Catholic News

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 23, 2025 / 17:26 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) hosted the inaugural meeting this week of a new task force to counter anti-Christian bias in federal government policies, regulations, and practices.

“Protecting Christians from bias is not favoritism,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said ahead of the meeting. “It’s upholding the rule of law and fulfilling the constitutional promise [in the First Amendment].”

The task force’s first meeting on Tuesday was closed to the public and the media but included the heads of multiple federal departments and agencies along with witnesses who provided testimony on anti-Christian bias within the federal government.

President Donald Trump formally established the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias on Feb. 6 by executive order. His order commissioned a comprehensive review of federal departments and agencies, particularly to reverse certain actions of the previous administration.

Specific concerns of anti-Christian bias

A news release following the meeting detailed some of the concerns and policies administration officials are reviewing.

One Catholic-specific concern discussed in the meeting was the since-retracted January 2023 memo from the Richmond Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which detailed an investigation into supposed ties between “radical traditionalist” Catholics and “the far-right white nationalist movement.”

The document called for “trip wire or source development” within Catholic parishes that offer the Traditional Latin Mass and within online Catholic communities. Later revelations from the House Judiciary Committee found that the Richmond FBI used at least one undercover agent to obtain information on traditionalist Catholics and coordinated with other FBI field offices on the matter.

According to an April 22 news release after the task force meeting, Trump’s FBI director, Kash Patel, discussed “the impact of the anti-Catholic memo” during the gathering and “reiterated the FBI’s commitment to rooting out any anti-Christian bias that could be directing decisions or investigations.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the news release notes, brought up concerns about bias against a Christian Foreign Service Officer who “was threatened with an investigation for child abuse” for insisting on home-schooling his child.

According to the news release, Rubio also expressed disapproval of the Department of State stigmatizing workers who opposed the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on religious grounds and retaliation against employees for “opposing DEI/LGBT ideology.” 

For her part, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon discussed concerns about gender ideology in education policies and school districts socially transitioning children without their parents’ knowledge. 

Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender voiced concerns about the Biden administration removing certain tax classifications from Christian and pro-life organizations and objections to debanking.

Michael Farris, an attorney and founder of Patrick Henry College, was one of the witnesses. Farris called attention to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) investigating and charging Pastor Gary Hamrick of Cornerstone Chapel for alleged Johnson Amendment violations.

Phil Mendes, a U.S. Navy Seal, spoke about how he was relieved of his duty under the Biden administration for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

CNA reached out to the DOJ and FBI for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

“As shown by our victims’ stories today, Biden’s Department of Justice abused and targeted peaceful Christians while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses,” Bondi said in a statement after the meeting. “Thanks to President Trump, we have ended those abuses, and we will continue to work closely with every member of this task force to protect every American’s right to speak and worship freely.”

Vatican City, Apr 23, 2025 / 16:51 pm (CNA).

In the endless lines of pilgrims wishing to pay their final respects to Pope Francis, whose coffin now lies open in St. Peter’s Basilica, feelings of grief and sadness are the order of the day.

“God took him too soon,” said Carmina, who had come to Rome from southern Italy for the Holy Week liturgical celebrations and after hearing the news of his death, decided to extend her stay.

“I didn’t want to leave without seeing him one last time. I was here on Sunday and saw him pass by from afar. I can’t believe he’s gone,” she told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

In St. Peter’s Square, the thousands of chairs that had been set up for Easter Sunday Mass, one of the most important celebrations for Christians, remain in place. They will now be used to accommodate the tens of thousands of people expected to attend the pope’s funeral, which will be celebrated by  Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

“He made the circuit around the square here in the popemobile. It seems as if he wanted to say goodbye,” she reflected.

Next to Carmina, a group of nuns were quietly praying, rosaries in their hands, while leaning against one of the barriers used by the police to create a sort of corridor to manage the flow into St. Peter’s Basilica.

“We’re too distressed to speak or do an interview,” one of them said with tears in her eyes.

Later, a Colombian priest studying in Rome commented that although people knew the pope “was very ill,” it was still a “surprise.”

He watched on the large screens installed in St. Peter’s Square as the coffin with Pope Francis’ body was brought in and confessed that he cried when “the church bells tolled for his death.” 

“He was a great pope,” said Carlo, a young university student who noted that although he considers himself agnostic, he wanted to come by and pray for the late pontiff. This young man, like everyone else in line, waited in line for five hours.

In the flow of people entering the basilica, strangers paused to chat and even make friends. 

Amid the crowd were two priests who work at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. They had the privilege of being part of the cortege that accompanied Pope Francis’ remains from St. Martha’s House.

Father Nicolaus, who is German, said the most important thing for him was to pray for the Church in these times when it’s been sort of orphaned.

“We’ve prayed for the Holy Father and we will now pray for the Catholic Church and for the future, giving thanks for all he has done and praying for the next pope who will come,” he said.

“We pray for the unity of the Church, which is very important at this time,” noted Father Giovanni, an Italian.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

CNA Staff, Apr 23, 2025 / 16:21 pm (CNA).

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said this week that he is refusing to politicize Pope Francis’ death, hailing the late pontiff as a “broad” figure and a “great” leader of the Catholic Church. 

“A lot of people, especially in the American press, want to make the Holy Father — his entire legacy and even his death — about American politics,” Vance told reporters in Agra, India, while on a four-day visit with his wife, Usha, the first Hindu-American second lady. 

“He was obviously a much broader figure than the United States of America. He represents over a billion Catholics worldwide,” Vance said. 

The two leaders publicly disagreed on politics earlier in the year. In February, Pope Francis sent a pastoral letter to the U.S. bishops encouraging officials to recognize the dignity of immigrants after Vance, a Catholic convert, publicly advocated applying “ordo amoris,” or “rightly-ordered love,” to the immigration debate. 

“[A]s an American leader, but also just as an American citizen, your compassion belongs first to your fellow citizens,” Vance said at the time, while acknowledging that the principle “doesn’t mean you hate people from outside of your own borders.”

In the letter, Francis tacitly rebuked Vance’s remarks, arguing in part that “the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution, or serious deterioration of the environment damages the dignity of many men and women.”

When asked about his response to these “disagreements,” Vance said he was “aware” of them but noted that the pope “also had a lot of agreements with some of the policies of our administration.”

“I’m not going to soil the man’s legacy by talking about politics,” Vance said. “I think he was a great Christian pastor, and that’s how I choose to remember the Holy Father.”

When asked what type of pope he would prefer to be elected next, Vance said he would pray for the cardinals who will cast the votes in the upcoming conclave. 

“I won’t pretend to give guidance to the cardinals on who they should select as the next pope,” he said. “We’ve got plenty of issues to focus on in the United States.”

“I’ll just say a prayer for wisdom because I obviously want them to pick the right person, I want them to pick somebody who will be good for the world’s Catholics, but I’ll let them make that decision and obviously they’re entitled to do so,” Vance continued. 

JD Vance was among the last officials to meet with the late Pope Francis before he died on Monday. 

When asked about their providential meeting on Easter Sunday morning, Vance said he had “thought a lot about that.” 

“I think it was a great blessing,” Vance shared. 

In their meeting, Pope Francis gave the vice president three chocolate Easter eggs for his three young children as well as a Vatican tie and rosaries.

“It’s pretty crazy actually, and obviously when I saw him I didn’t know he had less than 24 hours still on this earth,” Vance said.

“He saw a lot of people, he affected a lot of lives,” Vance continued. “I try to just remember that I was lucky I got to shake his hand and tell him that I pray for him every day because I did and I do.”

Vance offered condolences to Catholics around the world in light of Pope Francis’ death.

“We’re very saddened by it,” he said. “Our condolences to Catholics all over the world, but especially [those] back home who love and honor the Holy Father.”

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 23, 2025 / 15:51 pm (CNA).

Among the people throughout the world remembering Pope Francis in a special way this week are three Americans who shared extraordinarily personal moments with him during his apostolic visit to the United States in September 2015.

Father Keith Burney, pastor of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in historic St. Mary’s County, Maryland, will never forget the “surreal nature” of serving at the pope’s Mass when he was a transitional deacon finishing his seminary studies at The Catholic University of America.

When Pope Francis celebrated Mass for more than 25,000 people at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Burney served as the deacon of the Eucharist, preparing the chalice with the wine and water for the Holy Father.

Burney raised the chalice of the blood of Christ as Pope Francis raised the body of Christ.

“I would have never dreamed of it,” Burney told CNA.

He recalled that the Holy Father was “not feeling well” during his visit to campus. “But,” Burney said, “when it came to celebrate the liturgy and to preach, he kind of came alive in a way.”

“It takes a lot of energy, these big papal liturgies, and he was an elderly man, and I remember noticing him just kind of pouring himself out.” 

Keating family

When Chuck Keating, director of a Catholic high school marching band from Philadelphia, heard that his group of students was selected to play for Pope Francis in the City of Brotherly Love on Sept. 26, 2015, he was ecstatic — but conflicted about one thing. 

He wasn’t sure if he should bring his then-10-year-old son Michael, who has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair.

“We weren’t going to bring Michael because it wasn’t easy to bring him,” said Keating, who serves as head of the fine arts department at Bishop Shanahan High School.

However, thanks to the encouragement of Father Michael Fitzpatrick, the family’s pastor, Keating and his wife, Kristin, decided to go ahead and bring Michael.

“Father Michael just said, ‘Listen, this is one-lifetime opportunity. You just have to have him down there and have him be a part of that moment,’” Keating said. 

When Pope Francis stepped off the plane at Philadelphia International Airport on Sept. 26, 2015, Fitzpatrick’s words proved truer than the Keating family ever could have imagined.

The Holy Father was being driven around the airport but stopped the vehicle and approached the Keating family on the tarmac. The loud environment with cheers and music suddenly went silent.

Pope Francis embraced Michael, giving him a blessing and a kiss on the head. Kristin and Chuck both shook hands with Pope Francis as well.

Keating also called the moment “surreal” and added that every year the family still celebrates the anniversary of the day Pope Francis blessed Michael, who is now 20 years old. 

“It was just a great experience,” Keating told CNA. He added that Michael is doing “fantastic.”

‘I went into a trance’

When then-17-year-old Stephanie Gabaud met Pope Francis, he gave her a blessing that she says healed her.

Gabaud, who has had spina bifida since birth, was recovering from back surgery prior to Pope Francis’ visit on Sept. 24, 2015, and didn’t know if she would be able to attend his vespers service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. 

But to her excitement, she was cleared to attend the event by her surgeon the day before the pope’s visit.

At the time of the service, Gabaud was still experiencing discomfort from the surgery, which took a rod out of her back that was causing an infection. The plan was for the rod to later be replaced because her doctor said Gabaud would not survive without it.

“It was a very difficult time in my life,” Gabaud told CNA.

But after she encountered the Holy Father, something changed.

As Pope Francis processed into the cathedral toward the altar, Gabaud said he saw her and headed toward her. “So I put my arms up and gave him a hug.”

The Holy Father made the sign of the cross on her forehead and embraced her.

“He told me to pray for him, which I am still doing.” In return, Gabaud, calling Pope Francis by his Spanish name, saying to him: “Papa Francesco, pray for me.”

Following the blessing, Gabaud asked Pat Tursi, CEO of Elizabeth Seton Children’s Center — where Gabaud is a full-time resident, serving as international spokesperson and a volunteer for the center — if she could sit in Tursi’s lap.

“And then all of a sudden, I immediately closed my eyes and just went into a trance,” Gabaud said.

“It was something of the Holy Spirit. I don’t know how you describe it, but it was something that I’ve never seen her do in all my years,” said Tursi, who has known Gabaud since she was 2 years old.

In a follow-up appointment with Gabaud’s doctor, he made the decision not to replace any rods in her back.

“He said there was a 100% chance that I would not survive without the rods. But look at me today,” she said.

In March 2023, Gabaud was able to travel to the Vatican and met again with Pope Francis. 

(The video of Gabaud’s 2015 blessing is below and can be seen at the 33:37 mark.)

Vatican City, Apr 23, 2025 / 14:37 pm (CNA).

Thousands of Catholics said their last goodbyes and paid their respects to Pope Francis on Wednesday as the late pope lay in state in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Long lines of mourners, many waiting more than four hours under the hot Roman sun, wound around St. Peter’s Square on the first day of viewing on April 23. Vatican officials indicated that they might need to extend the basilica’s hours past midnight to accommodate the large turnout. 

Many in attendance had initially come to Rome to celebrate Easter or witness the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, only to find themselves part of an unexpected historic farewell.

“The crowds are just packed… but overall it was beautiful,” said Arianne Gallagher-Welcher, a pilgrim from Washington, D.C. “You could feel how special it was for everyone … a really nice chance to say goodbye to Pope Francis.”

Gallagher-Welcher reflected on the significance of the Jubilee Year of Hope. “We were here during the Jubilee in 2000,” she said. “To thank and celebrate the life of Pope Francis during the Jubilee Year of Hope is just an incredible gift.”

As people slowly made their way to the basilica, some prayed the rosary while others sang hymns. Once inside, people were able to spend a moment in prayer before the late pope’s open casket in front of the main altar and the tomb of St. Peter. 

Clad in red vestments, a bishop’s miter on his head, and a rosary clasped in his hands, Francis was watched over in silence by four Swiss Guards standing vigil.

“As we got closer to the body of our Holy Father, it was very emotional to see him,” reflected Father Fabian Marquez of the Diocese of El Paso, Texas. “But I’m so grateful for all the great things he did for the community, bringing people together.” 

“And my personal prayer was that now he intercedes for the next Peter to come so that the next Peter can lead us where the Lord desires us to go,” Marquez said.

Marquez had traveled to Rome with fellow priests for the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis. Their journey took on new meaning with the pope’s death.

“Everything changed since the news that our Holy Father had passed,” Marquez said. “We decided to continue to come … just to be here with him.”

“We were able to pray the rosary with the people and it was very emotional just to be here outside of the basilica today … when they transferred the body from Santa Marta to the basilica,” he said.

Monsignor Humberto Gonzalez of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America recalled a personal memory of Pope Francis in 2020, when he concelebrated a Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe together with the pope after the loss of his mother. 

“Before the Mass, he called me to the sacristy. He gave me a hug, he gave me comfort, and he said: ‘I will offer the Mass for Carlina, for your mother.’ I carry that in my heart.”

Gonzalez paid his final respects with other Vatican officials inside the chapel in the pope’s Vatican residence before Francis’ body was transferred in a solemn procession into St. Peter’s Basilica. 

The public viewing in the basilica will continue for three days, concluding Friday at 7 p.m. when the casket will be sealed ahead of the funeral.

The monsignor said that for him it was an opportunity to say: “Thank you, Holy Father. Thank you for all the good, thank you for the gift that was your person. Thank you for giving yourself completely to humanity and for giving us so many teachings.”

The significance of the moment extended even to non-Catholics. Jai Agarwal, a 21-year-old American student at John Cabot University in Rome, joined the line to pay his respects. 

“He would always advocate for peace,” Agarwal said. “He’s one of the few people that just had genuine empathy.”

Raissa Fortes, a pilgrim from Brazil, had originally traveled to Italy for the canonization of Acutis but changed her plans upon hearing of the pope’s death. 

“It’s a mix of feelings,” she said. “I’m sad, but at the same time, I’m happy to be here in this special moment.”

She added: “When I received the sad news about Pope Francis, my husband and I decided to come earlier to say a last goodbye and be part of this moment with Pope Francis.”

Vatican City, Apr 23, 2025 / 14:22 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis passed away at 7:35 a.m. local time on Easter Monday, April 21, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, as confirmed by the Holy See Press Office. The 88-year-old pontiff led the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years.

Follow here for live updates of the latest news and information on the papal transition:

ACI Prensa Staff, Apr 23, 2025 / 12:55 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis, baptized as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, celebrated his patron saint’s feast day every April 23. The patron saint’s day of the pope is a holiday at the Vatican and Pope Francis usually celebrated it with acts of charity toward people in need.

The patron saint of the late pontiff, St. George, is credited with protecting the papacy and is also known as an intercessor in the fight against evil.

Pope Francis was known to take every opportunity to celebrate special occasions with the poorest, as was also the case on his birthday, when he often invited hundreds of them to dine with him at the Vatican.

In 2018, the Holy Father surprised the world with his unusual gesture of distributing ice cream to the poor of Rome to celebrate St. George’s feast day.

On that occasion, with the help of the apostolic almoner, nearly 3,000 servings of ice cream were distributed in the city’s soup kitchens. This initiative set the tone for subsequent celebrations of St. George’s feast day.

In 2019, Pope Francis gave a 44-pound chocolate Easter egg to the poor who came to the Caritas soup kitchen in central Rome.

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world, the Holy Father donated 10 ventilators to hospitals in Romania, Italy, and Spain.

Subsequently, on April 23, 2021, Pope Francis visited the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican to greet the more than 600 poor people waiting their turn to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of the Vatican’s solidarity vaccination campaign.

It was common for Pope Francis to make these kinds of gestures to the poor of the city of which he was bishop. In fact, a few years ago he ordered the construction of showers in St. Peter’s Square as well as a health care center and shelters.

The Holy Father also invited those in need to visit the Vatican Museums, gave them a gala dinner near Piazza Bernini, and even established a special day for them, the World Day of the Poor.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Vatican City, Apr 23, 2025 / 12:30 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis was brought in solemn procession to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning, where the late pontiff will lie in state for three days for mourners to pay their final respects and say goodbye.

The Rite of Translation began in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, where Francis lived for the 12 years of his pontificate, and ended with the Holy Father’s body before the Altar of Confession in the soaring basilica at the center of Christendom.

CNA Staff, Apr 23, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

The German Catholic bishops have published a handout that offers guidance to pastors on blessings for couples in “irregular” situations such as same-sex relationships, urging clergy to use the blessings to “express appreciation” for individuals seeking the recognition from Catholic priests. 

The handout, “Blessings for Couples Who Love Each Other,” was distributed earlier this month by the joint conference of members of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK).

The guidance cites Fiducia Supplicans, the Vatican document published in 2023 that was approved by Pope Francis. The German document allows for “blessings” of homosexual couples and other extramarital arrangements. It was first reported on by CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner. 

“Non-church married couples, divorced and remarried couples, and couples in all the diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities are of course part of our society,” the bishops wrote, noting that “quite a few of these couples want a blessing for their relationship.”

“Such a request is an expression of gratitude for their love and an expression of the desire to shape this love from faith,” the document says, calling blessings “an act of the Church, which places itself at the service of divine-human encounter.” 

“The Church takes seriously the couple’s desire to place their future path in life under God’s blessing,” the handout claims. “It sees in the request for blessing the hope of a relationship with God that can sustain human life.”

“The art and manner of conducting the blessing, the location, the entire aesthetics, including music and singing, are intended to express the appreciation of the people who have asked for the blessing, their togetherness and their faith,” the guidance stipulates. 

When published in 2023, Fiducia Supplicans generated widespread international backlash from Church leaders around the world, though some bishops praised the guidance and vowed to allow the blessings in their bishoprics.

The document asserted that Catholic priests can bless same-sex couples as an expression of pastoral closeness without condoning their sexual relations. The declaration emphasized that blessings may only be given “spontaneously” and not in the context of a formal liturgical rite.

Bishops in Europe, Africa, and elsewhere said they would not be permitting priests to perform such blessings. Some bishops in the U.S., meanwhile, said they would implement the guidelines in their dioceses. 

Pope Francis several times defended the document from criticism, arguing that blessings do not require “moral perfection” before they are given.

“The intent of the ‘pastoral and spontaneous blessings’ is to concretely show the closeness of the Lord and of the Church to all those who, finding themselves in different situations, ask help to carry on — sometimes to begin — a journey of faith,” he said last year.

CNA Staff, Apr 23, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

The Diocese of Buffalo, New York, will pay out a massive $150 million sum as part of a settlement with victims of clergy sexual abuse there. 

The diocese said in a press release that the diocese itself, along with parishes and affiliates, would provide the payment “to survivors of sexual abuse for acts perpetrated against them by clergy, religious, lay employees, and volunteers.” 

The settlement amount was still set to be voted on by abuse victims and approved by U.S. bankruptcy court, but the proposal has been accepted by the committee of abuse survivors in the suit, the diocese said. 

The settlement “represents an essential milestone on this protracted and arduous journey, and importantly, enables us to finally provide a measure of financial restitution to victim-survivors, which has been our primary objective all along,” Bishop Michael Fisher said on Tuesday. 

“While indeed a steep sum, no amount of money can undo the tremendous harm and suffering the victim survivors have endured, or eliminate the lingering mental, emotional, and spiritual pain they have been forced to carry throughout their lives,” the prelate said. 

The diocese said it was still in talks with insurers “to determine amounts to be added to the final settlement fund from prevailing coverages.”

In a press release provided to CNA, New York law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates, which has represented abuse victims in the suit, said the amount was “the second-largest contribution by a bankrupt Roman Catholic institution and its affiliates in any Roman Catholic bankruptcy case to date.”

The settlement is “a major step forward to reaching a long-awaited resolution for the hundreds of strong, heroic survivors who came forward in the Diocese of Buffalo,” attorney Stacey Benson said in the release. 

The parties in the suit “continue to negotiate nonmonetary terms of the settlement, including strengthening child protection measures and the release of diocesan documents pertaining to the accused perpetrators,” the law firm noted. 

The payout comes several months after the largest diocesan-level bankruptcy settlement in U.S. history, when the Diocese of Rockville Centre — also in New York — agreed to pay $323 million to abuse victims. 

The largest Church abuse payout total in U.S. history thus far has been at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which last year agreed to a near-$1 billion payment to abuse victims.

Vatican City, Apr 23, 2025 / 10:30 am (CNA).

Having cared for the aging Pope Francis as his personal nurse since 2022, Italian nurse Massimiliano Strappetti was among the few people who saw the Holy Father moments before his death on Easter Monday.

Before being appointed Pope Francis’ personal nurse in August 2022, Strappetti was the nursing coordinator for the Vatican’s health department. He started working in the Vatican in 2002 after having worked eight years in the intensive care unit of Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.

Strappetti’s appointment came very soon after he accompanied the Holy Father on a difficult apostolic journey to Canada from July 24–30, 2022. Throughout 2022, the Holy Father struggled with knee problems.

From August 2022 onward, Strappetti would be seen by the pope’s side at almost every one of the pontiff’s public appearances, including his weekly Wednesday general audiences and Sunday Angelus addresses in Rome and the Vatican as well as on his several apostolic journeys abroad.  

The pope’s last words and final greetings were reportedly addressed to Strappetti, the man he trusted to care for him throughout the multiple illnesses and health emergencies he endured in the last years of his life. 

