POPE FRANCIS

Conclave to elect new pope to start on May 7

Reuters — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 14:41:22 GMT

VATICAN CITY — Roman Catholic cardinals will begin their secret conclave to elect the new leader of the global Church on May 7, the Vatican said on Monday, confirming what a source had previously told Reuters.

The date was decided during a closed-door meeting of cardinals at the Vatican, the first since the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday.

Some 135 cardinals, all under the age of 80 and from all corners of the world, are eligible to take part in the vote for the next head of the 1.4-billion-member Church, which is beset by concerns over its finances and divisions over doctrine.

The 16th-century Sistine Chapel, where conclaves are held beneath the gaze of Michelangelo's masterpiece frescoes, was closed to tourists on Monday to ready the space for an election that mixes ancient ritual with modern, anti-spying technologies.

The previous two conclaves, held in 2005 and 2013, lasted just two days. But Swedish cardinal Anders Arborelius said on Monday that thecoming ballot may take longer, as many of the cardinals appointed by Pope Francis have never met each other.

Francis made a priority of appointing the red-hatted "Princes of the Church" from countries that had never had them, such as Myanmar, Haiti, Rwanda and Arborelius' own Sweden.

"We don't know each other," said Arborelius.

The earliest the conclave could have begun was May 6, the Vatican said. Starting it a day later means cardinals will have slightly more time for their daily general discussions ahead of the momentous ballot.

Around 190 cardinals took part in Monday's meeting, including roughly 100 electors, the Vatican said.

Among the questions raised were the issue of sexual abuse, that has rocked the Church for years, as well as the need to spread the Christian faith, relations with other religions and the qualities the new pope needed to respond to such challenges.

Differing visions

Francis, pope since 2013, died aged 88 on April 21. His funeral on Saturday and a procession through Rome to his burial place at the Basilica of St. Mary Major attracted crowds estimated at more than 400,000.

German cardinal Walter Kasper told La Repubblica newspaper that the outpouring of mourning for Francis indicated that Catholics wanted the next pope to continue with his reforming style of papacy.

Francis, the first pope from Latin America, tried to open up the often staid Church to some new conversations. He allowed debate on issues such as ordaining women as clergy and outreach to LGBTQ Catholics.

"The People of God voted with their feet," said Kasper, who is 92 and will not take part in the conclave. "I am convinced that we must go ahead in the footsteps of Francis."

Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez from El Salvador, echoed that sentiment: "I am sure the new pope will be as Franciscus, the same vision, the same dreams," he said, referring to Francis by his Latin name.

However, a bloc of conservative cardinals are certain to push back against this and seek a pope who reasserts traditions and reins in Francis' push for a more inclusive Church.

German Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Mueller, who is known for his traditionalist views and often clashed with Francis, has spoken daily about the need to reverse course.

"The strength of the Church lies in the truth, not in compromises," he told La Stampa newspaper on Monday.

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The mysterious 1903 case of the missing Fisherman's Ring and Pope Leo XIII's fortune

C.S. Hagen — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 14:55:00 GMT

VATICAN CITY — A silver wand in hand, Cardinal Luigi Oreglia stood at the door to Pope Leo XIII’s bedchamber on July 20, 1903. It was early, about 1:30 a.m. The 93-year-old pope had been sick; he had predicted his own death, according to a news report published by the St. Paul Globe on July 6, 1903.

For weeks, Pope Leo XIII, born as Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci had been suffering from bronchitis or pneumonia, as well as a weak heart, according to an August 26, 1914 news article published by the Freeborn County Standard.

Now he was dead.

Weeks-long ceremonies steeped in ancient Catholic traditions were about to begin. Oreglia was there as the first step in an official verification of the pope's death.

Behind Oreglio, cardinals in their red hats and papal finery waited for the knock. Cardinal Girolamo Gotti, the pope’s favorite to ascend the throne of St. Peter was absent; he was waiting for the verification. The College of Cardinals needed time to prepare for the election of the next pope.

Oreglio used the silver wand to knock on the door, and then entered. Pope Leo XIII’s body lay on a couch. Tenderly, he reached out to touch the pope’s chest and forehead, then sunk to his knees, wrapped his hands together in prayer.

“

Dominus papa noster mortus est

,” meaning “Our lord the pope has died,” Oreglia cried out.

He now needed to secure the papal treasures, including the pope’s fortune worth up to $45 million, but more importantly the Fisherman’s Ring from the pope’s dead hand. Ancient tradition mandated that the old ring had to be destroyed before a new pope could be elected.

The ring was made of plain gold, weighing less than two ounces, with an oval plate and design of St. Peter in a boat drawing a net from the waves.

But when Oreglia looked for it, it wasn't on the pope's hand. He had no choice. He had to wait to officially declare the pope dead. He slipped the death certificate back into his pocket.

