Following the death of Pope Francis, a cardinal from the United States has become acting head of the Vatican until a new pontiff is elected. He is Cardinal Kevin Farrell, a Dublin-born cleric who became a naturalized American citizen after spending many years ministering in the United States.

The Vatican official who runs the Holy See after the death of one pope and before the election of another is no-nonsense Irish-born American Cardinal Kevin Farrell. The 77-year-old, born in Dublin, had only been in Rome for a few years,