“Thank you for bringing me back to the Square,” the pope is reported to have told the nurse. Stappetti, a husband and father known for his generosity toward others, brought the Holy Father in a wheelchair to the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to deliver his final Easter Sunday urbi et orbi address on April 20.

After the blessing, the pope turned to Strappetti for his opinion, asking: “Do you think I can manage it?” before going down to the square to greet the 50,000 people from his popemobile, Vatican News reported. 

The next day, the pope’s health began to deteriorate at around 5:30 a.m. on Easter Monday morning. An hour later, the Holy Father made a “gesture of farewell with his hand” to Strappetti before falling into a coma, after suffering a stroke, in his bed in his Casa Santa Marta apartment, Vatican News reported. 

Strappetti closely accompanied the 88-year-old pope during his convalescence in the Vatican by providing round-the-clock care for the pope in his home following his March 23 release from the hospital after 38 days in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.

In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, head of the Gemelli Hospital’s medical team that cared for the pope, said they followed the pope’s clear order, through Strappetti, to “try everything, let’s not give up” during two critical moments when they needed to decide whether to continue or stop treatment.  

Prior to working more closely with the Holy Father as his personal health care assistant, Strappetti was among the medical staff who, in the summer of 2021, advised the pope to undergo testing regarding issues with his colon. On July 4 of that year, the Holy Father underwent a three-hour operation that removed part of his colon. 

Later in 2021, following the colon operation and 11-day hospitalization in Gemelli, Pope Francis praised Strappetti as “a man with a lot of experience” who “saved my life,” in an interview with Spanish radio station COPE.

“Now I can eat everything, which was not possible before with the diverticula. I can eat everything. I still have the postoperative medications, because the brain has to register that it has 33 centimeters [12 inches] less intestine,” the pope quipped in the interview.

Rome Newsroom, Apr 23, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

Pope Francis ordered that upon his death he would be buried in the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica of St. Mary Major). This basilica was very dear to him. Francis, however, will not be the only pope to be buried outside of the Vatican City State.

In the history of the Catholic Church, there have been 266 popes, and only about 30 of them have been buried outside of Rome. 

About 90 popes are buried in St. Peter’s Basilica (21 in the Vatican grottoes), 22 in St. John the Lateran, seven in Santa Maria Maggiore, five in Santa Maria sopra Minerva (St. Mary of Minerva), five at the Basilica San Lorenzo fuori le mura (St. Lawrence Outside the Walls), three at St. Paul Outside the Walls, and one in the Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles. 

Various factors are at play when it comes to the decision of a burial place. The chosen location may be a basilica the deceased pope is particularly fond of or one that is a symbolically important place. 

Father Roberto Regoli, director of the Department of Church History at the Pontifical Gregorian University, stressed to CNA that “the tradition of burying popes in St. Peter’s does not date back to the beginning of Christianity. We know nothing about the burials of the first two centuries.”

Regoli pointed out that “the first popes up to the fifth century are buried in the catacombs or some surface monuments. Leo I the Great is the first pope buried in St. Peter’s. From that period on, we have burials scattered throughout the churches of Rome, and then from the end of the fifth century until the 10th century, burials mainly at St. Peter’s.”

Who are the popes not buried at the Vatican? 

Several popes have chosen Roman basilicas for their burial spot. The last was Leo XIII in 1903, who wanted his tomb in the Basilica of St. John Lateran. Pope Francis has also instead arranged for his tomb to be in another basilica — the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

Pope Francis chose Santa Maria Maggiore because he had a special connection with the basilica. He prayed before the icon of the “Salus Populi Romani” before and after each apostolic journey. He went there on the first day of his pontificate. The pope — a Jesuit — was tied to this basilica because it was there that St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, celebrated his first Mass.

Pope Francis will not be the first pope to be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore, however. The basilica contains the tombs of Honorius III, Nicholas IV, St. Pius V, Sixtus V, Paul V, Clement VIII, and Clement IX. 

The tradition of burying popes in St. Peter’s Basilica dates to the fourth century. The Vatican Grottoes and St. Peter’s Basilica house the remains of 90 pontiffs.

St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the pope of Rome. It is no surprise that many popes have wanted to be buried there. As noted, the last to be laid to rest there was Leo XIII in 1903, but he is not the only one. The basilica houses the remains of 22 pontiffs.

The remains of two popes are found in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls — Felix III and John XIII — while John XVIII died in 1009 at the basilica’s monastery.

The church of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls is the basilica built over the remains of the deacon Lawrence. Blessed Pius IX was very attached to this basilica and was buried there. Four other popes are also buried in the basilica, almost all dating back to the fifth century.

Five popes, including two Medici pontiffs, Leo X and Clement VII, are buried in the Basilica Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, one of most artistically appointed in Rome and the last surviving Gothic church in the city. The church stands in front of the Ecclesiastical Academy, the school that trains the future “ambassadors of the pope,” the apostolic nuncios.

Pope Clement XIV is also buried in the Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles in Rome.

Among the popes who are not buried in Rome, we can name Gregory XII (1406-1415) — the last pope before Benedict XVI to abdicate and who is buried in the Cathedral of Recanati, in the Marche; Benedict XII and John XXII in Avignon; St. Celestine V (who died in 1294 after abdicating) in the Basilica of Collemaggio in L’Aquila and whose tomb was visited by Pope Benedict XVI before his own resignation in 2013; Blessed Gregory X in Arezzo; St. Gregory VII in Salerno; and St. Adeodatus I in Cinto Euganeo, in the Veneto.

Where Pope Francis will be laid to rest 

Pope Francis’ decision to rest in Santa Maria Maggiore will change the funeral rite. 

At the end of his funeral, his body will not be taken to the Vatican Grottoes. Instead, it will be brought to Santa Maria Maggiore to be buried, near his beloved icon of the “Salus Populi Romani.”

Seattle, Wash., Apr 23, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles welcomed more than 5,500 converts into the Catholic Church this Easter — the largest number in over a decade and a striking figure for the nation’s biggest archdiocese, according to leaders there.

Father Juan Ochoa, who directs the archdiocesan Office for Divine Worship, has been watching the numbers closely and told CNA he didn’t expect the surge.

“We usually see a 10% increase from the year before,” he said. “This year, it was about 45%. That’s significant.”

The group includes nearly 2,800 people baptized at the Easter Vigil — individuals with no previous affiliation to Christianity. 

Just as many were already baptized in other Christian traditions and received the sacraments of confirmation and the Eucharist in Catholic parishes across Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties.

For many, the choice to enter the Church was deeply personal. Ochoa said the conversions this year felt different than other years.

“I can’t point to one reason,” he said. “It’s not just one thing. I think COVID made people reflect. For some, it created space to ask questions. And maybe now they’re ready.”

The release of the 2025 conversion numbers comes just after the death of Pope Francis. Ochoa didn’t hesitate when asked about the late pontiff’s impact. 

“He gave the Church a different image,” he said. “He reached people who didn’t feel seen. And because of that, some people started looking at the Church in a new way.”

For Ochoa, the late pope’s legacy lives on in the very people coming through the Church’s doors this Easter. 

“They’re not here because someone pressured them,” he said. “They’re here because something called them.”

He’s seen a growing number of parishes embrace that same outward focus. “Some pastors are realizing it’s not enough to keep doing what we’ve always done,” he said. “They’re asking how to reach the people who aren’t here yet.”

That shift has taken time. Ochoa pointed to the Office of New Evangelization and Parish Life, which has helped parishes think more intentionally about outreach. Instead of applying a single model everywhere, the office works with local leaders to understand what’s possible — and needed — in their community.

“I’ve worked in three different parishes,” Ochoa said. “Even with similar demographics, you can’t just copy and paste. What works in one place might not in another. Culture matters.”

He also credited a range of Catholic voices on social media and digital platforms for helping people learn about the faith — especially those who might have been hesitant to walk into a church right away. 

Elsewhere in the country, other dioceses are also reporting increases in adult conversions. Thomas Rzeznik, an associate professor of history at Seton Hall University in New Jersey and co-editor of the quarterly journal American Catholic Studies, believes it reflects a deeper moment. 

“There’s a hunger for meaning right now,” he said. “People are searching for something more grounded. And when they find a parish that’s welcoming and prepared, that can make all the difference.”

Even as national data show a decline in infant baptisms, the growth in adult initiations tells another story. Ochoa sees that contrast every year.

“Infant baptisms reflect culture, tradition,” he said. “But adult baptisms — that’s personal. It’s someone deciding, for themselves, that this is what they want. That matters.”

CNA Staff, Apr 23, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Pope Francis died on April 21 at the age of 88. As Catholics around the world mourn his passing, a highly regulated process has now begun that will see the pope’s earthly body laid to rest and a conclave convened to elect his successor. 

As of this moment, the chair of St. Peter is vacant — and you may have seen the phrases “sede vacante” and “interregnum” being used to describe the present period. Here’s a breakdown of what those phrases mean. 

What does the phrase ‘sede vacante’ mean? 

“Sede vacante” is Latin for “the see being vacant,” indicating the period when a pope has died or resigned and a successor has not yet been chosen.

Sede vacante begins at the moment a pope dies or resigns and concludes when his successor accepts his election as pope. The College of Cardinals is entrusted with governing the Church during the sede vacante, but only for ordinary business and matters that cannot be postponed.

The phrase doesn’t only apply to the office of the papacy — if a bishop who is the ordinary of a diocese dies or is removed from his post by the pope, the episcopal see is “sede vacante” until a successor is appointed.

It’s worth noting that the phrase “sede vacante” has also gained usage among some Catholics who erroneously believe that the chair of St. Peter has been empty, with no legitimate pope, for decades. Adherents to this view are known as “sedevacantists” and are, under canon law, in schism because they reject the pope’s authority.

What is the ‘interregnum’?

“Interregnum” is a Latin word meaning “between the reigns” and can refer to the period between the reigns of any two rulers. In the case of the papacy, it refers to the period between the day of the death or resignation of one pope (which is counted as the first day of interregnum) and the election of his successor.

In papal documents, most notably Universi Dominici Gregis, issued by Pope John Paul II in 1996, the interregnum is referred to as the “vacancy of the Apostolic See.”

Three distinct phases take place during a papal interregnum: 

1. The Nine Days of Mourning (Novendiales)

The pope’s body is currently lying in state in St. Peter’s Basilica, permitting the faithful to pay their respects. Between the fourth and sixth day after the pope’s death, a solemn funeral for the pope is celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica by the dean of the College of Cardinals, with the other cardinals. (Obviously, this is not done in the case of a papal resignation.)

The College of Cardinals declares an official mourning period of nine days, called the “Novendiales,” typically beginning on the day of the pope’s funeral. On each of the nine days a different cardinal or Church official celebrates a public funeral rite for the Holy Father, following the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis (2024). 

Pope Francis had said that when he dies, he will be buried at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, and not — as has been the custom of popes for over a century — at the Vatican.

2. The preparation for the conclave

Preparations for the conclave to elect the new pope are begun after the papal funeral. Normally, the day on which the conclave begins is to be the 15th day after the death of a pope, the 16th day of the interregnum.

The College of Cardinals was given the faculty under Universi Dominici Gregis to defer its beginning “for serious reasons” up to the 20th day after death (21st day of the vacancy). However, under changes made by Pope Benedict XVI, the College of Cardinals is granted the faculty to start the conclave early if “it is clear that all the cardinal electors are present; they can also defer, for serious reasons, the beginning of the election for a few days more.”

3. The conclave

The conclave itself takes place in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel under strict oath of secrecy; all of the cardinals are under penalty of automatic excommunication if they break the oath.

Vatican City, Apr 23, 2025 / 06:06 am (CNA).

Pope Francis’ coffin was carried Wednesday morning in solemn procession to St. Peter’s Basilica, where the late pontiff will lie in state for three days for mourners to pay their final respects and say goodbye.

The rite began in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, where Francis lived for the 12 years of his pontificate and where he was placed in a simple, zinc-lined coffin on April 21, hours after he died at the age of 88.

Members of the lay confraternity of chair-bearers, called “sediari pontifici,” carried Pope Francis’ coffin — led in procession by priests, bishops, and cardinals — through Vatican City and to St. Peter’s Square, where thousands of mourners waited in total silence for a glimpse of their former pope. 

To the sounds of bell tolls and Latin chants, Pope Francis, for the last time, passed over the same road he took hundreds of times before, when he would greet the crowds gathered to see him during turns around St. Peter’s Square in his popemobile. 

Flanked by eight Swiss Guards, the coffin was carried into St. Peter’s Square to loud applause, breaking through the solemn silence. The pope was carried across the left side of the square, up the incline, and through the main door of St. Peter’s Basilica. 

The choir chanted Psalms, the Kyrie, and the Litany of Saints as Francis’ body was carried down the center aisle of the Vatican basilica and his coffin placed on a low, wooden platform in front of the Altar of the Confession.

Four Swiss Guards stood watch as clergy and laypeople prayed together for Pope Francis following the rite of the “translation of the coffin of the Roman Pontiff Francis,” according to the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the Church’s liturgical book for the funeral rites of popes. 

The camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, presided over the rite, which included incensing and sprinkling the papal coffin with holy water, the sung proclamation of a passage from the Gospel of John 17: 24-26, intercessory prayers, and a prayer that God will “hear us as we pray in union with all the saints and welcome into the assembly of your elect the soul of your servant, our Pope Francis, who placed his trust in the Church’s prayer.” 

The prayer ended with the congregation singing the Our Father in Latin and the Salve Regina. The cardinals and bishops in attendance silently approached the coffin in two lines to pay their final respects, and around 45 minutes later, just before 11 a.m. local time, the first mourners were allowed to enter the Vatican basilica to see the pope. 

Pope Francis will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica for the public to see, pray, and say goodbye, until the evening of April 25, when Farrell will close the coffin in preparation for the funeral Mass on the morning of April 26, which will be in St. Peter’s Square. 

April 26 will also mark the first day of a formal period of nine days of prayer and mourning in the Catholic Church, called the “Novendiales.” 

After his funeral Mass, the late pontiff will be buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, as he requested in his last testament. 

CNA Staff, Apr 22, 2025 / 18:17 pm (CNA).

At the first general congregation of cardinals in Rome on Tuesday, the estimated 60 cardinals in attendance chose the date of Pope Francis’ funeral and suspended beatification celebrations.

The closed-door meeting to discuss the upcoming conclave and other issues pertaining to the interregnum took place at 9 a.m. local time the day after the death of the pontiff as cardinals hurried from around the world to the Eternal City. 

As part of the interregnum period, the cardinals will meet frequently to make various decisions about the upcoming papal funeral and conclave. 

The cardinals set the papal funeral for Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. Rome time in St. Peter’s Square. Pope Francis will be buried at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, per his request, following the funeral. Pope Francis’ body will be transferred on Wednesday morning to St. Peter’s Basilica for the faithful to pay their respects. 

Pope Francis’ funeral is the first Mass of the “Novendiales” — a nine-day cycle of liturgical and spiritual preparation for the conclave. Cardinals will arrive from around the world to participate in the general congregations before the conclave, known as "preparatory sessions.”

Tuesday’s hour-and-a-half assembly began with a moment of silent prayer for the repose of the soul of the late Holy Father. 

At the assembly, the cardinals suspended upcoming beatification celebrations until the newly elected pope takes office. 

During the meeting, the cardinals took an oath to follow the norms of the interregnum, which are detailed in Pope John Paul II’s 1996 apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis. These norms include keeping “rigorous secrecy” around the election of the next pope.

The Irish-American Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who serves as the camerlengo of the apostolic chamber, read Pope Francis’ will.

During the general congregations, the cardinals will convene on important decisions such as the date of the conclave and approval of necessary expenses. 

The conclave can begin as early as 15 days after the Holy Father’s death so that all voting cardinals may attend, according to Universi Dominici Gregis. Once a maximum of 20 days have passed, the cardinals are obliged to begin the conclave. However, the rules also permit an earlier start should the cardinals agree and all of the electors have arrived.

All cardinals are expected to participate in the conclave unless a serious impediment prevents them, while cardinals older than 80 are ineligible to vote in the conclave. Of the 252 Catholic cardinals, 135 have voting privileges in the conclave.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 22, 2025 / 17:56 pm (CNA).

During oral arguments Tuesday, most of the justices on the United States Supreme Court appeared sympathetic toward parents in their lawsuit against a Maryland school board that refused to let them opt their children out of coursework that promotes gender ideology.

Catholic, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Muslim parents sued the Montgomery County Board of Education in May 2023 after the body ended its policy of notifying parents of coursework promoting homosexuality and transgenderism and allowing the parents to opt out.

Under the current policy, the school board only permits opt-outs in narrow circumstances, which is mostly related to sexual education in health class. It does not permit opt-outs for coursework that endorses the views that there are more than two genders, that a boy can become a girl, or that homosexual marriages are moral.

Some of the coursework initially introduced in the curriculum was designed to promote these concepts to children as young as 3 years old in preschool.

Eric Baxter, senior counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, represented the parents before the Supreme Court on April 22. He argued the school board’s policy violates the First Amendment of the Constitution by “indoctrinating” students about values that conflict with the religious beliefs of his clients.

“There’s no basis for denying opt-outs for religious reasons,” Baxter said. “... Parents, not school boards, should have the final say on such religious matters.”

He said that under the policy, there are “children of an extremely young age being indoctrinated in a topic that’s known to be sensitive.” He said it’s “designed to disrupt students’ … thinking on sexuality and gender identity.”

Alternatively, the school board’s lawyer, Alan Schoenfeld, acknowledged that these concepts are “deeply offensive to some people of faith” but said parents have no First Amendment right to opt children out of “learning about them.”

Schoenfeld said “the board wants to teach civility and respect for difference in the classroom” and, through that, “there is obviously an incidental message in some of these books that these life choices and these lifestyles are worthy of respect.”

“Incidental messages that these things ought to be normalized and treated with respect, I think, is simply part of the work that the school is doing in cultivating respect in a pluralistic school,” he added.

Most justices bothered by forced curriculum

The Republican-appointed justices, who account for six of the nine members of the court, expressed concern with the policy during oral arguments and appeared supportive of parents who want to opt their children out of the coursework.

“I guess I am a bit mystified, as a lifelong resident of the county, how it came to this,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh told Baxter during the oral arguments.

Kavanaugh repeatedly grilled Schoenfeld on why the board could not provide opt-outs, noting that the county previously had an opt-out, and “every other school board in the country has opt-outs for all sorts of things.”

Schoenfeld said the opt-outs ceased to be feasible because of the high rates of parents opting their children out in some schools and the inability to secure spaces and supervision for all of the children opted out of the coursework.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett noted that some of the instruction materials given to teachers on the subjects are “not just exposure to the idea” but rather a “presentation of the idea as fact.”

“It’s saying ‘this is the right view of the world, this is how we think about things, this is how you should think about things,’” Barrett added. “This is like ‘two plus two is four.’”

“We have the books being read in the classroom,” she said. “It’s not mere exposure.”

Barrett pressed Schoenfeld on numerous support materials given to teachers to help instruct students on these matters, which included telling the children that “people of any gender can like whoever they like” and that “when we’re born, people make a guess about our gender and label us ‘boy’ or ‘girl’ based on our body parts — sometimes they’re right; sometimes they’re wrong.” 

“So it was part of the curriculum to teach them that boys can be girls or that your pronouns can change depending on how you feel one day to the next,” Barrett said. “That was part of the goal?”

Schoenfeld said the materials “are to help a teacher answer a student’s questions” and to explain concepts like homosexuality and transgenderism but argued that the material is not a “script” and that children are not forced to affirm those statements.

At one point during oral arguments when Schoenfeld argued that the children do not have to agree with the material in the book or the statements by teachers, Chief Justice John Roberts interjected to say: “Is that a realistic concept when you’re talking about a 5-year-old?”

Justice Samuel Alito specifically referenced one of the books, called “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding,” which he said “has a clear moral message” promoting a homosexual marriage and a scene in which the mother of a girl instructs her: “You shouldn’t have any reservations about this.”

“The book has a clear message and a lot of people think it’s a good message and maybe it is a good message, but it’s a message that a lot of people that hold on to traditional religious beliefs don’t agree with,” Alito said. “I don’t think anybody can read that and think, ‘Well this is just telling children that there are occasions when men marry other men.’”

Justice Neil Gorsuch expressed concern that the coursework is “being used in English language instruction at age 3,” adding that it appears to be designed “to influence students.”

Schoenfeld suggested it is only meant to influence the children on “civility.”

Where to draw the line

Some of the justices who were appointed by Democrats, which are three of the nine members, expressed concerns about constitutionalizing the issue and that acknowledging a broad constitutional right for opt-outs could produce lawsuits on a variety of subjects.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, for example, said there are “a lot of sincerely held beliefs” and asked Baxter whether an “opt-out” proclamation from the Supreme Court could apply to a student objecting to having a transgender classmate or a gay teacher displaying a photo of his same-sex wedding. 

“This is not just about books,” Jackson said. “This is about exposure to people of different sexual orientations and the sincerely held objection that children shouldn’t be exposed to this.”

Baxter said, however, that a student cannot tell a teacher what to say or object to a transgender classmate under the “opt-out” policies that his clients are requesting.

Vatican City, Apr 22, 2025 / 17:08 pm (CNA).

With the death of Pope Francis on Monday, the Catholic Church has entered a mourning period, which will include nine days of Masses offered for the repose of his soul known as the “Novendiales.”  

Rooted in ancient Christian and Roman customs, the Novendiales is a period of nine consecutive days dedicated to mourning the death of a pope. The practice dates back centuries, mirroring the ancient Roman tradition of a nine-day funeral rite.

According to Church law, while the mourning period begins immediately upon the pope’s death, marking the official start of the “sede vacante,” or papal interregnum, the Novendiales will begin on the day of the pope’s funeral, scheduled for April 26, and will be followed by consecutive days of Masses until May 4.

In the days leading up to the funeral, the late pope’s body is placed in state at St. Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful can pay their final respects. Pope Francis will lie in state from Wednesday morning until the funeral Saturday morning. 

The funeral: A global farewell 

Between the fourth and sixth day after the pope’s death, the papal funeral takes place in St. Peter’s Basilica or St. Peter’s Square, presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals, who is currently Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. Pope Francis’ funeral will take place on Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. Rome time.

The funeral follows the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the Vatican’s official liturgical text for papal funerals, which was updated at Pope Francis’ request in 2024. The late pope’s face, his body having been placed in a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc, is covered with a silk veil. 

The ceremony is attended by heads of state, religious leaders, and thousands of faithful from around the world. At the end of the Mass, the traditional antiphon “In Paradisum” is sung, asking for the angels to guide the pope’s soul to heaven. 

