffe is a Dominican friar and former Master of the Order of Preachers. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 2024 and is known for his theological writings and contributions to interfaith dialogue.
Michael Fitzgerald
Born in Walsall of Irish ancestry in 1937, Cardinal Fitzgerald is a member of the Missionaries of Africa and a leading expert on inter-religious relations, particularly Christian-Muslim dialogue. He was made a cardinal in 2019 but, at 87, is no longer eligible to vote in a papal conclave. Nonetheless, he remains the highest-ranking British citizen in the Roman Curia.
Although trying to choose who will be next pope is almost impossible, it would be safe to say that of the five cardinals born in these islands, only Farrell and Roche are seen as possible candidates for the papacy. But they would both be regarded as very much outside bets.
Photograph: Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell with Pope Francis in Lisbon in 2023 (Photo by Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
