Sunday Off-Topic: Silver Mallet

Every Introduction course always has its off-topic tangents, and Catholicism 101 is no different. On Sundays, we'll delve into some aspects of Catholicism that we might not otherwise get to. These areas are kind of up to my whim, but they will usually focus on unusual parts of Catholicism.

When the pope dies, there is a simple, yet ancient, ceremony performed before the cardinals can be convened to vote on a new pope. The senior cardinal enters the room where the pontiff lies and gently strikes his forehead with a silver mallet, calling the pope by his baptismal name. If the pope does not answer by the third time, he is pronounced dead.

Naturally, the pope's physician is called in before this happens to make the medical ruling. The ritual is largely ceremonial. The pope's ring (called the Fisherman's Ring) is then smashed so that no one can use the papal seal until the election of a new pope.