“May angels lead you into paradise; upon your arrival, may the martyrs receive you and lead you to the holy city of Jerusalem. May the ranks of angels receive you, and with Lazarus, the poor man, may you have eternal rest.” 

Pope Francis, in accordance with his personal wishes expressed in his final testament, will not be buried in the Vatican grottoes but instead at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, a basilica that he visited more than 100 times during his papacy before and after his international trips in devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

The Novendiales  

The nine-day period of Novendiales Masses begins on the day of the pope’s funeral, in accordance with the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis.

Each day, a cardinal chosen by the late pope presides over a requiem Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Red is the liturgical color for the Novendiales Masses, which follow the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis (2024).

While the Masses are open to the public, each day traditionally focuses on a particular group associated with the pope. The day after the funeral, Vatican City residents and employees are typically invited to attend. On the third day, clergy from the Diocese of Rome concelebrate the Mass, and on the seventh day, members of the Eastern Catholic Churches are invited. 

The Holy See Press Office has confirmed that the Mass scheduled to take place in St. Peter’s Square for the Jubilee of Teenagers on Sunday morning presided over by Cardinal Pietro Parolin will be the second Novendiales Mass. The following Masses will take place in the afternoon each day until May 4. 

The general congregations 

The mourning period is not only a time of prayer but also of preparation. Throughout the Novendiales, the College of Cardinals gathers daily for general congregations to discuss the Church’s next steps. Cardinals under the age of 80, who are eligible to vote in the upcoming conclave, are required to travel to Rome to take part in the election of the next pope. 

The first general congregation can take place as soon as two days after the pope’s death. In these initial meetings, the cardinals focus on funeral arrangements and setting a date for the conclave.  

By the eighth general congregation, discussions shift to the broader state of the Church and the major issues facing the Roman Curia. The Vatican has emphasized that no names of papabile — cardinals considered leading candidates to be elected pope — are brought up during these pre-conclave congregations.  

The mourning period concludes with the end of the Novendiales, after which the Church formally begins the process of selecting the next successor of Peter. The conclave typically begins around the 15th day after the pope’s death. 

As the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica toll in mourning, Catholics around the world pause to reflect on the life and legacy of Pope Francis. For nearly two weeks, the Church waits before the conclave begins and then waits a little longer for the white smoke to rise from the Sistine Chapel once again, signaling the election of a new pope. 

Vatican City, Apr 22, 2025 / 16:33 pm (CNA).

“He told us he was praying for us, blessed us, and thanked us for our prayers on his behalf,” said Father Gabriel Romanelli, the pastor of Holy Family Parish in Gaza, summing up Pope Francis’ last call on Saturday night, April 19, moments before going to St. Peter’s Basilica to pray before the Easter Vigil.

The deeply moved Argentine priest explained in detail to Vatican News the Holy Father’s final gesture of closeness toward them, two days before his death.

“Pope Francis is a pastor who loves and follows this small community of ours. He prays and works for peace,” said Romanelli, noting that since the pontiff’s death, the Christian communities in Gaza — Catholic and Orthodox — have united in prayer for Pope Francis.

The priest of the Institute of the Incarnate Word did not hesitate to convert the parish complex in Gaza into a makeshift shelter during the fighting between Israel and Hamas. The parish currently houses 500 people. The majority are Orthodox Christians, Protestants, and Catholics, but it also serves as a shelter for more than 50 Muslim children with disabilities and their families.

Romanelli recalled how, over the past 19 months, the Holy Father has maintained constant contact with Gaza. “He was concerned about how we were doing, whether we had eaten, about the children,” the priest related.

In fact, he didn’t even stop calling to console them during the 38 days he was in Gemelli Hospital for bronchitis that led to double pneumonia.

“We hope that his appeals won’t be ignored: that the bombing will stop, that this war will end, that the hostages will be released, and that humanitarian aid will reach those who are suffering,” Romanelli said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

ACI Prensa Staff, Apr 22, 2025 / 15:54 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis greeted the faithful around the world for the last time from St. Peter’s Basilica on the most important day for Christians: Easter, the heart and foundation of the Catholic faith that proclaims Christ’s triumph over sin and death.

On the morning of April 20, before tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis appeared from the central loggia of the basilica to deliver his Easter message.

His face marked by fatigue and his voice broken by his difficulty breathing, the Holy Father delivered with great effort what would be his last blessing: “Dear brothers and sisters: Happy Easter!” A day later, on the morning of April 21, Pope Francis died at the age of 88.

In his Easter message, read Sunday by Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of pontifical ceremonies, the Holy Father expressed his profound longing for peace and hoped “that the principle of humanity as its cardinal axis may never fail.”

“On this day, I would like us to once again hope and trust in others — even those who are not close to us or who come from distant lands, with customs, lifestyles, ideas, and habits different from those we are most familiar with — for we are all children of God,” Pope Francis expressed.

At the end of his message, the pontiff gave the faithful one of those “surprises” that have characterized the final days of his pontificate since he was discharged from Gemelli Hospital in Rome on March 23.

Pope Francis made the circuit of the packed square for about 20 minutes, greeting the 35,000 faithful with affection and warmth from the popemobile, the crowd reciprocating with applause and cheers, a scene captured for posterity.

Since his discharge from the hospital, Pope Francis appeared in public on several occasions, always unexpectedly, without an official public agenda.

Although he was not expected to receive large groups or hold audiences during his convalescence, he reappeared for the first time on April 6 to participate in the Jubilee of the Sick.

He also held a private meeting with the British monarchs after the cancellation of their official visit to the Vatican, and on April 10, he surprised everyone with a visit, without papal attire, to St. Peter's Basilica to pray at the tomb of St. Pius X.

The Holy Father also visited St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome to pray before the icon of the Virgin Mary, “Salus Populi Romani” (“Protection of the Roman People”), to whom he always held a great devotion. On Palm Sunday, he could be seen without nasal cannulas greeting the cardinals and faithful at the end of Mass.

Just five days ago, he visited Rome’s Regina Coeli prison on the afternoon of Holy Thursday to meet with 70 inmates. He also reappeared at the Vatican basilica on Holy Saturday to be close to the faithful who were about to celebrate the Easter Vigil.

In addition, on April 16, he received at the Vatican 70 members of the medical teams of Gemelli Hospital to thank them for their care during his hospitalization.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Rome Newsroom, Apr 22, 2025 / 14:37 pm (CNA).

Cardinal José Advíncula, OP, and Cardinal Pablo David — two of three cardinal electors appointed by Pope Francis — on Tuesday presided over requiem Masses in the Philippines and praised the late Holy Father for his humble service and love for the poor and wounded.

Speaking to Catholic faithful gathered inside the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (also known as “Manila Cathedral”) in the country’s capital, Advíncula, who was made a cardinal in 2020, said Filipinos should be “filled with gratitude” for the gift of Pope Francis’ pontificate.

“From the very beginning of his Petrine ministry, the Holy Father has reminded us that the Church must be close to the poor, merciful to all, and a welcoming home for the forgotten,” the prelate said on Tuesday morning.

Referring to the pope as “Lolo [Grandpa] Kiko,” the cardinal archbishop of Manila said Francis had a “special love for Filipinos all over the world” and “embraced” the joy and faith of Asia’s largest Christian nation. The Philippines has a Catholic population of approximately 85 million people, according to the country’s latest census.

“We will always remember his visit to our country in 2015 — a moment of grace forever etched in our national memory,” he said. “Under the rain in Tacloban, standing with the survivors of Typhoon Yolanda, Pope Francis showed us what it means to suffer with others and find hope in the midst of pain.” 

“His presence, prayers, and preaching have confirmed us in faith, enlivened our hope, and animated us to charity,” he added.

David, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines who was created a cardinal in the pope’s last consistory in December 2024, presided over the Tuesday afternoon requiem Mass at the San Roque Cathedral Parish in the Diocese of Kalookan. 

Describing the pope as a “bridge builder,” David said the Argentine pontiff wanted an inclusive Church that builds “bridges over troubled waters” and not walls to divide people in society.  

“Today we weep and mourn the passing of our beloved Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who, in spite of his advanced age, was able to serve as successor of Peter, bishop of Rome and supreme pontiff,” the cardinal said in homily.

“Pope Francis taught us how to treat not just fellow Catholics, not just fellow Christians, not just fellow believers, but all human beings — and even every fellow creature in our common home — as a fellow traveler in a common journey as fellow pilgrims of hope,” he said.

“[Jesus] never meant the Church to be an exclusive company of the righteous,” he added, saying: “He always meant the Church to be a field hospital for the wounded and the sick.”

Advíncula and David are expected to travel to Rome to participate — alongside fellow Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect for the section of first evangelization of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization — in the upcoming conclave to elect the next leader of the universal Church. It will be the first time in the Church’s history that three Filipino cardinals will participate in a papal conclave.

ACI MENA, Apr 22, 2025 / 13:56 pm (CNA).

On Monday morning, April 21, the Christian world was shaken by the passing of Pope Francis at the age of 88. His death marked the end of a life of faith and service that spanned decades, culminating in 12 years of humble service as the Roman pontiff.

In the midst of the Easter season — a time Francis long proclaimed as a message of hope — churches across the Middle East are bidding the pope farewell with liturgies and prayer, while Arab leaders are paying tribute to him with messages of respect and appreciation. 

Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan of the Syriac Catholic Church offered prayers on behalf of the synod, clergy, and faithful for the repose of Pope Francis’ soul, asking the Lord to reward him with the inheritance of the kingdom for his pastoral service and profound acts of charity. The patriarch presided over a special Easter Monday Mass for his repose and invited bishops and priests to commemorate the pope in the Eucharistic celebrations.

The Chaldean Patriarchate Louis Raphaël I Sako also expressed deep sorrow at the loss of a pope described as “great” in humanity, openness, love, and spirituality. The patriarchate recalled his historic visit to Iraq in March 2021, affirming the belief that Francis had entered the kingdom of heaven during the glorious Easter feast.

Catholicos-Patriarch Raphael Bedros XXI Minassian of the Armenian Catholic Church quoted St. Paul in his tribute: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness” (2 Tm 4:7-8). He affirmed that Pope Francis lived as a true shepherd, full of mercy and a tireless proclaimer of peace in a world thirsting for hope.

In Egypt, the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops, headed by Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac of Alexandria for Coptic Catholics, mourned the Roman pontiff, describing him as a symbol of humility and mercy who dedicated his life to serving humanity and advocating for the poor and marginalized, radiating a message of peace and reconciliation among peoples.

In Jerusalem, Latin patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, announced a holy Mass to be held on Wednesday at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for the repose of the pope’s soul, expressing heartfelt gratitude for his service to the universal Church.

The Coptic Orthodox Church, led by Pope Tawadros II, also expressed its condolences to the Catholic Church, praising Pope Francis’ love, humility, and authentic Christian witness — calling him a living testimony of faithful service.

Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X of Antioch described Pope Francis as a bearer of a lofty Christian mission, noting that his departure is a loss for all humanity, especially given his repeated calls for peace and an end to wars across the globe.

The Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon praised the pope’s ministry, marked by profound compassion for every suffering soul. The council urged priests to offer Masses and the faithful to pray the rosary for his repose. It also called on Catholic churches and monasteries to ring bells at noon on the day of his funeral, Saturday.

Patriarch Theophilos III of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem expressed deep sorrow, calling the pope’s life “a living witness to the Gospel and a model of true Christian discipleship.” He recalled Pope Francis’ request for a simple funeral as a final act of humility.

Patriarch Mar Awa III of the Assyrian Church of the East remembered the pope as a man of genuine and sincere Christian spirit. He noted the symbolic timing of his death on Easter Monday, saying it reflected his closeness to Christ. The patriarch highlighted Pope Francis’ remarkable legacy, especially in advancing ecumenical dialogue and promoting unity among the churches.

From the Islamic world, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar, paid a heartfelt tribute, referring to Pope Francis as a “brother in humanity” and a noble figure of compassion. He commended the pope’s tireless efforts to foster interfaith dialogue, including the historic 2019 signing of the Document on Human Fraternity. Al-Tayeb emphasized Pope Francis’ firm stand against Islamophobia and his support for justice in Gaza.

Several Arab leaders also mourned Pope Francis, including the presidents of Lebanon, Algeria, Iraq, and Egypt.

UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan wrote on X: “My sincere condolences to Catholics around the world. Pope Francis was a global symbol of tolerance, love, and solidarity. He worked with the UAE for years to promote these values for the benefit of all humanity.”

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 22, 2025 / 13:26 pm (CNA).

The Vatican on Tuesday released a previously unpublished text by Pope Francis following his passing on Monday containing the late pontiff’s reflections on aging and death. 

“We must not be afraid of old age; we must not fear embracing becoming old, because life is life, and sugarcoating reality means betraying the truth of things,” wrote Francis in the preface to a book in Italian by Cardinal Angelo Scola, “Awaiting a New Beginning: Reflections on Old Age,” which will be available on Thursday. 

In the late Holy Father’s introduction to Scola’s book, he expressed gratitude to the former archbishop of Milan for seeking to restore pride in aging, which he said is “too often considered unhealthy.”

The problem, Francis asserted, is not that we grow old but how we grow old. For old age to become a time “truly fruitful and capable of radiating goodness,” Francis stressed that it must be lived “as a grace, and not with resentment,” and accepted “with a sense of gratitude and thankfulness” in spite of suffering. 

“Because to say ‘old’ does not mean ‘to be discarded,’ as a degraded culture of waste sometimes leads us to think,” Francis wrote. “Saying ‘old’ instead means saying experience, wisdom, knowledge, discernment, thoughtfulness, listening, slowness… Values of which we are in great need!”

On this note, Francis pointed to the role of grandparents in society, emphasizing their role in promoting the “balanced development of the young” and a culture of peace. 

“Amid the frenzy of our societies, often devoted to the ephemeral and the unhealthy taste for appearances, the wisdom of grandparents becomes a shining beacon, shedding light on uncertainty and providing direction to grandchildren, who can draw from their experience something ‘extra’ for their daily lives,” he wrote. 

Scola’s writing, he said, “born from thought and affection,” bring the prospect of aging and death to bear in the context of Christianity, which he said “is not so much an intellectual or a moral choice but rather the affection for a person — that Christ who came to meet us and decided to call us friends.”

Ultimately, Francis wrote, “it is precisely the conclusion of these pages by Angelo Scola, a heartfelt confession of how he is preparing himself for the final encounter with Jesus, that gives us a consoling certainty: Death is not the end of everything but the beginning of something.” 

“It is a new beginning, as the [book’s] title wisely highlights, because eternal life, which those who love already begin to experience on earth within the daily tasks of life — is beginning something that will never end.”

“And it is precisely for this reason that it is a ‘new’ beginning, because we will live something we have never fully lived before: eternity,” the pope wrote.

National Catholic Register, Apr 22, 2025 / 12:12 pm (CNA).

Many saw Pope Francis as a grandfatherly figure, especially when he shared bits of practical wisdom on how to get along with one another. Reflecting on the Holy Family’s simple life in Nazareth, on the 2013 feast of the Holy Family, Francis said:

“Let us remember the three key words for living in peace and joy in the family: ‘may I,’ ‘thank you,’ and ‘sorry.’ In our family, when we are not intrusive and ask ‘may I,’ in our family when we are not selfish and learn to say ‘thank you,’ and when in a family one realizes he has done something wrong and knows how to say ‘sorry,’ in that family there is peace and joy. Let us remember these three words.”

This advice became a refrain, as he advised the next year:

“It is normal that there be a quarrel between husband and wife … but please remember this: Never finish the day without making peace! Never, never, never! This is a secret, a secret to protect love and to make peace.”

Across many homilies, audiences, and off-the-cuff reflections throughout his papacy, Pope Francis offered such grandfatherly advice on marriage, family, youth, the elderly, and other aspects of Catholic life — using signature turns of phrase. Here are some highlights of other times he offered folksy advice to the faithful.

Marriage matters

The Holy Father was blunt when speaking to those gathered for a general audience in 2014 — criticizing those who had pets instead of children. 

“The other day, I spoke about the demographic winter that exists nowadays: People do not want to have children, or just one and no more. And many couples do not have children because they do not want to, or they have just one because they do not want any more, but they have two dogs, two cats. ... Yes, dogs and cats take the place of children. Yes, it is funny, I understand, but it is the reality. And this denial of fatherhood or motherhood diminishes us; it takes away our humanity. And in this way civilization becomes more aged and without humanity, because it loses the richness of fatherhood and motherhood. And our homeland suffers, as it does not have children, and, as someone said somewhat humorously, ‘And now that there are no children, who will pay the taxes for my pension? Who will take care of me?’ He laughed, but it is the truth. I ask of St. Joseph the grace to awaken consciences and to think about this: about having children.”

Young and old 

Over the years, Pope Francis attended many youth-focused events — and he encouraged them to excellence. 

“I wrote a speech for you, but prepared speeches are boring,” the pope told youth on his trip to Asunción, Paraguay, in 2015. So he spoke spontaneously. “We don’t want ‘namby-pambies,’ young people who are just there, lukewarm, unable to say either yes or no. We don’t want young people who tire quickly and who are always weary, with bored faces. We want young people who are strong. We want young people full of hope and strength. Why? Because they know Jesus, because they know God. Because they have a heart that is free.”

He was known for his colorful expressions when “telling it like it is.” 

In September 2017, at the Vatican, Francis reminded a group of youth and young adults: “Narcissism produces sadness because you constantly worry about making up your soul every day, to appear better than what you are, pondering whether you are more beautiful than the others. It is the sickness of the mirror. Young people, break the mirror! Do not look in the mirror because the mirror is deceiving. Look outward; look at others; escape from this world, from this culture around us — to which you referred — which is consumeristic and narcissistic. And if one day you would like to look in the mirror, I will give you some advice: Look in the mirror to laugh at yourself. Try it one day: Look and begin to laugh at what you see there; it will refresh your soul. This brings cheerfulness and saves us from the temptation of narcissism.”

Speaking to an audience in May 2022, Francis focused on the elderly and told them they had plenty to offer, much more than money, and reminded them to pick up the Good Book, too. Summarizing the Old Testament Book of Judith, he emphasized: “Judith is not a pensioner who lives her emptiness in melancholy. She is a passionate elderly woman who fills the time God gives her with gifts. Remember: One of these days, take the Bible and look at the Book of Judith: It is very short; it is easy to read. It is 10 pages long, no more. Read this story of a courageous woman who ends up this way, with tenderness, generosity, a worthy woman. And this is how I would like all our grandmothers to be. All like this: courageous, wise, and who bequeath to us not money but the legacy of wisdom, sown in their grandchildren.”

Don’t be ‘pickled peppers’

The pope didn’t hold back when reminding the faithful of the call to witness to Christian joy.

“Sometimes these melancholic Christians’ faces have more in common with pickled peppers than the joy of having a beautiful life,” Pope Francis said in one of his earliest papal homilies, on the reading from Acts 18, in the chapel of St. Martha’s residence in May 2013. “If we keep this joy to ourselves, it will make us sick in the end; our hearts will grow old and wrinkled and our faces will no longer transmit that great joy, only nostalgia and melancholy, which is not healthy.”

“I tell you the truth,” he told the faithful in St. Peter’s Square. “I am convinced that if each one of us would purposely avoid gossip, at the end, we would become a saint! It’s a beautiful path!”

“Do we want to become saints? Yes or no?” he queried, as the crowds replied: “Yes!”

“Yes? Do we want to live attached to gossip as a habit?” Pope Francis continued. “Yes or no? No? OK, so we are in agreement! No gossip!”

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA's sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

Rome Newsroom, Apr 22, 2025 / 11:42 am (CNA).

Cardinal William Goh celebrated a memorial Mass for Pope Francis in Singapore on Tuesday, saying the late Holy Father had a “heart for everyone” and was dedicated to leading the Church toward a “new evangelization” through mercy and love.

After expressing the “real shock” the Church felt following the news of the pope’s death on Easter Monday, Goh said the Archdiocese of Singapore swiftly organized the Tuesday afternoon memorial Mass held in the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

Speaking to approximately 900 Catholic faithful, state representatives, and diplomatic corps present at the April 22 Mass, Goh said Pope Francis was entrusted with “the work of the new evangelization” and was a “significant example” for Christians throughout his 12-year pontificate.

“He wanted to proclaim Christ to the world but he wanted to do it in a way that the Gospel he proclaims will truly be ‘good news,’” Goh said, reflecting on the late pontiff’s first apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”), written in 2013.

“There is no way for us to proclaim the Gospel unless we have encountered the risen Lord for ourselves, unless we have touched him, unless we have experienced his mercy and love,” he continued. 

Commenting on Pope Francis’ critics who said the late pontiff was “soft on doctrine,” the 67-year-old Asian cardinal elector said the late leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics had a visible ability to reach out to many people through the “method” of living the “way of the Gospel.”  

“When we celebrate or come to pray for Pope Francis in this Mass, we are reminded of Pope Francis’ methodology in reaching out to people,” he said. 

“He was a man with great compassion — especially for those who are poor [or] suffering, those who are marginalized, those who have issues in their marriage [or] even in their identity,” he added. 

While noting the importance of “reason” to explain the Christian faith and to share it with others, Goh said “doctrines and words” are not enough to convince people about Jesus Christ and his Church.

“In fact, most people do not encounter the risen Lord by way of reason because reason can lead you to a certain threshold,” he said. “You have to take the leap of faith.”

Highlighting the Sacred Heart of Jesus as the “foundation” for the Jesuit pope’s spirituality, Goh said this “special devotion” enabled Francis to be close to people and have a “heart for everyone,” regardless if they were Catholic or not.

“He was truly a pastor for the world — a pastor with a heart, with compassion, and with great empathy,” he said toward the end of his homily. “We all love Pope Francis because truly he reveals to us the mercy [and] compassion of God.”

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 22, 2025 / 11:12 am (CNA).

The start of a papal interregnum brings many terms that may not be familiar to many people, including many Catholics. Here are some of the key words and phrases that will be used throughout the interregnum, especially the conclave to elect the new pope.

