Gareth O'Callaghan: Pope Francis let Jesus out of the church – will his successor lock him back in?

With Pope Francis gone, the Catholic Church stands at a crossroads — torn between tradition and the need for radical reform

White smoke billowing from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel indicated that Pope Francis was elected in 2013. Will we ever witness pink smoke at a papal election? File photo: AP/Dmitry Lovetsky

There’s a small brown door to the left of the altar in the Sistine Chapel that mostly goes unnoticed by the millions who visit every year to marvel at its Renaissance architecture, and Michelangelo’s frescoes, which adorn the ceiling of this hallowed place. Built in the late 15th century during the reign of Pope Sixtus IV, it’s the second most visited museum in the world.

The door opens into the Stanza del Pianto, the Room of Tears, where the newly elected pope, within minutes of his accession, spends time changing into the white vestments of the papacy. The antechamber’s name comes from the overwhelming emotions that the club-of-one member is overcome by, as he realises he must say goodbye to his past and relinquish his previous life.