5 things to know about Cardinal Kevin Farrell, man leading Vatican until a new pope is elected

‘Voices of Faith’ controversy

In 2018, Farrell garnered headlines when he barred certain speakers from an annual women-centered event called "Voices of Faith" over concerns that they supported LGBT advocacy.

First held in 2014 and normally observed at the Vatican around March 8, which is International Women's Day, the 2018 event was moved to a different venue after two of the speakers were not approved by Farrell.

One of the barred speakers was Mary McAleese, the former president of Ireland who was known for her support of the LGBT movement and having the Catholic Church ordain women.

Chantal Gotz, founder and managing director of Voices of Faith, told the Catholic News Agency at the time that she was "stunned" by the decision, as similar issues had not been raised before.

When asked about the controversy weeks later, Farrell said the decision had to do with a belief that it was "not appropriate" for him to be tied to the event, reported the French newspaper LaCroix International.

"Having been told subsequently that I did sponsor that event and having been told subsequently what the event was about, it was not appropriate for me to continue to sponsor such an event," he said. "Obviously, when I withdrew the sponsorship of the event it couldn't be inside the Vatican."