Apostolic See or Holy See: The earthly heart of the Church is often referred to as the Apostolic See or Holy See. A see is a seat of authority, from the Latin “sede” for “chair.” Jesus said the Pharisees sat on the chair of Moses. Judges sit on a bench, representing the authority of the state. Professors hold chairs of academic authority. And in the Church bishops possess chairs of spiritual authority, which is why in part their dioceses are called sees. The Roman Diocese has been called the Apostolic See, or Holy See, from ancient times, as it is the seat of authority of the chief apostle Peter, who has Christ’s authority over holy things. The expression applies not only to the pope but also to those in Rome who assist him in governing the universal Church. 

camerlengo: The camerlengo, or chamberlain, of the holy Roman Church has the key role of organizing the process during the vacancy of the Apostolic See, the interregnum. It is the camerlengo, assisted by the master of papal liturgical celebrations and other officials who certify the death of the pope. During the period of vacancy the camerlengo, assisted by the vice camerlengo, gathers reports from the departments of the Curia so that the College of Cardinals can manage the ordinary affairs of the Holy See until a new pope is elected. This is necessary since virtually all department heads lose their offices when a pope dies, except for the camerlengo, the major penitentiary, and the almoner of his holiness.

cardinal: As the root of the name suggests — Latin for “cardo,” or “hinge” — cardinals are among the closest advisers of the pope and have the immense responsibility of electing the bishop of Rome, the pope, in a conclave. The ecclesiastical rank of cardinal was known from about A.D. 315 and the time of Pope Sylvester I. Today these titles, with their reference to ancient responsibilities as being among the clergy of Rome, are said to be “titular,” not actual. The actual offices held by cardinals today are instead within the Roman Curia or as archbishops of dioceses around the world. Cardinals are generally bishops, though the pope may grant an exception, as has been done on several occasions in recent decades. By custom, cardinals are called princes of the Church, with the title of eminence, and enjoy special privileges such as wearing scarlet, a reminder that they are expected also to be witnesses of the faith “usque ad sanguinis effusionem” (“even to the shedding of their blood”). 

cardinal electors: Cardinal electors are those who are eligible to vote in a papal election. All cardinals under the age of 80 on the day on which the Roman See becomes vacant are allowed to participate in the conclave. The exceptions are those who are legitimately prevented by illness or other circumstances, those who have been deposed by the pope, and those from whom the pope has accepted the renunciation of the cardinalate. For most of the history of papal elections there was no age limit on the cardinals to take part in a conclave. However, in 1970 the age requirement of 80 was imposed by Pope Paul VI. He decreed that cardinals turning 80 should cease to be members of the departments of the Roman Curia and of the other institutions and lose the right to elect the pope. If, however, a cardinal completes his 80th year after the Apostolic See becomes vacant, he remains an elector for the conclave. Electors who have been legitimately delayed or who leave for a reason recognized in law may enter, or reenter, the conclave even while it is in progress. Every pope since 1378 has been chosen from among the body of voting cardinals.

College of Cardinals: The collective name given to the body of cardinals, known formally as the Sacred College of Cardinals. This group consists of bishops, and by exception priests, whom a pope has chosen to be his close advisers and collaborators — and to whom he has entrusted the task of electing his successor — are called cardinals. The name derives from the Latin for “hinge” and came into use in the fourth century. The College of Cardinals, or all cardinals collectively, was constituted in its current form in A.D. 1150, although the cardinals have served as the exclusive electors of the pope since 1059. Members belong to one of three ranks, cardinal deacons, cardinal priests, and cardinal bishops.

consistory or congregation: A gathering of cardinals to advise the pope or assist him in his duties. During the vacancy of the Apostolic See there are three kinds of assemblies of the cardinals. General congregations are attended by all the cardinals who are not legitimately impeded, such as by sickness. Particular congregations are composed of the cardinal chamberlain (camerlengo) and three other cardinals. These particular congregations handle the ordinary business of the Roman Church during the interregnum, referring anything significant to the general congregation. Finally, once the cardinal electors gather to elect a pope, their assembly is called a conclave. 

conclave: When the cardinal electors gather to elect a pope their assembly is called a conclave. The name is derived from the Latin for ”cum clavis” (”with a key”), describing the symbolic but historical procedure by which the cardinal electors are locked into the place of election until their task of electing a new pope is finished. The conclave system was formalized in 1274 by Pope Gregory X in the bull Ubi Periculum. It sought to prevent another lengthy interregnum such as the three-year-long ordeal that had preceded his election in 1271. Its procedures are minutely governed today by the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis of Pope John Paul II, as amended by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, and allows for no innovations on the part of the cardinals. By tradition and law, it is held in the Sistine Chapel, and votes are taken once or twice in a morning session and once or twice in an afternoon session. When the session concludes without an election the ballots are burned, causing black smoke to emanate from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. However, if a pope is elected they are burned with a chemical agent, producing the characteristic white smoke signaling the election of a pope.

dean of the College of Cardinals: The most senior member of the College of Cardinals, elected from among the ranks of the cardinal bishops, and confirmed by the pope. The dean is assisted by the vice dean in convoking the cardinals when the pope dies, as well as presiding over their congregations and over the conclave. He is the one who asks the electee to accept election as pope. The dean always has the titular office of the bishop of Ostia, the diocese located at the mouth of the River Tiber, on whose banks Rome sits. The cardinal dean also holds the title he held at the time of his promotion to dean. If the dean is over the age of 80 and therefore ineligible to participate in the conclave, his duties are performed by the vice dean. If he, too, is over 80, the task of running the conclave falls to the most senior cardinal bishop under the age of 80. In the current conclave, both the dean (Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, age 91) and vice dean (Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, age 81) are ineligible, and so the conclave will be directed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the next eligible most senior cardinal bishop. 

dicastery: A dicastery is a department of the Roman Curia whose mission is to assist the pope in his governance of the Church. Among them are the Secretariat of State, the various one-time congregations, such as the Doctrine of the Faith; the tribunals, such as the Apostolic Signatura; the councils, such as for Promoting Christian Unity; and the offices, such as the Camerlengo (which administers the goods of the Holy See during a vacancy). Major dicasteries are traditionally headed by a cardinal, but Pope Francis has also named a woman religious as a prefect as well. Dicasteries are composed of a body of cardinals and bishops who meet periodically to conduct the more important business, assisted by other officials, consultors, and employees, both clergy and laity. 

Domus Sancta Marthae: Called in the Italian the Casa Santa Marta, or St. Martha’s House, the Vatican guesthouse used to welcome various visitors with business in the Vatican and especially to house the cardinals during the conclave. Prior to the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, the cardinal electors stayed in cramped quarters quickly prepared in the Apostolic Palace near the Sistine Chapel. With the increase in the number of electors in recent decades, this arrangement proved inadequate. Pope John Paul II ordered the construction of the Domus Sancta Marthae, named for the holy woman of Bethany, St. Martha, who busied herself with hospitality for the Lord. In 2005 and 2013, the Domus housed both the nonvoting cardinals before the election and the voting cardinals (those under 80 years of age) once the election began. It also served as the residence of Pope Francis from the time of his election in 2013.

electing a pope: The manner of choosing a pope is not of divine institution. Papal authority is supreme in the Church, so whatever procedure a pope establishes for the election of his successor is lawful, valid, and obligatory until another pope changes it. Christ personally chose Peter, and it is believed that Peter himself designated his successor as Linus. How other of the early popes were elected, by vote or designation, is not known with certainty. However, from the fourth century we see the evolution of procedures culminating in the 11th and 12th centuries in the current system of cardinal electors. The current conclave system of electing a pope was introduced in 1274 by Pope Gregory X. This system has itself been reformed by many popes, including John Paul II, and on some points by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. 

interregnum: The period between the reigns of popes, formally called the vacancy of the Apostolic See, or “sede vacante.” A vacancy may come about due to the death of a reigning pope or to his resignation from office. If a pope has died the cardinals gather in Rome to mourn him and to plan and carry out his funeral and burial. In both the case of death and resignation, they will meet in conclave to elect his successor. During a vacancy, except for certain offices necessary for day-to-day affairs, all department heads in the Roman Curia lose their authority, and the power of the cardinals is limited to those matters concerned with guarding the authority and patrimony of the Holy See for the next pope. 

major penitentiary: The major penitentiary is one of the curial officials who do not lose their offices with the vacancy of the Holy See. The others are the camerlengo or chamberlain of the holy Roman Church and the almoner of his holiness. The major penitentiary is responsible for indulgences, the provision of confessors for the patriarchal basilicas in Rome, and judging questions of conscience (called the internal forum) submitted for adjudication to the Holy See. These include dispensations and absolution from sanctions, such as excommunication, which are reserved in law to the Holy See. The authority of the major penitentiary, therefore, continues during the interregnum.

Novendiales: Following the death of the pope nine days of official mourning are held, called the Novendiales, meaning nine days. The nine days of official mourning, commencing with the day of the solemn funeral Mass, are called the Novendiales. This funeral Mass, and Day 1 of the Novendiales, must fall between the fourth and sixth day after death, that is, on the fifth, sixth, or seventh day of the interregnum, as determined by the College of Cardinals. The mourning period then continues until the nine days are completed. Typically, a Mass is celebrated by a cardinal and might involve officials and staff from different Vatican offices, such as the Vatican City State, the Roman Curia, members of Consecrated Life, and the Eastern Churches. 

papal primacy: Papal primacy refers to the supreme, immediate, and ordinary authority of the pope over everyone in the whole Church. Definitively and precisely stated only at the First Vatican Council in 1870, this primacy of jurisdiction has been exercised by St. Peter and the bishops of Rome from the beginning of the Church. This can be seen in the norms announced by the apostle at the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15, in the letter of Peter’s successor, Clement, to Corinth from about A.D. 85, and many other examples from the Fathers of the Church in which the bishop of Rome is acknowledged as the final court, and the point of unity, for all the local Churches in the universal Church. 

papal titles: The election of a pope is first and foremost the election of the successor to St. Peter as the bishop of Rome. From this office derives all the other offices and titles he will hold. For example, the Roman bishop is the archbishop and metropolitan of the Roman province, the primate or first bishop of Italy, the vicar of Jesus Christ, the supreme pontiff, and pastor of the universal Church. He is the “servant of the servants of God,” a title coined about A.D. 600 by Pope Gregory I the Great. As spiritual father to all Christians he is called “pope” (“papa”), “holy father,” and “your holiness” ― not because he is holy but because the things of Christ, which he administers, are holy. All of these offices belong to the man elected the bishop of Rome.

pope: The title “pope“ means “father.” In ancient Greek it was a child’s term of affection (papa) but was borrowed by Latin as a title of honor. Both Greek-speaking Eastern Christians and Latin-speaking Western Christians applied the term broadly to priests, bishops, and patriarchs in the early Church. Even today, the faithful of the Orthodox Churches may call their parish priest pope. Gradually, however, Latin usage became more restrictive. At the beginning of the third century, papa was a term of respect for churchmen in high positions; by the fifth century, it was applied particularly to the bishop of Rome; and since the eighth century, as far the West is concerned, the title has been exclusively a reference to the pope in Rome.

proto-deacon: The name used for the most senior cardinal deacon who makes the announcement to the waiting world that the election has taken place and proclaims the name of the new pope by exclaiming “Habemus papam!” (“We have a pope!”). The proto-deacon is the longest serving of the cardinals who hold the rank within the College of Cardinals of cardinal deacon (the other ranks being cardinal priests and cardinal bishops) based on the date of his appointment to the college and by the order of announcement on the “biglietto” or papal decree. The current proto-deacon is Cardinal Dominique Mamberti. 

Roman Curia: Curia is a Latin term for a ruling body and its place of assembly. In ancient Rome the senate met in the Curia, which can still be seen among the ruins of the Roman Forum. Within the Church the term is used for those who assist a bishop in the governance of his diocese. With respect to the bishop of Rome, it applies to the members of the various Roman dicasteries, such as the Doctrine of the Faith, Saints, Tribunals, Councils, Offices, Commissions, and Committees who assist the pope in his governing of the Church. The current authority, structure, responsibilities, and operation of the Curia were established by Pope Francis in 2022 with the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium.

Sistine Chapel: When the cardinal electors, those under 80 years of age, gather twice daily to deliberate and vote for the next pope, they will do so in the Sistine Chapel of the Apostolic Palace. Built for Pope Sixtus IV (1471-1484), after whom it is named, this chapel was made famous by Pope Julius II (1503-1513), who in 1508 commissioned Michelangelo to decorate its vault, a task he completed in 1512. Later, Michelangelo painted the “Last Judgment” on the altar wall for Pope Paul III (1534-1549). It is before this imposing painting that the cardinal electors will cast their votes for the next pope. The first conclave to be held in the Sistine Chapel was in 1492 and the election of Pope Alexander VI, and the last not to be held there was in 1846 and the election of Pope Pius IX when it was held in the Quirinal Palace in Rome. In the decree governing the conclave, Pope John Paul II’s 1996 apostolic constitution Universi Dominic Gregis, the cardinals are mandated to hold the election in the Sistine Chapel, “where everything is conducive to an awareness of the presence of God, in whose sight each person will one day be judged” (Universi Dominic Gregis, Introduction).

supreme pontiff: “Pontiff” is taken from the Latin “pontifex” or “bridge-builder.” This title was given in ancient Rome to priests, seen as the mediators between the gods and men. In Christian teaching, Christ is the one mediator reconciling God and man. He alone is necessary. However, he utilizes human beings in offices of secondary mediation in order to effect his plan of salvation through his mystical body the Church. Applied to the bishop of Rome, “pontiff,” therefore, points to the high priesthood of Jesus Christ, which the pope exercises as a bishop. As pope, he is said to be the supreme pontiff, because he is pastor not only of his own diocese but also of the universal Church. 

Vatican City State: Vatican City State is the world’s smallest sovereign state, with its own diplomatic corps, passport, laws, police, stamps, and head of state, the pope. A 1929 concordat with Italy established the state, restoring the political autonomy the papacy had enjoyed for centuries in the Papal States. These states in central Italy protected the Church from subjection to kings and princes but were lost when the forces of Italian unification — the “Risorgimento” — entered Rome in 1870. The Vatican Concordat settled the issue of the pope’s temporal authority, securing for him sovereignty over the Vatican and certain other properties in Italy. Even during World War II, when Hitler contemplated invading the Vatican and capturing the pope, it provided a diplomatically secure place from which the Church could act independently.

vicar of Christ: The title “vicar of Christ” is closely associated with Our Lord’s titles “son of David” and “king of Israel.” It was foretold to David that a descendant would reign on David’s throne forever. This king is Jesus Christ, who reigns in an eternal spiritual kingdom, as opposed to the earthly kingdom that many expected the messiah to take up. Every king has a prime minister, a vizier or vicar, to implement his will and speak in his name. Although the kingdom of God has no material treasures to guard and dispense, it has spiritual treasures: the faith, the sacraments, the unity of the Church. This spiritual treasure is what was committed to Peter under the symbol of the keys and is passed to those who succeed him in his office as the vicar of Christ.

CNA Staff, Apr 22, 2025 / 10:42 am (CNA).

This month in Florida, a national Catholic education group is bringing together teachers and school administrators for one of the largest private education gatherings in the nation.

More than 3,200 are set to attend the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) 2025 Convention at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando this week, April 22–24. A major focus at the conference is developing a faith-based response to artificial intelligence in education.

The event will continue as scheduled following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday as the Church mourns and prays for the late Holy Father.

“As we pray for his eternal rest, we also pray in this Jubilee of Hope that Catholic school educators will embrace Pope Francis’ call to be pilgrims of hope, bringing Christ’s joy and peace to the world,” the association president and CEO, Steven Cheeseman, said on Monday.  

Cheeseman said the pope’s witness of humility and joy inspires Catholic educators.

“For the last 12 years, Pope Francis faithfully shepherded the Church with his signature joy and humility — two virtues that every Catholic school educator is called to emulate in their vocation,” Cheesman said.

“His unwavering focus on the Lord’s mercy and our responsibility to care for the most vulnerable among us are hallmarks of this inspiring servant leader,” he continued.

The convention will feature breakout sessions for professional learning as well as Mass, Eucharistic adoration, and time for fellowship.

Cheeseman shared his hope that the event will “engage, empower, and inspire everyone who serves in Catholic education.”

Featured breakout session topics include promoting student success, addressing mental health, and integrating students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Various sessions also highlight developing a Catholic culture, addressing teacher burnout, and even a workshop on transitioning to a classical curriculum — a growing trend in Catholic education. 

Given the growing prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI), conference speakers will highlight how to build faith-based policies around artificial intelligence.

NCEA spokesperson BeeJae Visitacion said the conference will address AI from a faith-based perspective to help Catholic school educators “to lead with both innovation and integrity.”

AI is “transforming the field of education,” said Visitacion, who is the director of communications for the association.

But what’s the Catholic response?

Keynotes and breakout sessions on AI will address “its ethical considerations in a faith-based context,” Visitacion said. 

The conference will examine “how AI tools can be integrated to support — not replace — the vocation of education,” Visitacion added. 

Author and educator Dan Fitzpatrick and Holy Cross priest and educator Father Nate Wills will both give keynote addresses on AI on April 22 and April 24, respectively. 

“These conversations will ensure that participants walk away with a clear, mission-centered framework for navigating this fast-moving field,” Visitacion said.

As school choice programs throughout the country are increasing access to private education, the convention will address the impact of school choice. 

Breakout sessions will help leaders develop their response to the growth of school choice, which, as Visitacion said, “has profoundly impacted Catholic schools.” 

“Dedicated sessions will explore how school choice is shaping enrollment trends, funding models, and family engagement,” Visitacion said.

“Experts from dioceses with robust school choice programs will share insights, best practices, and real-world data on how these policies are helping Catholic schools grow and thrive.”

The convention is “one of the largest private-education association gatherings in the nation,” according to the association’s webpage.

Cheeseman shared his excitement to welcome attendees to the conference “for this national expression of hope and purpose as we carry out our shared mission to form students in faith, knowledge, and service.” 

The upcoming event, he told CNA, “is more than our annual convention.” 

“It’s a celebration of the mission and ministry of Catholic schools,” Cheeseman said.

Future NCEA conventions are set for April 7–9, 2026, in Minneapolis and March 30–April 1, 2027, in Indianapolis. For more information visit here.

Vatican City, Apr 22, 2025 / 10:12 am (CNA).

Pope Francis’ last public act was a blessing of the entire world on Easter Sunday, delivered from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica — the same place where he was introduced as pope 12 years ago. 

In the wake of his death, the Vatican released further details on Tuesday about the pope’s final hours. 

“Grazie,” or “Thank you,” was among the pope’s final words, according to Vatican state media. He addressed them to Massimiliano Strappetti, the Vatican nurse who had served as his personal health assistant since 2022.

“Thank you for bringing me back to the Square,” Francis told Strappetti, who had encouraged him to greet the crowd from the popemobile on Easter Sunday following the traditional “urbi et orbi” blessing.

It marked the first time Francis had used the popemobile since a 39-day hospitalization earlier this year for pneumonia. The more than 15 minutes he spent waving to the 50,000 people gathered in the square ended up being his last ride. 

His final public words were simple: “Brothers and sisters, happy Easter.” 

The 88-year-old pope spent the remainder of Easter afternoon resting and had a peaceful dinner, according to the Vatican. 

At 5:30 a.m. local time on Monday, April 21, the pope’s health took a sudden turn, prompting immediate medical attention. Just over an hour later, still in bed in his second-floor apartment at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis made a gesture of farewell with his hand to Strappetti before going into a coma.

He died at 7:35 a.m. in his Vatican apartment. According to his death certificate, the cause of death was a stroke that led to a coma and irreversible cardiovascular collapse.

“He did not suffer. It all happened quickly,” Vatican News reported Tuesday, citing those who were present in his final moments.

In the hours following his death, many Catholics reflected on the words in his final Easter urbi et orbi blessing, which had been read aloud on his behalf from the loggia on Easter Sunday. 

“The resurrection of Jesus is indeed the basis of our hope. For in the light of this event, hope is no longer an illusion. Thanks to Christ — crucified and risen from the dead — hope does not disappoint! Spes non confundit! (cf. Rom 5:5),” the message says. 

“Christ is risen! These words capture the whole meaning of our existence, for we were not made for death but for life. Easter is the celebration of life! God created us for life and wants the human family to rise again! In his eyes, every life is precious! The life of a child in the mother’s womb, as well as the lives of the elderly and the sick, who in more and more countries are looked upon as people to be discarded,” he wrote.

“In the Lord’s paschal mystery, death and life contended in a stupendous struggle, but the Lord now lives forever (cf. Easter Sequence). He fills us with the certainty that we too are called to share in the life that knows no end, when the clash of arms and the rumble of death will be heard no more. Let us entrust ourselves to him, for he alone can make all things new (cf. Rev. 21:5). Happy Easter to everyone!”

Vatican City, Apr 22, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Throughout his 12-year papacy, Pope Francis gave many addresses, talks, and statements, and he penned numerous encyclicals and apostolic exhortations emphasizing themes of hope, mercy, compassion, and joy. 

His words often focused on the dignity of the poor, migrants, refugees, and the elderly as well as the importance of marriage, family life, and care for the environment. Advocating for “synodality,” Francis also called for a Church that listens and walks together. 

Below is a collection of quotes that reflect Pope Francis’ vision for a more compassionate and Christ-centered world.

Hope

In his first encyclical letter Lumen Fidei, Pope Francis said faith in Jesus Christ helps one to joyfully live life “on wings of hope.” 

Constantly encouraging people to turn to God, the Holy Father opened the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope writing in Spes Non Confundit: “Christian hope does not deceive or disappoint because it is grounded in the certainty that nothing and no one may ever separate us from God’s love … The death and resurrection of Jesus is the heart of our faith and the basis of our hope.”

Mercy

Pope Francis often said that God’s style is one of “closeness, mercy, and tenderness.” 

Exactly two years before closing the Jubilee Year of Mercy, the Holy Father penned his first papal apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium on the 2013 solemnity of Christ the King, writing: “Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy … Time and time again he bears us on his shoulders. No one can strip us of the dignity bestowed upon us by this boundless and unfailing love.” 

Joy

As the first pontiff in history to criticize “sourpusses” in a papal document, Pope Francis reiterated the evangelical importance of joy, a fruit of the Holy Spirit, in Evangelii Gaudium. 

In a message to participants of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints’ 2022 “Holiness Today” symposium, he said: “Without this joy, faith shrinks into an oppressive and dreary thing; the saints are not ‘sourpusses’ but men and women with joyful hearts, open to hope … Blessed Carlo Acutis is likewise a model of Christian joy for teenagers and young people. And the evangelical, and paradoxical, ‘perfect joy’ of St. Francis of Assisi continues to impress us.”

Love for the poor 

Choosing the name “Francis” in honor of St. Francis of Assisi was a powerful signal to the world that the pope wanted a “Church which is poor and for the poor!” 

With his burning desire for the love of Jesus Christ to reach the world’s peripheries, the Argentinian pope insisted that the poor are true evangelizers who must not be ignored. 

In his 2015 apostolic journey to the Philippines for the country’s Year of the Poor, the Holy Father asked young people: “You who live by always giving, and think that you need nothing, do you realize that you are poor yourself? Do you realize that you are very poor and that you need what they can give you? Do you let yourself be evangelized by the poor, by the sick, by those you assist?” 

