What does sede vacante mean in the Roman Catholic Church?

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Cardinals of the Catholic Church, dressed in red, sit at long tables in the Sistine Chapel during the 2005 papal election conclave, surrounded by ornate frescoed walls. — papal conclave Cardinals assembled inside the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican Palace for a conclave to elect a new pope; Vatican City, 2005.

In the Roman Catholic Church, sede vacante is a Latin term meaning "empty seat." It refers to the period of vacancy of the papacy that occurs between the end of a pope’s reign—whether by death or resignation—and the election of his successor by a papal conclave. This interim period is also known as the interregnum.12

During sede vacante, the cardinal camerlengo assumes responsibility for administering the goods and temporal rights of the Holy See and oversees the preparations for the upcoming conclave. While the functions of most officials in the Roman Curia cease upon the vacancy of the Apostolic See, the cardinal camerlengo’s role continues specifically to manage the church's operations until a new pope is elected.13