(<a href=news.yahoo.com target=_blank>yahoo.news) The formal Vatican tradition goes like this: When a pope dies, the prefect of the papal household, currently American Archbishop James Harvey, tells the camerlengo, or chamberlain, who is the most important official running the Holy See in the period between the death of a pope and the election of a new one. The camerlengo, now Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo of Spain, must then verify the death — a process which in the past was done by striking the forehead of the pope with a silver hammer. The camerlengo then calls out to the pope three times by his baptismal name — Karol, Karol, Karol. When the pope does not respond, the camerlengo then announces "the pope is dead." The camerlengo uses the silver hammer to smash the pope's ring — the papal seal or "ring of the fisherman" — to preclude forgery of official documents. He then tells the vicar of Rome, who informs the people of the city.

Wie sang doch schon Ringo anno dazumal:
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's Silver Hammer Came down upon his head. Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer Made sure that he was dead.