Migrants and refugees

Migrants, displaced people, refugees, and victims of human trafficking always held a special place in the Jesuit pontiff’s heart. 

In 2016, Francis instituted the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and called on Catholics worldwide in 2020, through Fratelli Tutti, to open their arms to those affected by war, persecution, poverty, and natural disasters.

In his 2018 World Day of Migrants and Refugees message, he said: “The Lord entrusts to the Church’s motherly love every person forced to leave their homeland in search of a better future … In this regard, I wish to reaffirm that ‘our shared response may be articulated by four verbs: to welcome, to protect, to promote, and to integrate.’”

Environment and climate change

Pope Francis spoke in Catholic and secular venues about the detrimental impacts of a “throwaway culture” perpetuated by unscrupulous profiteering and rampant consumerism. 

Having written two key documents — including Laudate Deum — dedicated to the care for God’s creation, he wrote in Laudato Si’ in 2015: “We have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”

Pets vs. people

The pope was a strong believer that pets should never replace children. 

During his 2023 address at the General State of the Birth Rate conference held in Italy, the Holy Father recalled one brief encounter: “I greeted the woman, and she opened a bag and said: ‘Will you bless him, my baby?’ A dog!”

“I did not have any patience there… ‘Madam, many children are hungry, and you are here with a dog!’ Brothers and sisters, these are scenes from the present, but if things continue like this, it will be the custom of the future: beware.”

Marriage and family life

Among several practical pearls of wisdom for families — including advice to mothers to “stop ironing the shirts” of their sons so that they marry soon — Pope Francis told newlyweds in 2016 that the words: “May I?”, “Thank you,” and “I’m sorry” are key to maintaining peace in the home.  

“There are always problems and arguments in married life,” the pope said. “It is normal for husband and wife to argue and to raise their voices; they squabble, and even plates go flying! So do not be afraid of this when it happens. May I give you a piece of advice: Never end the day without making peace.”

Youth and the elderly

Known as the “grandfather of the children” at the Holy Family Church in Gaza, Pope Francis traditionally used his weekly general audiences to convey his spiritual closeness with both the youth and the elderly. 

When the pope instituted the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, he said: “The future of the world depends on this covenant between young and old. Who, if not the young, can take the dreams of the elderly and make them come true? Yet for this to happen, it is necessary that we continue to dream.” 

“Our dreams of justice, of peace, of solidarity can make it possible for our young people to have new visions; in this way, together, we can build the future,” the pope said.

Synodality

The Argentinian pope often said he preferred a Church that goes out into the world even if “bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has been out on the streets.” 

The Holy Father insisted priests be shepherds “with the smell of sheep,” urged consecrated brothers and sisters to bring God’s “light to the women and men of our time,” and called on laypeople to “bring the novelty and joy of the Gospel wherever you are.” 

Urging all Catholic faithful to learn how to listen and walk together as one missionary Church, the Holy Father said at the close of the Vatican’s 2024 Synod on Synodality meeting: “Everyone, everyone, everyone! Nobody left outside: everyone … It is up to us to amplify the sound of this whispering, never getting in its way; to open the doors, never building walls.” 

“How much damage the women and men of the Church do when they build walls, how much damage! Everyone is welcome, everyone, everyone!” he said.

Popular piety: Our Lady, St. Joseph, and the Heart of Jesus

Pope Francis was known to love the simple faith and devotion of the people. His own childlike affection for Mary, the Mother of God, and St. Joseph was evident to millions. 

However, the pontiff’s belief in the power of popular piety reached its climax in his last and lengthy encyclical letter, Dilexit Nos, in which he wrote: “The flames of love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus also expand through the Church’s missionary outreach, which proclaims the message of God’s love revealed in Christ … As we contemplate the Sacred Heart, mission becomes a matter of love.”

Food

The Church’s first Latin American pope understood the importance of physical and spiritual nourishment.

Besides sharing lessons learnt from his favorite movie, “Babette’s Feast,” the pope would always tell those who prayed the Sunday Angelus with him to “have a good lunch!” 

In Dilexit Nos, the Holy Father stressed just how important culinary traditions are for family life when he wrote: “In this age of artificial intelligence, we cannot forget that poetry and love are necessary to save our humanity.” 

“No algorithm,” he said, “will ever be able to capture, for example, the nostalgia that all of us feel, whatever our age, and wherever we live, when we recall how we first used a fork to seal the edges of the pies that we helped our mothers or grandmothers to make at home.”

CNA Staff, Apr 22, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Pope Francis, who died on April 21 in Rome at the age of 88, had a special love for creation and urged the faithful to take care of the environment throughout his pontificate.

In May 2015, he published Laudato Si’, an encyclical focusing on care for the environment that includes topics such as global warming and environmental degradation. He then released a follow-up document to the encyclical on Oct. 4, 2023, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, to address current issues.

In remembrance of the Holy Father’s message urging the faithful to take action to protect the natural environment and to celebrate Earth Day, marked every year on April 22, here are 10 quotes from Pope Francis on creation and care for the environment: 

“Nature is a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness. Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise” (Laudato Si’, 12).

“Take good care of creation. St. Francis wanted that. People occasionally forgive, but nature never does. If we don’t take care of the environment, there’s no way of getting around it” (Meeting with the president of Ecuador, April 22, 2013).

“You are called to care for creation not only as responsible citizens but also as followers of Christ! Respect for the environment means more than simply using cleaner products or recycling what we use. These are important aspects, but not enough. We need to see, with the eyes of faith, the beauty of God’s saving plan, the link between the natural environment and the dignity of the human person” (Meeting with Young People, Santo Tomás University, Manila, Jan. 18, 2015).

“The entire material universe speaks of God’s love, God’s boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains: Everything is a caress of God” (Laudato Si’, 84).

“The Eucharist is itself an act of cosmic love: Yes, cosmic! Because even when it is celebrated on the humble altar of a country church, the Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world. The Eucharist joins heaven and earth; it embraces and penetrates all creation” (Laudato Si’, 236).

“As stewards of God’s creation, we are called to make the earth a beautiful garden for the human family. When we destroy our forests, ravage our soil, and pollute our seas, we betray that noble calling” (Meeting with Young People, Santo Tomás University, Manila, Jan. 18, 2015).

“May the relationship between man and nature not be driven by greed, to manipulate and exploit, but may the divine harmony between beings and creation be conserved in the logic of respect and care” (General Audience, April 22, 2015).

“The human family has received from the Creator a common gift: nature … Nature, in a word, is at our disposition and we are called to exercise a responsible stewardship over it. Yet so often we are driven by greed and by the arrogance of dominion, possession, manipulation, and exploitation; we do not preserve nature; nor do we respect it or consider it a gracious gift which we must care for and set at the service of our brothers and sisters, including future generations” (Message for the World Day of Peace, 2014).

“Creation is not a property, which we can rule over at will; or, even less, is the property of only a few: Creation is a gift, it is a wonderful gift that God has given us, so that we care for it and we use it for the benefit of all, always with great respect and gratitude” (General Audience, March 21, 2014).

“We received this world as inheritance from past generations, but also as a loan from future generations, to whom we will have to return it!” (Remarks, Meeting with Political, Business, and Community Leaders, Quito, Ecuador, July 7, 2015).

CNA Staff, Apr 22, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Pope Francis, who died on April 21 at the age of 88, visited the United States just once, nearly 10 years ago, in September 2015. 

Despite the brevity of the visit, he accomplished a lot: Attracting hundreds of thousands of participants, he canonized a new saint (St. Junípero Serra), became the first pope to ever address a joint session of Congress, and galvanized the U.S. Catholic community with his presence and his speeches on the East Coast.

Washington, D.C.

Pope Francis began his tour of North America with several days in Cuba. Landing in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 22, 2015, Pope Francis met with President Barack Obama first thing the next morning. The meeting came amid a time of concerns for many American Catholics regarding politics, including the Obama administration’s contraceptive mandate and the recent legalization of same-sex marriage nationwide, via the June 2015 Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.

During the presidential meeting, Francis praised Obama’s commitment to inclusivity and noted that American Catholics have contributed greatly to building a tolerant and inclusive society while also stressing that religious liberty “remains one of America’s most precious possessions.” He also encouraged commitment to addressing the “urgent” issue of climate change, building on his expansive 2015 encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’. 

While in D.C., that same day, the pope addressed bishops and priests at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle and later celebrated Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. At the latter Mass, he celebrated the first canonization on American soil by declaring Junípero Serra, who founded missions along present-day California, a saint.

“He was the embodiment of ‘a Church which goes forth,’ a Church which sets out to bring everywhere the reconciling tenderness of God,” the pope said.

On the same day, Francis made an unscheduled stop to visit with the Little Sisters of the Poor in Washington, D.C., to support the sisters as they awaited word on whether or not the Supreme Court will hear their case against the federal contraception mandate. (The sisters are still fighting aspects of the mandate, even after more than 14 years in court.)

Francis addressed a joint session of Congress the next day, Sept. 24, making him the first pope to ever to do so. During his lengthy speech, he condemned the arms trade and the death penalty — statements that reportedly made some lawmakers in the room squirm. 

Francis went on to assert that the family was being threatened like never before and praised American figures, including Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr., for their tireless efforts to defend freedom and moral values. He also touched on respect for human life and the environment in the well-received speech.

The pope also visited St. Patrick Parish and met with people experiencing homelessness at Catholic Charities, addressing people who minister to the poor. He offered St. Joseph as their patron and model, because, he said, St. Joseph grappled with injustice and suffering in his care for Mary and Jesus.

“The Son of God came into this world as a homeless person,” the pope said. “The Son of God knew what it was to start life without a roof over his head.”

“We can find no social or moral justification, no justification whatsoever, for lack of housing. There are many unjust situations, but we know that God is suffering with us, experiencing them at our side. He does not abandon us.”

Controversially, while in D.C. Pope Francis met with Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk who had become a cultural lightning rod for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses. The pope reportedly told her to “stay strong,” offering rosaries to Davis and her husband. The Vatican later clarified that Francis met with Davis and her husband as part of a large group invited by the nunciature, with the Vatican spokesperson adding that the pope “did not enter into the details” of her situation.

New York City

After flying to New York City the evening of Sept. 24 and praying vespers at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, Francis addressed the United Nations General Assembly the next day, Sept. 25, the fifth time a pope had addressed the body.

The pontiff issued a call to the countries of the world to reject what he called “ideological colonization” — the “imposition of anomalous models and lifestyles which are alien to people’s identity and, in the end, irresponsible.”

Like his predecessor, Benedict XVI, Pope Francis made a solemn visit with other religious leaders to Ground Zero, the site of the 9/11 attacks, later on Sept. 25. He met with families of first responders, saying at the site museum that acts of destruction always have “a face, a concrete story, names.” He offered a “prayer of remembrance” for all those killed that day, along with a prayer for the survivors and those who are mourning the loss of their loved ones.

Later that day, after visiting Our Lady, Queen of the Angels School in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, Francis celebrated Mass at Madison Square Garden. He encouraged people to remember those in the city who are often forgotten, including “foreigners, the children who go without schooling, those deprived of medical insurance, the homeless, the forgotten elderly.”

“Knowing that Jesus still walks our streets, that he is part of the lives of his people, that he is involved with us in one vast history of salvation, fills us with hope. A hope which liberates us from the forces pushing us to isolation and lack of concern for the lives of others, for the life of our city,” the pope said.

“A hope which frees us from empty ‘connections,’ from abstract analyses, or sensationalist routines. A hope which is unafraid of involvement, which acts as a leaven wherever we happen to live and work. A hope which makes us see, even in the midst of smog, the presence of God as he continues to walk the streets of our city.”

Philadelphia

Pope Francis’ visit included an appearance at the 2015 World Meeting of Families (WMF) in Philadelphia, an event that focuses on celebrating the gift of the family. 

After flying to the “City of Brotherly Love” the morning of Sept. 26, Pope Francis took part in a Mass for clergy and religious at Philadelphia’s Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. In his homily address, the pope challenged the clergy and religious to inspire new vocations. 

He called for women to take on a greater role in the Church, highlighting the example of St. Katharine Drexel — a Philadelphia native — and he reminded the priests and religious present of their role in ministering to families, couples preparing for marriage, and young people.

He later addressed a crowd of some 50,000 people at Independence Mall, the site of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, for a religious freedom rally with Hispanic and other immigrants. 

Speaking to thousands of families gathered on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia that night, a visibly moved Pope Francis ditched his prepared remarks and instead gave an impromptu reflection on the beauty and dire importance of family life. He voiced his thanks at “the presence of all of you — who are a real witness that it’s worth being a family!” A society “is strong, solid, and edified on beauty, goodness, and truth,” he added.

On Sept. 27, the next day, Francis had an unscripted meeting with five abuse survivors — three women and two men — all of whom had been abused in childhood either by members of the clergy, family members, or educators. He promised accountability for perpetrators and expressed sorrow for the victims’ suffering. 

In the face of such heinous acts as sexual abuse, “God cries,” he said, adding that “the criminal sins of the abuse of minors can’t be kept in silence any longer … I promise, with the vigilance of the Church, to protect minors and I promise [that] all of those responsible will be held accountable.”

He told a gathering of international bishops afterward that the survivors’ stories of suffering “have aggravated my heart” and said that crimes of abuse must never be kept in silence.

Later that morning, Francis visited a Philadelphia correctional facility, saying at the meeting with a group of 100 inmates and their families that every person is marked and bruised by life, but Jesus washes away our sins and invites us to live a full life. 

Finally, the close of Sept. 27 — after Francis celebrated Mass for the WMF — marked the end of the pope’s trip to the United States. He thanked Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia as well as the civil authorities, donors, volunteers, and organizers that made the gathering possible. It was thought to have been the largest gathering ever held in Philadelphia. 

Reflecting on the trip, the Holy Father said it was “particularly moving for me to canonize St. Junípero Serra, who reminds us all of our call to be missionary disciples.”

He added that he was touched “to stand with my brothers and sisters of other religions at Ground Zero, that place which speaks so powerfully of the mystery of evil. Yet we know with certainty that evil never has the last word, and that, in God’s merciful plan, love and peace triumph over all.”

Furthermore, he promised his prayers for the U.S. people, saying: “This land has been blessed with tremendous gifts and opportunities. I pray that you may all be good and generous stewards of the human and material resources entrusted to you.”

“I thank the Lord that I was able to witness the faith of God’s people in this country, as manifested in our moments of prayer together and evidenced in so many works of charity.”

Concluding, he asked those present: “Do not let your enthusiasm for Jesus, his Church, our families, and the broader family of society run dry.”

“May our days together bear fruit that will last, generosity and care for others that will endure!” he said. “Just as we have received so much from God — gifts freely given us, and not of our own making — so let us freely give to others in return.”

Vatican City, Apr 22, 2025 / 06:55 am (CNA).

The Vatican on Tuesday released the first photos of Pope Francis after his death, showing him dressed in red vestments and lying in a simple wooden coffin inside the chapel of the Santa Marta guesthouse.

The photos, taken on the evening of April 21 during the first step of the papal funeral rites, show the pontiff, who died earlier in the day at the age of 88, holding a rosary and wearing the papal miter and pallium. The lit Easter candle is visible to Francis’ right, and he is flanked by Swiss Guards.

The photos also show scenes from the “rite of the ascertainment of death and deposition in the coffin,” the first stage in the papal funeral rites, which was presided over by the camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, on April 21.

The photos also show the sealing of the papal apartments in the Casa Santa Marta, where Pope Francis lived during his pontificate. 

Farrell — along with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and his deputy, Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra — also closed and sealed the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace, as called for by protocol.

On April 22, the Vatican’s liturgical office also published information about what will happen next in the funeral rites for Pope Francis.

Pope Francis’ coffin will be moved to St. Peter’s Basilica in a solemn procession on the morning of Wednesday, April 23, and placed near the basilica’s main altar for the public to view the body, pray, and say goodbye.

Pope Francis’ funeral Mass, called the “Missa poenitentialis,” will be held in St. Peter’s Square at 10 a.m. local time on Saturday, April 26.

The funeral will mark the first day of the “Novendiales,” nine consecutive days of mourning for the pope.

Also on Tuesday morning, the College of Cardinals met for the first of its “general congregations,” pre-conclave meetings of cardinals to discuss important Church business during the “sede vacante” (vacant see of Peter), issues facing the universal Church, and what qualities could be desirable in the next pope.

According to the Holy See Press Office, around 60 cardinals were present for the first general congregation, which included prayer for Pope Francis and the reading of his final testament.

The college also chose three cardinals to assist Farrell, the camerlengo, over the next three days: Cardinals Pietro Parolin, Fabio Baggio, and Stanisław Ryłko. The second meeting will be held on the afternoon of April 23.

Vatican City, Apr 22, 2025 / 04:53 am (CNA).

Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will take place Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican announced Tuesday.

The Mass will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals.

Following the funeral, the pope’s coffin will be taken to St. Peter’s Basilica and then to the Basilica of St. Mary Major for burial.

In accordance with his personal wishes, Francis will not be buried in the Vatican grottoes but instead at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, a church he visited more than 100 times during his papacy, before and after international trips, in devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that he plans to attend the funeral with the first lady, Melania Trump. Other heads of state, religious leaders, and thousands of faithful from around the world are expected to attend.

In the days leading up to the funeral, the late pope’s body will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful can pay their final respects. He will lie in state from Wednesday morning until the funeral Saturday morning, following the rite of translation on Wednesday, April 23, which will begin at 9 a.m. A procession will pass through Santa Marta Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs before entering the basilica through the central door, according to the Holy See Press Office.

The papal funeral will follow the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the Vatican’s official liturgical text for papal funerals, which was updated at Francis’ request in 2024. The late pope’s face, his body having been placed in a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc, is covered with a silk veil.

The funeral is the first in nine days of Masses offered for the repose of his soul, known as the “Novendiales.” Each day, a cardinal chosen by the late pope will preside over a Requiem Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Vatican City, Apr 21, 2025 / 17:28 pm (CNA).

Following the death of Pope Francis, an Irish-American cardinal is playing a leading role in overseeing Vatican affairs until the election of a new pope. 

Cardinal Kevin Farrell is a key figure in the papal succession because of his appointment in 2019 as the camerlengo of the apostolic chamber. 

The responsibilities of the camerlengo, or chamberlain, include ascertaining the pope’s death, performing some of the rites connected to a papal funeral, overseeing the preparations for a conclave, and managing the administration of the Holy See until the election of the next pope. 

Farrell’s nomination as camerlengo was one of several marks of the deep trust Pope Francis placed in the Dublin-born cleric.

In 2016, the pope named Farrell prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, which replaced the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for the Family. He gave him the cardinal’s red hat months later. 

As prefect, Farrell oversaw the planning of the World Meeting of Families in Dublin in 2018 and in Rome in 2022. He also oversaw World Youth Day in Panama in 2019 and in Portugal in 2023. 

In 2020, Pope Francis put the cardinal in charge of a committee monitoring internal Vatican financial decisions that fell outside other accountability norms, making him uniquely informed about Vatican finances among the hierarchy.

In 2022, the pope also appointed Farrell chairman of a new commission to oversee investments.

At the start of 2024, the cardinal added another position to his list of responsibilities: president of the court of cassation — the Vatican’s so-called “supreme court” — in another papal nomination.  

In his most recent sign of trust in Farrell, Pope Francis also put the cardinal in charge of the reform of the Vatican’s gravely unbalanced pension fund, naming him “sole administrator,” at a critical juncture. 

At the death of the pope, Farrell ceased each of these roles — except for camerlengo. 

Who is Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell?

Kevin Joseph Farrell was born in Ireland on Sept. 2, 1947. He entered the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ in 1966 and was ordained to the priesthood on Dec. 24, 1978. Farrell studied at the University of Salamanca in Spain and the Pontifical Gregorian University and Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome.  

He served as chaplain of the Legion of Christ’s apostolic movement Regnum Christi at the University of Monterrey in Mexico. He later denied having prior knowledge of sexual abuse on the part of the Legion of Christ’s founder, Marcial Maciel. 

After leaving the Legionaries, Farrell was incardinated in the Archdiocese of Washington in 1984, serving in roles including director of the Spanish Catholic Center before becoming the archdiocese’s finance officer in 1989. 

In 2002, he was named an auxiliary bishop of Washington, serving as moderator of the curia and vicar general, a chief advisory role, to then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. 

Farrell lived together with McCarrick in a renovated parish building in Washington’s Kalorama neighborhood for six years. He later denied having any knowledge of accusations of sexual abuse against McCarrick, who was dismissed from the clerical state in 2019. 

Farrell caused controversy in 2018 after he suggested in an interview with an Irish Catholic magazine that priests lacked the necessary experience to provide adequate marriage preparation to engaged couples. 

The comment echoed a statement of his from 2017 that priests have “no credibility when it comes to living the reality of marriage.” 

The cardinal was a prominent defender of Pope Francis’ controversial 2016 apostolic exhortation on love in the family, Amoris Laetitia. 

“There is nothing in Amoris Laetitia that is contrary to the Gospel,” he said in 2019. “What does Francis do? He goes to the Gospel. Look at every chapter, it’s straight out of one of the Gospels or the letters of St. Paul.” 

As prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, Farrell helped coordinate the Vatican’s initiatives for the Amoris Laetitia Family Year, marking the fifth anniversary of the text’s publication.  

Role of the camerlengo

The camerlengo is one of only a few major officials of the Roman Curia who does not lose his office while the papacy is vacant. The camerlengo, whose role is regulated by the 1996 document Universi Dominici Gregis and the 2022 apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, administers Church finances and property during the interregnum. 

Paragraph 17 of Universi Dominici Gregis says that “the camerlengo of Holy Roman Church must officially ascertain the pope’s death” and “must also place seals on the pope’s study and bedroom,” and later “the entire papal apartment.” 

The camerlengo is also responsible for notifying the cardinal vicar for Rome of the pope’s death. The cardinal vicar then notifies the people of Rome by special announcement. The camerlengo takes possession of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican and the palaces of the Lateran and of Castel Gandolfo and manages their administration. As Pope Francis resided in the Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City and not the Apostolic Palace, the camerlengo will also be required to take possession and seal those quarters as well for the duration of the sede vacante. 

Only the pope may choose the cardinal to fill the position of camerlengo, though he may also leave it vacant, in which case, the College of Cardinals would hold an election to fill the office at the start of a sede vacante.

Vatican City, Apr 21, 2025 / 16:58 pm (CNA).

Following Pope Francis’ death at age 88 on Easter Monday, the Vatican carried out the first stage in the papal funeral rites, called “the rite of the ascertainment of death and deposition in the coffin.”

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo, presided over the rite in the chapel of Pope Francis’ Vatican residence, the Casa Santa Marta, just a little over 12 hours after the pontiff’s death, at 8 p.m. Rome time.

According to the Vatican, the rite took under one hour and the pontiff’s remains will stay overnight in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta.

Farrell — along with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and his deputy Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra — also closed and sealed the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace, as called for by protocol, though Pope Francis chose not to live in the apartment during his pontificate.

The rite on Monday evening was attended by some of Pope Francis’ family members, the director and vice director of the Vatican’s health and hygiene department, and dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re.

After Francis died on the morning of April 21, the director of the Vatican’s health services, Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, examined the pontiff’s body and prepared the death certificate, which said the late pope died from a stroke, coma, and irreversible cardiovascular collapse. The certificate was read during the attestation rite.

Arcangeli also arranged for the proper preservation of the corpse so that its public exposition can be carried out “with the greatest decorum and respect.”

The remains of the deceased Francis were then dressed in his white cassock and moved to the private papal chapel of his Vatican residence for the first part of the funeral rites, which were held at 8 p.m. local time.

During the “rite of the ascertainment of death and deposition in the coffin,” Farrell led the prayers, according to the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, and then the pope’s body was dressed in red liturgical vestments with the miter and pallium and placed in a simple wooden coffin with a zinc lining.

The paschal, or Easter, candle was placed nearby and lit for the next part of the rite, which includes sprinkling holy water on the body. The casket with the pope’s remains was placed within the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta for visitation and prayer until it will be moved for public viewing.

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, led a rosary for Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square on the evening of April 21.

According to the Holy See Press Office, Francis’ remains may be brought to St. Peter’s Basilica for public exposition on the morning of April 23. The exact date and time will be confirmed by the Vatican on April 22.

The College of Cardinals will meet beginning April 22 to make decisions for the running of the Vatican during the “sede vacante,” the period without a pope, and to decide the date and time of Francis’ funeral and burial.

Vatican City, Apr 21, 2025 / 16:38 pm (CNA).

The Vatican on Monday evening hosted a praying of the rosary in St. Peter’s Square following the death of Pope Francis earlier in the day.

Thousands of Catholics gathered together in prayer for the Holy Father, who passed away at age 88 due to complications from a medical crisis earlier in the spring.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 21, 2025 / 16:08 pm (CNA).

U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, the president said on Monday.

“[First Lady] Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome. We look forward to being there!” the president wrote on Truth Social on Monday afternoon.

Trump had earlier in the day ordered all federal and state flags to be flown at half-staff to show respect for Francis and honor his memory following the Monday morning death of the 88-year-old pontiff.

“Rest in peace Pope Francis!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “May God bless him and all who loved him!”

The April 21 proclamation signed by Trump stated that the order is meant “as a mark of respect for the memory of His Holiness Pope Francis.” Flags will remain at half-staff until sunset tonight.

Trump’s order applies to the White House and all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, on all naval vessels, and at all embassies.

“He was a good man, worked hard,” Trump said at the White House Easter Egg Roll event when announcing the proclamation.

“He loved the world and it’s an honor to do that,” the president added.

Speaking to EWTN at the same event, Trump said his message to Catholics at this time is: “We love you all, we’re with you.” 

“They were with me during the election as you know very strongly and it’s just an honor to have the support of the Catholics and I feel very badly for them because they loved the pope,” Trump added.

When asked what he expects the United States’ relationship to be with the incoming pope who will be selected in a papal conclave, Trump said he thinks it will be “very good.”

Trump is a nondenominational Christian, but his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, is Catholic. The two met Pope Francis in May 2017 during Trump’s first term. They discussed collaborations on international affairs, peacekeeping efforts, and the protection of Christian communities in the Middle East.

Former President Joe Biden: ‘He was the people’s pope’

The 46th president, Joe Biden, issued a statement honoring Francis’ death, referring to the pontiff as “a pope for everyone,” “the people’s pope,” and “a light of faith, hope, and love.”

“He was unlike any who came before him,” Biden, who was the country’s second Catholic president, said in a post on X. “Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time, and I am better for having known him.” 

“For decades, he served the most vulnerable across Argentina and his mission of serving the poor never ceased,” the former president continued. “As pope, he was a loving pastor and challenging teacher who reached out to different faiths. He commanded us to fight for peace and protect our planet from a climate crisis. He advocated for the voiceless and powerless. He made all feel welcome and seen by the Church. He promoted equity and an end to poverty and suffering across the globe.”

Biden met with the pope twice while serving as president, first in October 2021 and second in June 2024.

JD Vance honors pope’s life shortly after meeting him

Vice President JD Vance, who is a convert to Catholicism, briefly met with Francis on Easter Sunday morning, the day before the Holy Father’s death. Vance told the pope that he prays for him every day and it was good to see him “in better health” following the Holy Father’s long-term stay at the hospital.

“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis,” Vance said in a post on X Monday morning. “My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. “

“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill,” the vice president said. “But I’ll always remember him for the … homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul.”

Vance also attended a Good Friday service at the Vatican and had a meeting with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Holy Saturday.

Secretary of State Rubio: ‘We unite in prayer’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is Catholic, and his wife also issued a statement through the Department of State mourning the death of Pope Francis.

“On Easter Monday, Jeanette and I are saddened to [hear] the news of Pope Francis’ passing,”
Rubio said. “We unite in prayer with Catholics worldwide for the repose of the pontiff’s soul and for this period of transition for the Catholic Church. May he rest in peace.”

Numerous other world leaders and American lawmakers issued statements honoring the life of Pope Francis on Monday.

This article was updated on Monday, April 21, 2025, at 4:15 p.m. with news that President Donald Trump would attend Pope Francis' funeral in Rome.

CNA Staff, Apr 21, 2025 / 15:38 pm (CNA).

Bishops and cardinals around the United States joined in prayer and mourning following the death of Pope Francis on Monday, recalling the pope’s legacy of service, prayer, and faith.

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), remembered Pope Francis “for his outreach to those on the margins of the Church and of society.”

The first pope “from our American continent,” Pope Francis was “marked by his experience as a Jesuit and a shepherd in Buenos Aires,” Broglio noted.

“He renewed for us the mission to bring the Gospel out to the ends of the earth and offer divine mercy to all,” Broglio wrote.

Broglio recalled the “prayerful hope” in Pope Francis’ recent letter of support to the U.S. bishops amid efforts by the White House to carry out mass deportations of illegal immigrants.

The pope at the time praised the bishops for “[working] closely with migrants and refugees, proclaiming Jesus Christ and promoting fundamental human rights.”

Pope Francis, Broglio said, “always used the strongest and clearest expressions in the defense of the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death.”

Pointing to the Jubilee Year of Hope, Broglio remembered that the late pope “call[ed] us to a profound hope: one that is not an empty or naïve hope, but one grounded in the promise of Almighty God to be with us always.”

A pastoral heart

Other U.S. Church leaders echoed sentiments of grief, prayer, and recollection while looking ahead to preserve Pope Francis’ legacy.

Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, D.C., recalled Pope Francis’ “embracing love … that animated his tender personal care for all those whom he encountered personally in their suffering.” 

This love, McElroy said, “led Pope Francis to be a prophetic advocate for the poor and the dispossessed, the unborn and the immigrant, the victims of war and the earth, which is our common home.” 

“It was in these intimate moments of pastoral care that we saw with such poignancy the heart of the pastor who had embodied mercy and love to the suffering in Buenos Aires and refused to diminish that commitment even when the strictures of the papacy fell upon him,” McElroy said. 

“The Church and the world have lost a true shepherd of souls, a beacon of unwavering hope, and a voice of penetrating truth,” McElroy said. 

Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez recalled “the Holy Father’s many kindnesses,” particularly amid the recent wildfires and other times of need in Los Angeles. 

“He was always quick to show his spiritual closeness to us in our times of need,” Gomez said. 

Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron remembered the late pope as “a man of simplicity, compassion, and deep concern for those on the margins.”

When they met, “his comments would burn their way into my heart and mind,” Barron said. 

Archbishop Nelson Pérez of Philadelphia added that Pope Francis “challenged” the Church to respond to “troubled times” with “the spirit of missionary discipleship.”

The mark of his “rich pastoral legacy” on the Church is, Pérez said, is “indelible.” 

Hope in the Resurrection 

With the Holy Father’s death falling on Easter Monday, many bishops expressed their hope in the Resurrection as they reflected on Pope Francis’ final public appearance on Easter Sunday. 

Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, the vice president of the USCCB, prayed that the “great soul” of Pope Francis may rest in peace.

“Pope Francis goes home to God just as the Church celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, his victory over sin and death,” Lori wrote.  

“Just yesterday, he greeted the crowds in Rome, as if to say farewell to the people of God whom he loved so dearly and served so devotedly,” the prelate said. 

“Often the Holy Father would ask visitors to pray for him,” Lori continued. “I am sure he would want us to pray for him now that he may rest in the peace of the risen Lord.”

New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond expressed his “great sadness” but also hope in the Resurrection. 

“While we are sad as we will miss him in this world, as an Easter people we believe in the Resurrection and believe that Pope Francis has gone home to our Father and now shares in the life of the risen Christ,” Aymond said. 

New York archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan mourned “our beloved Pope Francis,” recalling “his simplicity, with his heart of a humble servant.”

“How appropriate that his last public appearance was on Easter Sunday as we celebrated the joy of the resurrection of Jesus whom Pope Francis loved so deeply and so well, and right after our Jewish brothers and sisters, for whom Pope Francis had such great love, concluded their celebration of Passover,” Dolan said.

“It is beautiful that yesterday, on the great feast of the Resurrection, our beloved Holy Father had one last opportunity to greet the faithful,” added Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon. “And now, on this Easter Monday, the Lord has called him home to himself.”

Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver encouraged the faithful to live as the “pilgrims of hope” that Pope Francis described in his final address on Easter Sunday. 

“Let us be those who set out on mission to proclaim Jesus Christ risen to our world!” Aquila said.   

Continued work: ‘The greatest tribute we could give’ 

The Catholic bishops also urged the faithful to continue the work to which Pope Francis called the Church.

“The finest memorial we can offer is to re-form our hearts as Pope Francis asked — to see our brothers and sisters, to listen to them and to offer our prayers and actions that all may experience the fullness of God’s promise,” Chicago archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich said.  

Cupich prayed that God may “strengthen us to remain steadfast in carrying on the work of restoring our Church’s place in the world as a source of hope and an advocate for those in need.” 

Cardinal Joseph Tobin of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, remembered Pope Francis as a shepherd who “never tired of reminding us of God’s mercy.”

“He was a man of deep faith, profound humility, and unshakable hope — a servant whose tireless call to care for the poor and the marginalized will continue to inspire the Church for generations to come,” Tobin said. 

“May we honor his memory by building a Church that reflects the face of Jesus — merciful, welcoming, and always near to those on the margins,” Tobin continued. 

“The impact of his work for the Catholic Church will be felt for many years to come,” Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, added. “His humility and kindness made him a ‘pope of the people.’”

CNA Newsroom, Apr 21, 2025 / 15:08 pm (CNA).

The Vatican has released the testament of Pope Francis. The 88-year-old pontiff died on Easter Monday morning, April 21, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, as confirmed by the Holy See Press Office. He led the Catholic Church for just over 12 years. 

Here is the full text of Pope Francis’ testament:

Miserando atque Eligendo (“With having mercy and choosing him”)

In the name of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

As I sense the approaching twilight of my earthly life, and with firm hope in eternal life, I wish to set out my final wishes solely regarding the place of my burial.

Throughout my life, and during my ministry as a priest and bishop, I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary. For this reason, I ask that my mortal remains rest — awaiting the day of the Resurrection — in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

I wish my final earthly journey to end precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary, where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey, confidently entrusting my intentions to the Immaculate Mother, and giving thanks for her gentle and maternal care.

I ask that my tomb be prepared in the burial niche in the side aisle between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the Basilica, as shown in the attached plan.

The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.

The cost of preparing the burial will be covered by a sum provided by a benefactor, which I have arranged to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. I have given the necessary instructions regarding this to Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Liberian Basilica.

May the Lord grant a fitting reward to all those who have loved me and who continue to pray for me. The suffering that has marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and for fraternity among peoples.

Santa Marta, 29 June 2022
FRANCIS

Vatican City, Apr 21, 2025 / 14:53 pm (CNA).

The Holy See on Monday evening released the death certificate detailing the cause of death of Pope Francis, who died in his Vatican apartment at 7:35 a.m. in Rome on April 21, the day after Easter.

After an examination, Vatican physician Dr. Andrea Arcangeli determined the pope died from a stroke, coma, and irreversible cardiovascular collapse, according to the death certificate published just over 12 hours after Francis’ death.

According to the certificate, compounding factors included Francis’ previous episode of acute respiratory failure from bilateral pneumonia, the chronic disease called bronchiectasis (the permanent enlargement of parts of airways of the lungs), hypertension, and type II diabetes.

Arcangeli, the director of the Vatican’s health and hygiene service, said the cause of death was determined through an EKG.

The Vatican physician is also responsible for ensuring the pontiff’s remains are appropriately preserved so that public exposition of the corpse can be carried out “with the greatest decorum and respect.” 

On the evening of April 21, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo, presided over the “rite of the ascertainment of death and deposition in the coffin” in the chapel of Pope Francis’ Vatican residence, the Casa Santa Marta, in which special prayers are said for the pope and his body is dressed in vestments and placed in a coffin.

The College of Cardinals will begin meetings, called general congregations, on April 22 to plan the papal funeral and to make decisions related to the governance of the Church and the running of the Vatican during the sede vacante, or period without a pope.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 21, 2025 / 14:22 pm (CNA).

World leaders from around the globe released statements of mourning and remembrance on Monday in response to the death of Pope Francis, who passed away Monday morning at age 88. 

Ukrainian president grieves Pope Francis, source of ‘spiritual support’

“Millions of people around the world are mourning the tragic news of Pope Francis’ passing,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X on Monday morning.

“[Francis] knew how to give hope, ease suffering through prayer, and foster unity,” Zelenksyy reflected. “He prayed for peace in Ukraine and for Ukrainians. We grieve together with Catholics and all Christians who looked to Pope Francis for spiritual support. Eternal memory!”

President of Ireland: ‘There was a warmth to Pope Francis’

Irish President Michael Higgins on Monday said he “join[ed] with all those across the world, from their different stations in life, who have expressed such profound sadness on learning of the death of Pope Francis."

Higgins, who had met with Francis on five occasions throughout his pontificate, praised the late pope for his “unique humility,” which he said “sought to show in the most striking and moving of ways the extraordinary importance of the spiritual as a powerful source of global ethics in the challenges of contemporary life.” 

He further lauded Francis’ commitment to “the vital issues of our time,” including global hunger and poverty, the plight of migrants, and global peace. 

“In paying tribute to Pope Francis’ legacy, may we all reflect on the ethical approach that is necessary to tackle the many vital issues, including the serious danger of what he termed ‘the globalization of indifference,’ to which he drew the attention of officeholders and their publics,” the Irish president said.

UK prime minister: Francis ‘a pope for the poor, the downtrodden, and the forgotten’ 

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote on Monday that he was “deeply saddened” to hear of the pope’s death.

“Pope Francis was a pope for the poor, the downtrodden, and the forgotten,” Starmer wrote. “He was close to the realities of human fragility, meeting Christians around the world facing war, famine, persecution and poverty. Yet he never lost the faith-fueled hope of a better world.”  

“That hope was the heart of his papacy,” he said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan: Pope’s dedication to peace ‘cannot be forgotten’

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he was “deeply saddened with the passing of Pope Francis.” The leader said he extended his condolences to all believers “for this great loss.”

“His Holiness’ outstanding leadership to have [a] peaceful and just world cannot be forgotten,” he stated.

Canadian prime minister recalls pope’s teachings on economics and human values 

“Through his teachings and actions, Pope Francis redefined the moral responsibilities of leadership in the 21st century,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote in a statement on Monday. 

“His vision of fairness between the generations was rooted in concrete calls for action, policy, and personal responsibility.”

Carney reflected in particular on an address Pope Francis gave during a Vatican meeting in 2014 on the common good within the global market.

“Pope Francis issued a challenge that has guided me ever since,” Carney wrote: “He likened humanity to wine — rich, diverse, full of spirit — and the market to grappa — distilled, intense, and at times disconnected.” 

“He called on us to ‘turn grappa back into wine,’ to reintegrate human values into our economic lives.” 

António Guterres: Pope Francis ‘a messenger of hope, humility, and humanity’ 

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday wrote that he “joine[d] the world in mourning the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, a messenger of hope, humility, and humanity.”

“Pope Francis was a transcendent voice for peace, human dignity, and social justice,” he continued. “My deepest condolences to Catholics and all those around the world inspired by his extraordinary life and example.”

Jordanian royal family: ‘Humanity has lost an invaluable champion for peace and compassion today’

Jordanian King Abdullah bin Al Hussein and Queen Rania Al Abdullah joined heads of state around the world in reacting to Pope Francis’ passing on Monday morning.

In a social media post on Monday morning, Al Hussein extended his “deepest condolences to our Christian brothers and sisters around the world.”

“Pope Francis was admired by all as the pope of the people. He brought people together, leading with kindness, humility, and compassion. His legacy will live on in his good deeds and teachings,” he added.

“In a world that can often feel heartless,” Queen Rania wrote, “Pope Francis always had love to spare — for the less fortunate, refugee families, and children in war zones, in Gaza and around the world. Humanity has lost an invaluable champion for peace and compassion today. May he rest in peace.”

Former president of Iraq mourns pope’s passing, remembers historic visit

Iraqi-Kurdish politician Barham Salih, who served as president of Iraq from 2018 to 2022, mourned Pope Francis’ death in a post on social media Monday morning.

“Deeply saddened by the passing of Pope Francis — a beacon of compassion and moral courage,” he wrote in the post, which contained several pictures from the Holy Father’s unprecedented visit to Iraq in 2021.

“I had the honor of meeting His Holiness on several occasions, including inviting him for the historic visit to Iraq. May his relentless pursuit of peace, justice, and our common humanity endure.”

Salih said Francis’ visit had “ignited Iraq’s soul.”

Vatican City, Apr 21, 2025 / 13:48 pm (CNA).

The Catholic Church has many historical customs and traditions related to the handling of a pope’s mortal remains between the time of his death and his burial. 

Some of these customs have fallen out of use — such as hitting the pope three times with a hammer to confirm his death — or been removed over time through various papal reforms. 

Most recently, Pope Francis made several changes to the funeral process in a second edition of the 1998 Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the Church’s liturgical book for the funeral rites of popes. 

According to the master of papal ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the new edition of the liturgical book, issued in 2024, was requested by Pope Francis from a desire “to simplify and adapt some rites so that the celebration of the funeral of the bishop of Rome better expresses the Church’s faith in the risen Christ, eternal Shepherd.”

In the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the process is divided into three steps, called “stations.”

Here is what has happened and will happen to Pope Francis’ mortal remains prior to his burial.

First station 

After the death of the pope, the director of the Vatican’s health services — currently Dr. Andrea Arcangeli — examines the body and prepares the certificate of death. He also arranges for the proper preservation of the corpse so that its public exposition can be carried out “with the greatest decorum and respect.”

The remains of the deceased pope are then dressed in the white cassock and moved to the private papal chapel for the “rite of the ascertainment of death and deposition in the coffin,” presided over by the camerlengo, currently Cardinal Kevin Farrell.

Following the prayers, the pope’s body — dressed in red liturgical vestments with the miter and pallium — are placed in a simple wooden coffin with a zinc lining, rather than an elevated bier, the so called cataletto (death bed), as was used for Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.  

The paschal, or Easter, candle is placed nearby and lit for the next part of the rite, which includes sprinkling holy water on the body. The casket with the pope’s remains is placed in a suitable place within the Vatican for visitation and prayer until it is moved for public viewing. 

Second station

The second step is the translation or transporting of the coffin in solemn procession to St. Peter’s Basilica, where it is placed close to the basilica’s main altar, the Altar of the Confession, with the paschal candle nearby, in order that the public may view the body, pray, and say goodbye. 

The evening or another time before the funeral, the coffin is closed in a special rite. Prior to closing the casket, a white silk veil is placed over the deceased pope’s face. A bag of the coins minted during his pontificate and one of two copies of a “rogito,” a document summarizing the life and works of the pope, are also placed in the coffin. 

The interior coffin of zinc is closed and sealed first and then the outer wooden coffin is also closed and sealed. 

The funeral, called the “Missa poenitentialis,” is celebrated in St. Peter’s Square and marks the first of the “novendiales,” nine consecutive days of mourning for the pope.

Third station

The casket with funeral pall is next brought to the place of burial, most commonly the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica, where it has been the custom for popes to be buried for over a century. 

Pope Francis, however, will be interred in the Basilica of St. Mary Major at his request, because of his strong devotion to Mary.  

The last pope to be buried outside of the Vatican was Pope Leo XIII, who was buried in the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in 1903.  

Seven popes in history have been buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the last in 1669, Pope Clement IX.

Vatican City, Apr 21, 2025 / 12:07 pm (CNA).

Priests from around the world mourned the passing of Pope Francis at the Vatican on Monday while reflecting on the late pontiff’s life and historic papacy.

The pope passed away at 7:35 a.m. local time on Easter Monday, April 21, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. The 88-year-old pontiff led the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years.

News of the pontiff’s death brought a worldwide response of mourning and remembrance of Francis, who had suffered a double bout of pneumonia and a lengthy hospital stay prior to his death.

‘His name is Francis’

Following the pope’s passing, countless Catholics in Rome on Monday made their way to the Vatican to pray and share memories and reflections of the pontiff.

Father Hans Kreuwels, a priest from the Netherlands visiting Rome with his brother, told CNA at St. Peter’s Square that the late pope’s papal name of Francis “[reminded] us of Francis of Assisi and what he did — he was looking to help the poor.”

“We are sad on one side because this very important pope died,” Kreuwels. “He passed away, but it’s on the day of Easter Monday. It’s the day of the Resurrection. And as we remember this pope, he’s a pope of mercy.”

The priest pointed to the “Angels Unaware” statue in St. Peter’s Square. Crafted by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz, it depicts 140 migrants of different ethnicities and nationalities standing on a boat. Kreuwels noted that Pope Francis’ first papal visit was to the island of Lampedusa, ”where many, many refugees from north of Africa tried to go over the sea, and many thousands of them died.”

The refugee statue “[reminds] us of this visit of the pope and also calling us up to open our hearts for those who are suffering, the refugees, [and] poor people.”

“This jubilee is the year of hope,” the priest observed. “It’s the hope of eternal life. And we greatly believe that on this day of Easter, [Francis] went back to his father, and we hope that he will be happy forever and we see him in heaven again.”

Also in St. Peter’s Square on Monday, two sisters from the Missionaries of Charity order silently offered a rosary in memory of the Holy Father. Pope Francis had in the past praised the order’s “beautiful” ministry at the Vatican.

‘He died with his boots on’

Father Pablo Gefaell, a priest from Spain who teaches canon law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, came to the square to pray in silence with a rosary in his hands in front of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Spanish priest reflected on how Pope Francis had been in St. Peter’s Square just one day before.

“He wanted to be near the people till the last day of his life. In my country we would say, ‘He died with his boots on.’ We are thankful to him for that.”

“I want to pray for his soul. I have no doubt that he’s already in heaven,” the priest said. “But we need a new pope and we are praying for the new pope and for the Holy Spirit to illuminate the cardinals.”

Gefaell had the chance to meet the pope a few times while living in Rome. He said he remembers in particular his sense of humor.

‘What do you do now?’

A priest from the Diocese of Cleveland was in St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday morning when he learned that Pope Francis had died just a few hours before at the age of 88. 

Father Eric Garris was praying at the tomb of St. John Paul II — a personal hero of his — when he got the notification on his phone that the Holy Father had died.

“So, I just stood up and looked around, and I’m like, ‘Does anyone know this? What do you do now?’” Garris told CNA. “I wanted to pray for the repose of his soul. … I ran down to the tombs of the popes [underground St. Peter’s Basilica] and I knelt at the tomb of Peter, and I prayed for the repose of the soul of the successor of Peter.”

The 34-year-old Garris, who has been vocations director for the Diocese of Cleveland for three years, was visiting Rome to celebrate the Triduum, Easter octave, and the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, originally planned for April 27 and now postponed due to the pope’s death.

After praying in the grottoes of the Vatican basilica, Garris was joined in St. Peter’s Square by three other American priests staying in Rome. The four of them prayed the Office of the Dead and chanted the “In Paradisum” (traditional prayers for the dead) for Pope Francis’ eternal repose. 

The Cleveland priest said it was and is still shocking to lose the man who had been pope throughout his own eight years of priesthood — especially after just seeing him alive, up close, on Easter Sunday. 

Garris was one of hundreds of priests to concelebrate the Vatican’s Easter Sunday Mass on April 20, where he was three rows away from the altar in St. Peter’s Square. Afterward, he received Pope Francis’ blessing with the rest of the world, when the pontiff appeared on the central balcony of the basilica to wish everyone a happy Easter during the traditional “urbi et orbi” blessing.

Not long after, the priest was in the large thoroughfare leading to the basilica, Via della Conciliazione, when the still frail and ailing pope greeted the crowds gathered at the Vatican from his popemobile — for the first and only time since his 38-day hospitalization for double pneumonia less than one month ago.

“I think if Francis was one thing, he was a pastor, and he wanted to be with his people yesterday,” Garris reflected. “His pastor’s heart and pastoral theology that he not only wrote about but lived was an inspiration for me.”

A tall man, Garris was able to catch a good glimpse — and photo — of Francis despite the flock of cheering people. The priest thought the pope did not look well, but it also never crossed his mind that less than 24 hours later, he would be learning Francis had passed away.

“When Francis was elected, I was in seminary,” he said, “and I was actually in Church history class [at that moment], and I made our professor end class early because I said, ‘We’re living Church history!’” 

“I’ve been a priest for eight years. It’s been all under Francis’ papacy. And there’s something comforting knowing that there’s continuity in a father,” he reflected. “What happens now? It’s not in any way that there’s any sense of fear — I completely have trust in the Holy Spirit — but I just got so used to him being here.” 

“I look at Francis and I’m like, what a joyful disciple and shepherd,” the priest added. “I think at the end of the day, I prayed for him not out of obligation but because [of what the Gospel says]: ‘Lord, this is your servant, who faithfully served you. Well done, good and faithful servant. Come share in your master’s glory.’ And I pray that, and I hope that for him.” 

Courtney Mares, Hannah Brockhaus, and Kristina Millare contributed to this report.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 21, 2025 / 11:41 am (CNA).

The Vatican has announced that despite the death of Pope Francis, the Jubilee of Teenagers is still scheduled to take place in Rome beginning this Friday, April 25, through Sunday, April 27.

According to a statement from the Dicastery for Evangelization, the event is expected to draw upwards of 80,000 teenagers from all over the world to the Vatican.

Several adjustments are being made to the program due to the death of the Holy Father.

Among the changes: The previously scheduled April 27 canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis has been postponed. Due to the time of mourning, the musical celebration at Circus Maximus scheduled for April 26 at 5 p.m. has also been canceled.

Jubilee of Teenagers programming still scheduled to take place includes the April 25 “Via Lucis” prayer time, the “Dialogues with the City” squares on Saturday, April 26, the pilgrimages to the Holy Door and the holy Mass, without the canonization of Acutis, in St. Peter’s Square on April 27.

The first-ever Jubilee of Teenagers figures as one of the most anticipated events of the holy year and is especially dedicated to young people, who will have a unique experience of “faith, spiritual growth, and intercultural exchange.”

The vast majority of those registered come from Italy, although numerous groups are also expected to arrive from the United States, Brazil, India, Spain, Portugal, France, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Germany, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Australia, Argentina, Nigeria, and many other countries.

The delegations will come from dioceses, youth ministries, associations, and movements such as the Association of Italian Catholic Guides and Scouts, Italian Catholic Action, and the Salesian Youth Movement, among others.

The official program includes several highlights, beginning with the Via Lucis (Way of Light), an act of piety in which the apparitions of the risen Christ are meditated upon, which will take place on April 25 in the EUR neighborhood, just outside Rome.

On Saturday, April 26, there will be a day of thematic events throughout Rome, called “Dialogues with the City.”

One of the culminating moments will be on Sunday, April 27, with Mass in St. Peter’s Square, though without the canonization of Acutis.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA

Rome Newsroom, Apr 21, 2025 / 11:11 am (CNA).

The death of Pope Francis begins the so-called “sede vacante,” a period when the See of Peter lies vacant. The time of the sede vacante after the pope’s death brings with it a series of symbols, traditions, and protocols that have existed for centuries and express the papacy’s essence. 

The principal figure of the sede vacante period is the camerlengo, currently the Irish-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is also current prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life and former bishop of Dallas.

The pope appoints the camerlengo, and Farrell was chosen in 2019, replacing the French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran after his death at age 75. 

The tasks and duties of the camerlengo are regulated by Pope Francis’ 2022 apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, which deals with the functions and structure of the Roman Curia’s offices, and another apostolic constitution, St. John Paul II’s Universi Dominici Gregis, issued in 1996 and that governs the sede vacante and the election of a new pope.  

The camerlengo used to head the Apostolic Camera, an institution that dates back to the 12th century, and was entrusted to manage the goods of the Church during the sede vacante. It comprises the camerlengo, the vice-chamberlain, the general auditor, and the college of clerical prelates of the camera.

However, the Apostolic Camera has been suppressed by Praedicate Evangelium. According to the new constitution, the camerlengo is assisted by three cardinals. One is the cardinal coordinator of the Council for the Economy and the other two are “identified according to the modalities provided for by the legislation on the vacancy of the Apostolic See and the election of the Roman pontiff.”

What does the camerlengo do?  

First, when the pope dies, he has to “ascertain the pope’s death, in the presence of the master of pontifical liturgical celebrations, the cleric prelates of the Apostolic Camera, and the secretary and chancellor of the same,” according to Universi Dominici Gregis. 

The camerlengo must also break the Ring of the Fisherman, which the pope wears for the first time at his installation Mass, annulling the seal of the pontificate. The camerlengo will, in addition, seal the pope’s study and bedroom: No one will be able to enter the papal apartments until after his burial.  

It is likely that the process will be slightly different with Pope Francis, who chose the Casa Santa Marta rather than the Apostolic Palace as his residence after his election in 2013. In this case, the camerlengo will have to seal not only the papal apartments, which remained unused during this pontificate, but also the pope’s apartment in the Vatican guesthouse. 

After these procedures, the camerlengo notifies the cardinal vicar of the Diocese of Rome of the pope’s death. The vicar, currently Cardinal Baldassare Reina, must then inform the people of Rome via a special announcement. 

The camerlengo also has to inform the cardinal archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, of the news. The camerlengo must then take possession of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican and the Lateran and Castel Gandolfo palaces. 

It is the camerlengo’s duty to make all the arrangements for the pope’s funeral and burial after having discussed the matter with the members of the College of Cardinals.  

There is no such thing as a “vice pope.” The camerlengo, therefore, does not assume papal authority. Instead, he manages regular administration, with help from the three cardinal assistants, while maintaining contact throughout with the College of Cardinals.

The pope reformed the rite of the papal funeral, too.

First, the certification of the pope’s death does not take place in the room where he dies but in his private chapel. The camerlengo calls the deceased pope three times by his baptismal name. The baptismal name is used rather than the papal name since the deceased pope’s papal identity and function ceases upon his death. The tradition of tapping the deceased pope three times with a small silver hammer has long been in disuse.

The pope’s body is immediately placed inside an open coffin rather than an elevated bier, the so-called cata-letto (death bed), as happened with John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Also, the revised rites eliminate the use of three coffins — one of cypress, one of lead, and one of oak. Instead, the body is placed in a simple wooden coffin with a zinc lining and transferred immediately to St. Peter’s Basilica, without passing through the Apostolic Palace for another exposition, as was done previously.  

The funeral, called the “Missa Poenitentialis,” is celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica or St. Peter’s Square. Delegations from all over the world attend. The pope’s body is borne in a plain wooden coffin, with a silk veil covering his face. 

No one is allowed to take pictures of the deceased pope unless specially authorized by the camerlengo. The image, however, must be taken with the pope dressed in the pontifical robes.  

Until the practice was ended by Pope Pius X, the pope’s internal organs were removed and preserved in special amphorae secured in the Church of St. Anastasio and Vincenzo in Rome before the body was embalmed. 

Once the pope has died, all the cardinals of the Roman Curia, including the cardinal secretary of state, vacate their positions. The only posts that are maintained during the sede vacante period are those of the camerlengo, the major penitentiary, the papal almoner, the cardinal vicars of Rome and Vatican City State, and the dean of the College of Cardinals.

The camerlengo will later summon the cardinals for the general congregations that precede the election of a new pope. Then, within 20 days of the pope’s death, the cardinals eligible to vote gather in the conclave to elect a successor.

Vatican City, Apr 21, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Pope Francis’ death today marks the end of a historic 12-year papacy. The first Latin American and the first member of the Society of Jesus to be elected pope, his legacy will be shaped by his efforts to bring the Gospel to the peripheries of the world and the margins of society while shaking up — sometimes vigorously and uncomfortably — what he saw as an unacceptably self-referential, unwelcoming, and rigid Catholic status quo.

After Pope Benedict XVI’s unexpected resignation in February 2013, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires was given a mandate for reform on March 13, 2013, by the cardinals in the conclave convened.

Ahead of the 2013 conclave, the 76-year-old Jesuit from Argentina was not initially considered a front-runner. However, after he presented his vision for Church reform in a speech to the cardinals leading up to the conclave, a majority of electors were persuaded that he would offer a strong response to the ongoing scandals and challenges roiling the Church and provide solutions to collapsing Church attendance and vocations.

Taking the name of the 13th-century Italian saint and founder of the Franciscan order, Francis of Assisi, who adopted a life of radical poverty as he served those in need and preached the Gospel in the streets, the new pope aimed at fostering a Church reaching out to the poor, marginalized, and forgotten and capable of dealing with the complexities of the faith and human relationships in the world today.

“I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has been out on the streets rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security,” Francis stated in Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”), his 2013 apostolic exhortation that called for pastoral engagement in slums and boardrooms.  

Evangelii Gaudium was considered a manifesto for the new pontificate. Still, the true blueprint for his pontificate predated his election and was distinctly Latin American: the 2007 concluding document of the Fifth General Conference of the Latin American episcopate held in Aparecida, Brazil, that Cardinal Bergoglio was chiefly responsible for drafting.   

The “Aparecida Document” introduced many of the strategies for evangelization later taken up in Evangelii Gaudium and reiterated in Querida Amazonia, his 2020 postsynodal apostolic exhortation written in response to the 2019 Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region. 

Aparecida called for a “great continental mission,” an outward-looking, humble Church with a preferential concern for creation, popular piety, the poor, and those on the peripheries. “It will be,” he wrote, “a new Pentecost that impels us to go, in a special way, in search of the fallen away Catholics, and of those who know little or nothing about Jesus Christ, so that we may joyfully form the community of love of God our Father. A mission that must reach everyone, be permanent and profound.”

Once pope, Francis made the “great continental mission” an undertaking for the universal Church.

Speaking in 2013 at World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, he urged his youthful audience to be unafraid of shaking things up in order to evangelize more effectively.

“What is it that I expect as a consequence of World Youth Day?” he asked them. “I want a mess. … I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools, or structures. Because these need to get out!”

In pursuit of this “messy” evangelization, Francis offered a grand vision of decentralization, listening, and accompaniment, a Church of pastoral and merciful engagement over rigid doctrinal precision and clericalism. The pope frequently declared “Todos, todos, todos” (“All, all, all”) as an expression of how the Church must be a welcoming place of mercy.

In December 2015, Pope Francis inaugurated an extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, a special time for the Church to help the whole Church “rediscover and make fruitful the mercy of God, with which all of us are called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time.” Missionaries of Mercy were commissioned in 2016 to preach the gospel of mercy and make that invitation concrete through the sacrament of confession.

The centerpiece of his final years was the ongoing pursuit of synodality for the Church embodied in the three-year Synod on Synodality (2021–2024), aimed at permanently recasting the global Church so that all its members, the people of God, “journey together, gather in assembly, and take an active part in her evangelizing mission.”  

Yet from early on, his pontificate brought to the surface existing tensions within the Church, beginning at the tumultuous 2014 and 2015 Synods on Marriage and the Family, where cardinals debated the controversial proposal to lift the Church’s ban on reception of Communion for the divorced and civilly married. Francis’ postsynodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (“The Joy of Love”) failed to dampen the controversy due to its unclear position on this contentious doctrinal issue.

These divisions deepened further in the years after as some Church leaders, particularly in Germany, seized on Francis’ seeming doctrinal ambiguity to press for changes to Church teachings such as priestly celibacy, homosexual unions, and women’s ordination. Tensions mounted further in the reaction across the Church to the 2021 decree Traditionis Custodes (“Guardians of Tradition”), which sharply curtailed the Traditional Latin Mass, and the 2023 decree Fiducia Supplicans (“The Supplicating Trust of the Faithful”) that permitted forms of nonliturgical blessings to same-sex couples and couples in irregular situations.

The Holy Father, however, drew clear lines in the sand on key teaching areas. With the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s 2024 document Dignitas Infinita (“Infinite Dignity”), Francis reaffirmed the Church’s perennial opposition to abortion, euthanasia, and gender ideology. He used a much-publicized CBS “60 Minutes” interview in May 2024 to state again categorically that women’s ordination to the priesthood and the diaconate was off the table.

By the end, he had disappointed Catholic progressives and many in the secular media who had expected a full-scale doctrinal revolution in the Church rather than the process of pastoral reform he pursued.

A child of immigrants

Born on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was one of five children of Italian immigrants. His father, Mario, was an accountant for the country’s railways, and his mother, Regina Sivori, was a housewife.   

Raised in the bustling lower-middle-class Flores sector in the center of Buenos Aires, young Jorge spent a good deal of time with his beloved grandmother, Rosa, whom he credits with introducing him to the faith. 

However, the critical moment in discerning his vocation occurred on Sept. 21, 1953, when he experienced a life-changing encounter with God’s mercy in the confessional. “After making my confession I felt something had changed. I was not the same,” he recalled in 2010. “I had heard something like a voice, or a call. I was convinced that I should become a priest.”

After completing studies to become a chemical technician, he entered a diocesan seminary. He transferred to the Jesuit novitiate in 1958, was ordained a priest in 1969, and made his final profession with the Jesuits in 1973.

In short order, he served in various roles with increasing levels of responsibility. He became provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina in the same year as his final profession, when he was just 36 years old.

He held that office for six years, a period that overlapped with the turbulent aftermath of the Second Vatican Council that convulsed the Society of Jesus’ established practices and with Argentina’s infamous Dirty War (1976–1983), during which the military junta ruling the country tortured and “disappeared” tens of thousands of dissidents and political opponents.

The horrors of the Dirty War forged in the young Jesuit priest a deep and abiding antipathy for political ideologies, whether they originated on the left or the right.

And though some Jesuits in Latin and Central America would later embrace Marxist elements of liberation theology and revolutionary struggle, he and most of his Argentine brethren rejected that path.

The Argentinean “current” of liberation theology “never used Marxist categories, or the Marxist analysis of society,” Jesuit Father Juan Carlos Scannone explained in “Our Brother, Our Friend: Personal Recollections about the Man Who Became Pope.” “Bergolio’s pastoral work is understood in this context.”

Leading with controversies

While navigating the treacherous political landscape of the period, Father Bergoglio stirred enormous controversy as he undertook reforms of the local Jesuit province. By his own admission, much of the disagreement stemmed from his imperious leadership style at the time. “I had to deal with difficult situations, and I made my decisions abruptly and by myself,” he said in a 2013 interview. “My authoritarian and quick manner of making decisions led me to have serious problems and to be accused of being ultra-conservative.”  

Following his time as provincial, he served from 1980–1986 as rector of the Jesuit seminary in San Miguel. His tenure as rector was again divisive, with critics accusing him of trying to reshape the institution along pre-Vatican II lines that conflicted with contemporary Jesuit practices elsewhere in Latin America.

“He was not, as some have accused him of being, a conservative who wanted to take them to the preconciliar era but a renewalist, like Benedict XVI, who resisted attempts to conform the Church to the world in the name of modernity,” papal biographer Austen Ivereigh told the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, as he discussed Father Bergoglio’s estrangement from the local Jesuits and his subsequent “internal exile” from his religious order that endured until he was elected pope.

After leaving his seminary post, he traveled to Germany in 1986 with the goal of finishing his doctorate. After his return, he initially maintained a position of influence among the local Jesuits. But in 1990, now in his early 50s and with his critics also now in a position of dominance, Father Bergoglio was sent away from Buenos Aires to serve as the spiritual director and confessor of the Residencia Jesuita community in Córdoba, Argentina. It was a disciplinary move, undertaken with the approval of Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, the superior general of the Society of Jesus, that Francis recalled as “a time of great interior crisis” in a 2013 papal interview.

Still, Father Bergoglio’s no-frills austerity, closeness to the poor and prodigious capacity for humble hands-on service inspired a cadre of young Jesuit disciples to emulate his priestly gifts during and after his rocky tenure as provincial and seminary rector.  

“When we would get up at 6:30 or 7 to go to Mass, Bergoglio would have already prayed and already washed the sheets and towels for 150 Jesuits in the laundry room,” recalled Jesuit Cardinal Ángel Rossi, a former student at the Residencia Jesuita community, in “Pope Francis, Our Brother, Our Friend: Personal Recollections about the Man Who Became Pope.”

Episcopal service

In 1992, at the request of Cardinal Antonio Quarracino of Buenos Aires, Pope John Paul II unexpectedly plucked Father Bergoglio from his exile in Córdoba by appointing him auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires. In 1997, John Paul II named him coadjutor archbishop of Buenos Aires with the right of succession. Upon Quarracino’s death in February 1998, Bergoglio became the metropolitan archbishop of Buenos Aires. John Paul II elevated him to the College of Cardinals in 2001.   

As archbishop, he famously eschewed the trappings of office, traveling on the subway, residing in a simple apartment, and devoting much of his time to the poor and those living in the city’s slums.  

Meanwhile, he showed himself to be politically astute, unafraid to confront Argentina’s political leaders, and a practitioner of elements of Peronism — the “third way” nationalist platform of the late Argentine strongman Juan Peron, who celebrated Argentina’s Catholic roots and ramped up social spending while eschewing both Marxism and capitalism.    

“Power is born of confidence, not with manipulation, intimidation, or with arrogance,” Cardinal Bergoglio said in a 2006 homily that took aim at Argentina’s Kirchner government, which had adopted a more left-wing approach to Peronism than his own position and had clashed with the archbishop on moral issues.  

Beyond Argentina, his major role at the 2007 Fifth General Conference of the Latin American episcopate in Aparecida, Brazil, thrust him into greater prominence in the global Church. Writing in First Things in 2012 about the final document, Catholic commentator George Weigel highlighted its evangelical focus.   

“The first thing to note about the Aparecida Document is its strongly evangelical thrust: Everyone in the Church, the bishops write, is baptized to be a ‘missionary disciple,’” Weigel said approvingly, in words that presciently anticipated Francis’ vision for the papacy. “Everywhere is mission territory, and everything in the Church must be mission-driven.”  

A pontificate of the peripheries

Eight years after reportedly finishing as the runner-up in the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Bergoglio was picked by the College of Cardinals to succeed the German-born pope. The newly elected pontiff — the first non-European pope since Gregory III in 741 — immediately set the tone for his pontificate. “You know that the duty of the conclave was to give a bishop to Rome,” he declared from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica on the evening of his election. “It seems that my brother cardinals went almost to the end of the world to get him. But here we are.”  

Many of the concerns he pursued in Argentina and at Aparecida became foundations for his papacy. He shunned traditional papal garments and moved into the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Vatican guesthouse, instead of the traditional papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace. He continually emphasized the need for a Church that “goes out of herself to evangelize,” searching out and accompanying those on the “peripheries” of human existence. Important maxims from the Francis pontificate — the Church as a field hospital, “going out to the margins,” and the need for Church leaders to “smell like the sheep” — were complemented by a series of powerful images, such as the Holy Father washing the feet of prisoners and a young Muslim on Holy Thursday, embracing a disfigured man in St. Peter’s Square, and posing for selfies with young people.  

Francis repeatedly reemphasized the centrality of this evangelical approach. “The true Church is at the peripheries,” he stated in Disney’s documentary “The Pope: Answers,” released in April 2023.   

His first trip outside Rome after his election was to the small Mediterranean Italian island of Lampedusa, where he drew attention to the plight of undocumented migrants crossing deadly seas to enter Europe. He often spoke of the terrible plight of migrants and refugees, the divide between the global north and south and between the developing and wealthy countries, warning against economic policies that exploit poorer nations, a reflection of his familiarity with capitalism from a Latin American perspective. He criticized sharply what he called a “globalization of indifference” — an attitude that ignores people’s suffering on the margins of society and a “throwaway culture” that viewed the weak and vulnerable as disposable.  

One similar recurring feature of this focus on the peripheries was his framing of efforts by wealthy nations to impose abortion, contraception, and gender ideology on developing countries in return for aid and development as manifestations of “ideological colonization.”   

Such condemnations demonstrated that Pope Francis’ outreaches to the margins of human society defied efforts to cast him as a supporter only of progressive political and social agendas. During his April 2023 visit to Hungary — a European nation whose conservative alignment supposedly conflicted with his papal priorities for that continent — he denounced “the baneful path taken by those forms of ‘ideological colonization’ that would cancel differences, as in the case of the so-called gender theory, or that would place before the reality of life reductive concepts of freedom, for example by vaunting as progress a senseless ‘right to abortion,’ which is always a tragic defeat.”  

The Holy Father’s informal communication style — highlighted by interviews such as the ones he gave to the late Italian atheist journalist Eugenio Scalfari and his off-the-cuff comments, especially his press conferences on the papal plane — made possible the rise of a parallel, media-generated quasi-magisterium in which secular and progressive Catholic media used his comments to claim that he was calling for major changes to Church teaching.  

One legacy-defining example occurred during an in-flight press conference on the way home from World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro in 2013, when the Holy Father was asked to comment about a specific repentant Vatican official and the rumored existence of a gay lobby at the Vatican.   

Francis offered a nuanced response to the query, distinguishing between a person simply being gay as opposed to participating in a lobby. “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge?” he said. Instead of seeing it as a pastoral gesture toward homosexual persons, many news reports characterized the remark as a softening of the Church’s moral prohibition of same-sex acts, with no meaningful clarification provided afterward from the Vatican.  

Pope Francis also sought to build bridges with the international community through his words and actions. The two encyclicals written entirely during his pontificate, Laudato Si' (2015), on caring for our common home, and Fratelli Tutti (2020), which emphasized fraternity and social friendship, were well-received by the international press. 

In total, Francis authored four encyclicals during his reign, complemented by seven apostolic exhortations and 75 motu proprio documents, making him one of the most prolific popes in terms of magisterial teaching.  

His March 2020 urbi et orbi address and blessing, delivered amid the COVID-19 pandemic as he stood in an empty, rainy St. Peter’s Square, as well as playing the role of peacemaker by working to restore U.S.-Cuban diplomatic ties and offering to mediate an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, helped establish the pope as a spiritual father figure not only for the Church but also for the wider world. In 2024, he became the first pope to participate in the G7 meeting of world leaders, urging them to be aware of the threat and the promise of artificial intelligence.  

The pope’s desire for negotiation and dialogue also led him to sign a secret agreement with Beijing on appointing bishops in 2018 — for which he received strong opposition. The agreement was slammed by human rights advocates and other critics as an “incredible betrayal” and “absolutely incomprehensible” as Beijing further clamped down on religious freedom and violated the agreement on numerous occasions. The Vatican did not back down, however, insisting that patience was needed for the initiative to bear fruit despite frequent violations of the accord by the Chinese communist regime and the increasingly draconian application of its program of “sinicization,” which mandates that all religions must conform to communist precepts and be independent of foreign influence.   

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, head of the Dicastery for Bishops during much of Francis’ reign, said the late pope’s ability to generate interest in the Church from those on the outside was a sign of his “missionary style.”

“A missionary is at the borders; he is looking for those who are far away,” he told EWTN News in a February 2023 interview.

Pope Francis’ global missionary spirit was evident in his many papal travels. The late pope made 47 apostolic journeys outside Italy, visiting 61 total countries, averaging six countries per year. The rate was even higher than the five-per-year pace of the original “traveling pope,” St. John Paul II. Francis’ visits, which included places like war-torn Iraq, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan, indicated a preference for the Global South and nations plagued by conflict.   

This preference for the global margins was further reflected in Pope Francis’ selection of many new members for the College of Cardinals. Through 10 consistories, he created 149 new cardinals, dramatically reshaping the college’s composition. During his pontificate, the makeup of the college underwent a historic transformation, falling from 52% European at the start of his papacy to just 35% today. The college now reflects a more global Church, with South America and Asia each representing 15% of cardinals, North America 17%, Africa 12%, and Oceania 7%.  

Pope Francis was responsible for selecting 108 of the 135 cardinals who will now vote for his successor. 

His global vision was particularly evident in his appointments of cardinals from countries with tiny Catholic populations, such as Mongolia and Morocco, from the peripheries, such as Tonga and Haiti, and from places of strife, such as Myanmar, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.  

Francis’ tendency to appoint members to the College of Cardinals based on personal instinct, recommendations, or connections over standing custom also led him to pass over candidates from long-standing cardinalatial sees. For instance, in the U.S., Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, the former president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and head of the largest archdiocese in the U.S., never received the red hat. At the same time, Pope Francis made Bishop Robert McElroy of the Diocese of San Diego a cardinal in 2022. Likewise, Archbishop Mario Delpini, a Francis appointee as head of the Milan Archdiocese, the largest in Italy, was also conspicuously deprived of the cardinalate.    

But just as erroneous assumptions abounded about his supposed intent to abandon core points of Church teaching, there was also a mistaken belief that his appointments to the College of Cardinals were uniformly progressives. Many Francis appointees, such as McElroy, Cardinal Leonardo Steiner of Brazil, and the Jesuit Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, are committed progressives. At the same time, Francis named several known conservatives, including Cardinal Gerhard Müller, former prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Carmelite Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Sweden; and Capuchin Franciscan Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who led the African bishops’ opposition to Fiducia Supplicans in 2024.   

That balance in his appointments was similarly mirrored in the canonizations throughout his pontificate. Pope Francis canonized three of his predecessors, John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul II. He also canonized a total of 942 saints. These include the 813 Martyrs of Otranto; Salvadoran Archbishop Óscar Romero, a courageous critic of government human rights abuses; the great English convert and cardinal John Henry Newman; and Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The pontiff also added two new doctors of the Church: the Armenian St. Gregory of Narek and the Church Father St. Irenaeus of Lyon. He called Irenaeus the “doctor of unity.”  

Internal reform

Francis’ outward emphasis was matched by serious efforts to reform the inner structures of the Catholic Church to free it up for a greater focus on mission and service. Early on, he appointed a council of cardinals to advise him on curial and Church reform. Its labors culminated in March 2022 with the promulgation of a new apostolic constitution for the Holy See, Praedicate Evangelium, that allowed dicasteries, or Vatican departments, to be headed by lay baptized Catholics and placed greater emphasis on evangelization. The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, which dates to 1622, and the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, created by Benedict XVI in 2010, were combined to form the Dicastery for Evangelization, presided over directly by the pope and superseding the long-standing position of preeminence of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in the ranks of Vatican offices.   

Francis tackled some aspects of Vatican finances, even as ongoing scandals overshadowed that progress. The pope himself was drawn into one high-profile fraud case that led to the trial and 2023 conviction of one of his closest cardinal collaborators, Cardinal Angelo Becciu, on allegations of financial misconduct.  

Francis also undertook a series of reforms related to the scourge of clergy sexual abuse, beginning in 2014 with the creation of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, headed by Cardinal Seán O’Malley of Boston, who was also a member of the pope’s Council of Cardinals. Francis convened a global Vatican summit on the issue in 2019, which gave rise to his new Vos Estis guidelines intended to strengthen provisions for bringing abusive priests to justice and holding bishops accountable for their handling of abuse allegations.   

But the Holy Father’s style of governance — which often relied upon going with his gut instead of following established procedures and a tendency to keep all decision-making in his own hands — arguably led to blind spots in his crackdown on abuse.  

“A handful of priests, bishops, and cardinals whom Francis has trusted over the years have turned out to be either accused of sexual misconduct or convicted of it, or of having covered it up,” AP Rome correspondent Nicole Winfield reported in 2020. This referred to Francis initially disbelieving allegations against a bishop in Chile that turned out to be true and also reportedly turning a blind eye to reports of former cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s sexual misconduct until allegations were made public in 2018. Questions were raised as well about Francis’ awareness of the case of the famed Slovenian Jesuit mosaic artist Marko Rupnik, who was accused of sexual misconduct, briefly excommunicated, and finally expelled from the Society of Jesus. At the end of the pontificate, the wider sex abuse scandal was still swirling in several countries, including Bolivia and Portugal.  

Criticism of his handling of the abuse crisis reached a new level of severity in 2018 when Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, former nuncio to the United States, accused Pope Francis of negligence in handling allegations of sexual misconduct involving McCarrick and called on the pope to resign. By 2024, Viganò’s extreme rhetoric — including calling Francis a heretic — led to his condemnation as a schismatic by the Vatican.   

Pope of synodality

One of Pope Francis’ most significant projects in the second half of his pontificate was his implementation of “synodality” in the life of the Church.   

Reflecting the ecclesiastical vision that was articulated at Aparecida and in Evangelii Gaudium, Francis used the Synod of Bishops to craft a more listening Church, an “inverted pyramid” that took the people of God as its starting point and significantly raised the profile of the General Secretariat of the Synod under its secretary general, the Maltese Cardinal Mario Grech.   

But many critics feared that his approach departed from St. Paul VI’s vision of a Synod of Bishops, could undermine Rome’s authority, lead to further confusion among the faithful, and open a path to change Church teaching in a host of areas.   

Synods covering the family and marriage, youth, and the Amazon featured unfettered discussions, with some Church leaders openly demanding a change to Church discipline to address new pastoral realities on the ground, and even calling for granting women access to a form of the diaconate.  

Francis’ 2016 postsynodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (“The Joy of Love”), following from the sometimes contentious 2014 and 2015 Synods on the Family, made headlines for what critics saw as the creation of conditions in which the divorced and civilly remarried could receive Communion. Church leaders and dioceses offered dueling interpretations of the document’s pastoral guidance, and four cardinals’ September 2016 submission of five questions, or “dubia,” asking for clarity amid “grave disorientation and great confusion,” went unaddressed by the pope. Subsequent dubia sent to Rome in 2023 were answered by Francis’ new doctrine chief, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, in terms that seemed to confirm the broadest interpretation possible.     

Meanwhile, some radical lay German Catholics, with the support of most of the German bishops, found inspiration in the pope’s approach and launched their own Synodal Way to demand changes to Church teaching on priestly celibacy, homosexual unions, and women’s ordination. Despite being rebuked by Francis as “elitist,” “unhelpful,” and “ideological,” the Germans pushed ahead with their process and risked a schism.   

At the same time, Francis faced disapproval from some conservative prelates who feared that his doctrinal ambiguity, his handling of the abuse crisis and his disparagement of some in the Church for clericalism and rigidity were confusing the faithful and demoralizing priests and seminarians.   

Francis similarly created ripples with his treatment of Catholic communities attached to the Traditional Latin Mass. Traditionis Custodes, his 2021 decree restricting its celebration, shocked adherents to the rite and prompted even some of the pope’s liberal allies to characterize the document’s stern language and severe suppression as a stunning departure from the pope’s call for a synodal listening approach. Others, like the Dominican and longtime Vatican official Archbishop Augustine Di Noia, have argued that the pope’s intervention was necessary to head off the false idea that the pre-Vatican II Mass is the true liturgy for the true Church.  

Immense controversy likewise surrounded the document issued by Fernández at the end of 2023, Fiducia Supplicans, that allowed nonliturgical blessings for same-sex couples and couples in irregular situations. The decree sparked strong disagreements among the world’s bishops, with almost all African bishops refusing to implement the decree, saying in a formal statement in January 2024 that “it has sown misconceptions and unrest in the minds of many lay faithful, consecrated persons, and even pastors.”

Francis, however, also was consistently clear on key areas of Church teaching. Through the 2024 decree Dignitas Infinita (“Infinite Dignity”) issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, for example, Francis reiterated the Church’s perennial teachings on the dignity of the human person.

Undeterred by the critics, the Holy Father pushed ahead with his vision for a synodal Church launching in 2021 a multiyear, global consultative process, which ended in two “Synods on Synodality” in Rome in October 2023 and October 2024.

Francis made the unprecedented decision to forgo writing a postsynodal apostolic exhortation at the conclusion, choosing instead to directly implement the synod’s final document. “What we have approved in the document is enough,” he declared, marking a historic shift in how synodal reforms may be implemented.  

Francis clearly intended to place the Church on a path from which, institutionally and even theologically, it would be difficult to turn back. This was especially apparent in his choice in 2023 of his friend, then-Archbishop Fernández, an Argentinian theologian and ghostwriter of several of Francis’ major writings, including Laudato Si’ and especially Amoris Laetitia, to be the new prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and a member of the College of Cardinals. In the letter accompanying his appointment, Francis called on his new prefect “to verify that the documents of your own dicastery and of the others have an adequate theological support, are coherent with the rich humus of the perennial teaching of the Church and at the same time take into account the recent magisterium,” meaning Francis’ writings over the last decade, many of which Fernández himself helped write.   

‘With doors always wide open’

Pope Francis’ health declined in his last years due to several medical challenges, including sciatica, respiratory issues, ligament damage in his knees, and two bouts of intestinal surgeries. Mobility issues forced him to start using a wheelchair in 2022. Still, he remained impressively active almost to the very end, maintaining a demanding schedule of audiences and travel, even while moderating his pace in his final months.

Many around the world will retain vivid images of Francis embracing the poorest and most stricken, a champion of mercy and accompaniment. He declared on the night of his election that he had come from the ends of the earth. In his unexpected and often unappreciated pontificate, he reached out to the ends of the earth to declare a place of welcome for all, “todos, todos, todos.” 

“The Church is called to be the house of the Father,” he wrote in Evangelii Gaudium, “with doors always wide open. One concrete sign of such openness is that our church doors should always be open, so that if someone, moved by the Spirit, comes there looking for God, he or she will not find a closed door.”

On Dec. 24, 2024, as the first “pilgrim of hope,” he opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, inaugurating the 2025 Jubilee Year. In a historic first, he also opened a Holy Door within Rome’s Rebibbia prison, demonstrating his continued commitment to those on society’s margins.

The pontiff’s final medical challenge was a bout of pneumonia that led to a lengthy hospitalization in early 2025 from which he ultimately never recovered. His last public appearance was on Easter Sunday, where he took part in the traditional urbi et orbi. He struggled to be close to the Church and its people until the end, pushing to be present to the world in his frailty. 

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, in his apartment at Casa Santa Marta.

The pope’s death leaves the massive project of synodality and the curial reforms unfinished. It now falls to the cardinals to choose a successor who will decide how or whether to carry the Francis agenda forward. He bequeaths a polarized Catholic community beset by the crises of modernity and relativism. Still, his vision for a Church of the peripheries that listens and walks with the suffering with mercy unquestionably disrupted the status quo and launched a process that will continue to impact global Catholicism long after he is laid to rest.

CNA Staff, Apr 21, 2025 / 08:40 am (CNA).

EWTN Chairman of the Board and CEO Michael Warsaw on Monday mourned the passing of Pope Francis, calling the pontiff’s death at 88 on Monday a “moment of personal grief for Catholics around the world.”

“Together with our entire EWTN family, I mourn his passing and join the Church in prayers for the repose of his soul,” Warsaw said in a statement. EWTN is the parent company of CNA.

Warsaw said he was “privileged to be able to meet Pope Francis a number of times throughout the years” and was “always struck by his kindness and good humor in our encounters.”

“As Catholics, we thank God for the life and pontificate of Pope Francis, and in particular for his tireless advocacy for those on the peripheries,” Warsaw said.

Warsaw noted that EWTN in the coming days will air programming “to honor Pope Francis’ life and legacy as well as coverage of the many devotions and Masses from the Vatican, including the Holy Father’s funeral Mass.”

“We invite our global audience to join us in this period of mourning,” he said. “May God have mercy on his servant and grant him eternal rest.”

Vatican City, Apr 21, 2025 / 08:20 am (CNA).

The Vatican announced Monday that the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis has been postponed following the death of Pope Francis.

“Following the death of Supreme Pontiff Francis, notice is hereby given that the Eucharistic celebration and Rite of Canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, scheduled for April 27, 2025, II Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy, on the occasion of the Jubilee of Adolescents, is suspended,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement on April 21.

More than 80,000 teenagers were expected to gather in Rome for the April 27 canonization amid the Vatican’s Jubilee of Teenagers, according to the Dicastery for Evangelization, with young people registered from the United States, Brazil, India, Spain, Portugal, France, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Germany, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Australia, Argentina, and Nigeria.

News of Pope Francis’ death broke as pilgrims were beginning to arrive for the planned canonization, including a group of students from St. Joachim Parish in Sydney, Australia, who traveled more than 10,000 miles to attend the canonization.

With the death of the pope, the Catholic Church has entered a mourning period. Pope Francis’ funeral is expected within the next week. A conclave to elect his successor typically begins approximately 15 days after a pope’s death.

While the canonization is suspended due to the sede vacante, the Vatican has confirmed that the Jubilee of Teenagers will still go ahead with a few changes to the schedule. Due to the mourning period, a musical celebration in Circus Maximus on Saturday night has been canceled, but a special Mass for the Jubilee of Teenagers will still take place on Sunday, April 27, without the canonization of Acutis.

Cora Croson, 14, from Alexandria, Virginia, arrived in Rome on the morning that Pope Francis died with a group of 30 other Americans from the Basilica of St. Mary Catholic School for the Jubilee of Teenagers. She said that she was “shocked” to learn that Acutis’ canonization had been postponed but said she was still looking forward to her group’s pilgrimage to Assisi, where she can pray at his tomb and at the tomb of her new confirmation saint, St. Clare.

Blessed Carlo Acutis

Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15, is known for his devotion to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Born in 1991 in London and raised in Milan, he is the first millennial to be beatified by the Church.

Shortly after his first Communion at the age of 7, Carlo told his mother: “To always be united to Jesus: This is my life plan.” To accomplish this, Carlo sought to attend daily Mass as often as possible at the parish church across the street from his elementary school in Milan.

Carlo called the Eucharist “my highway to heaven,” and he did all in his power to make this presence known. His witness inspired his own parents to return to practicing the Catholic faith and his Hindu au pair to convert and be baptized.

Carlo was a tech-savvy kid who loved computers, animals, and video games. His spiritual director has recalled that Carlo was convinced that the evidence of Eucharistic miracles could be persuasive in helping people to realize that Jesus is present at every Mass.

Over the course of two and a half years, Carlo worked with his family to put together an exhibition on Eucharistic miracles that premiered in 2005 during the Year of the Eucharist proclaimed by Pope John Paul II and has since gone on to be displayed at thousands of parishes on five continents.

Many of Carlo’s classmates, friends, and family members have testified how he brought them closer to God. They remember Carlo as a very open person who was not shy to speak with his classmates and anyone he met about the things that he loved: the Mass, the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and heaven.

He is remembered for saying: “People who place themselves before the sun get a tan; people who place themselves before the Eucharist become saints.”

Carlo died at the age of 15 in 2006 shortly after being diagnosed with leukemia. Before he died, Carlo told his mother: “I offer all of my suffering to the Lord for the pope and for the Church in order not to go to purgatory but to go straight to heaven.”

The Vatican has not yet given an alternative date when the canonization could take place. The Church’s Jubilee of Youth will take place in Rome from July 28 to Aug. 3, during which another beloved young person, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, is set to be canonized.

Vatican City, Apr 21, 2025 / 05:48 am (CNA).

Pope Francis passed away at 7:35 a.m. local time on Easter Monday, April 21, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, as confirmed by the Holy See Press Office. The 88-year-old pontiff led the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years. 

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, officially announced the pope’s death in a video message. “At 7:35 this morning, the bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” Farrell stated.  

“His entire life was dedicated to the service of God and his Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized.” 

The Vatican has not yet announced details regarding the funeral arrangements for the first Latin American pope in history. A conclave to elect his successor will be convoked in the coming days. 

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and entered the Society of Jesus at age 21. Following his ordination in 1969, he served as a Jesuit provincial, seminary rector, and professor before St. John Paul II appointed him auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992. He became archbishop of the Argentine capital in 1998 and was created cardinal in 2001. 

The surprise election of Cardinal Bergoglio on March 13, 2013, at age 76 marked several historic firsts: He became the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first to choose the name Francis, inspired by St. Francis of Assisi’s devotion to poverty, peace, and creation. 

His 12-year pontificate was characterized by a focus on mercy, care for creation, and attention to what he called the “peripheries” of both the Church and society. He made 47 apostolic journeys outside Italy, though he never visited his native Argentina. 

During his tenure, Pope Francis canonized 942 saints — more than any other pope in history — including his predecessors John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul II. He published four encyclicals and seven apostolic exhortations while promulgating 75 motu proprio documents. 

Throughout his papacy, Francis significantly reshaped the College of Cardinals through 10 consistories, creating 163 new cardinals. His appointments reflected his vision of a global Church, elevating prelates from the peripheries and creating cardinals in places that had never before had one, including Mongolia and South Sudan. 

Health challenges marked the pope’s final years. He underwent surgery in July 2021 and in June 2023. In November 2023, he suffered from pulmonary inflammation, and in February 2025, he was hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for bronchitis and a respiratory infection. 

His papacy faced unprecedented challenges, including the global COVID-19 pandemic, during which he offered historic moments of prayer for humanity, notably the extraordinary urbi et orbi blessing in an empty St. Peter’s Square in March 2020. He also repeatedly called for peace amid conflicts in Ukraine and the Holy Land. 

Francis convoked four synods, including the Synod on Synodality, whose second session concluded in October 2024. He implemented significant reforms of the Roman Curia and took several steps to address the clergy abuse crisis, including the 2019 motu proprio Vos Estis Lux Mundi. 

Following the pope’s funeral and the traditional nine days of mourning, cardinals from around the world will gather in Rome for the general congregations and subsequent conclave to elect his successor. 

This is a developing story. 

CNA Newsroom, Apr 20, 2025 / 07:26 am (CNA).

Pope Francis met briefly with U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Easter Sunday morning at the Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican confirmed.

According to the Holy See Press Office, the private audience took place at approximately 11:30 a.m. local time and lasted only a few minutes. The pope and the vice president exchanged Easter greetings and spoke briefly in English.

Vance thanked the Holy Father for receiving him and noted: “It’s good to see you in better health.” Pope Francis responded warmly. Both wished each other ‘’happy Easter.”

During the encounter, the pope presented Vance with several gifts: a Vatican tie, a red rosary for him, white rosaries for his children, and a set of three large chocolate Easter eggs. A separate white rosary was designated for his wife.

Vance replied: “Thank you. It’s beautiful.”

The meeting followed a formal conversation the day before between Vance and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state. That discussion focused on international relations, religious freedom, and humanitarian concerns.

Both parties expressed hope for continued positive collaboration between the U.S. government and the Catholic Church in America.

During his time in Rome, Vance and his family also participated in the solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday evening at St. Peter’s Basilica.