The Fisherman’s Ring

Mystery and intrigue has followed the Fisherman's Ring, also known as the Piscatory Ring, since the Middle Ages. Usually crafted simply, the ring symbolizes papal authority and the pope’s role as successor of Saint Peter, who was a fisherman.

A tradition since at least 1521, old rings were destroyed upon a pope’s death and new rings were issued to new popes. The only known time a ring has not been destroyed was when Pope Francis’ predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, became the first pope to resign in 600 years. A deep cross was carved into the ring’s surface with a chisel.

“The ring of the fisherman was the official seal used by the pope in all his personal documents and private letters. Every one of the popes since that time has sworn and used a signet ring which bore the device of St. Peter seated in a boat and drawing a net from the waves,” the Daily Star Journal reported on Aug. 28, 1903.

Out of respect for what the pope represents, the Fisherman’s Ring is also the ring that is kissed by followers and pilgrims, according to the Catholic News Agency.

Not all popes wore the ring on a daily basis; the most recent pope, the late Pope Francis, who died on April 21, wore it sparingly.

Throughout his 12-year reign, Pope Francis garnered controversy over hygiene related to his Fisherman's Ring, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Pope Francis was filmed in 2019 rebuffing worshipers who attempted to kiss his ring.

Lost rings

Back in Rome, in 1903, Oreglia had to wonder: Did Pope Leo XIII lose his ring? If so, it wasn’t the first time Pope Leo lost his ring. In fact, he had first lost it in 1899.

He was napping in “a little room kept for the purpose” and the ring slipped from his finger, according to the New York Tribune.

The New York Tribune wrote a version of the lost Fisherman’s Ring of 1899.

“During his sleep the Fisherman’s Ring, that glorious jewel kissed by so many crowned heads and lesser lights, fell from his finger, his hand having shrunk very much during late years,” the New York Tribune reported.

An attendant found the ring and returned it to him, according to the New York Tribune. He was rewarded $3 for returning the ring, according to the Daily Star Journal.

“The loss of the ring would, in fact, have been most serious for the church,” the New York Tribune reported. In fear of losing it again, Pope Leo XIII never wore the ring again, according to the Free Press Prairie Farmer.

Pope Leo XIII wasn't the first pope to lose his own version of the famous ring. In the past 500 years, at least three other popes had been documented as losing theirs.

In 1588, Pope Sixtus V lost his Fisherman’s Ring, according to the Daily Star Journal's account on Aug. 28, 1903.

“Sixtus V has been very ill from anxiety and vexation. The vexation to which I refer was at missing the Fisherman’s Ring. He carried it with him in a purse, and he discovered that he had been robbed of it by a cupbearer,” the Daily Star Journal reported.

In 1797, the French Republic invaded the papal states and “despoiled Pius VI, of his valuables, including the Fisherman’s Ring,” He was taken to France as a prisoner and died there in 1799.

During the Napoleonic Wars in 1809, Pope Pius VII was kidnapped and also taken to France as a prisoner. Before handing over the Fisherman’s Ring, he broke it into two pieces. The broken ring was kept in Paris until King Louis XVIII later returned the remnants to Rome.

‘Ring was stolen’

Headlines about the missing Fisherman’s Ring splashed boldly across front pages days after Pope Leo XIII died.

“Ring was stolen,” a headline in The Forum reported on July 25, 1903. “It was stolen soon after the death of the pope … the Fisherman’s Ring which is used by the pope to seal pontifical bulls, has been stolen and the certificate of the death of the pope cannot be signed. The ring disappeared between the death of the pope and the morning following.”

“Fisherman’s Ring said to be stolen,” the Duluth News Tribune reported on July 26, 1903. “The ring of the fisherman, which should have been found on the hand of the pope, has disappeared.”

All proceedings were put on hold. The deceased pope’s rooms and possessions were sealed. The ring had to be found.

Nine days after the ring's disappearance, papal authorities were at a loss and issued a new ring, according to the Grand Forks Herald.

Making matters worse

The ring’s mystery deepened on July 31 when a special report in the Saint Paul Globe reported that while the loss of the Fisherman’s Ring was hushed up, a new scandal developed after 20 million lire, or $4 million dollars, in a treasure chest in the pope’s secret repository also went missing.

Until 1887 Pope Leo XIII hid the Vatican’s ready wealth — a trunk full of gold coins — under his bed, according to The Guardian and the Italian Insider. That year, he founded the Commission for Works of Charity, to invest in good works, which later became the Institute for the Works of Religion to protect the church’s assets against Nazi and communist threats.

Pope Leo XIII lived simply, but he was regarded as the wealthiest of Europe’s dignitaries, worth up to $45 million, according to some news reports.

First, there was the missing ring, and then the news reports reporting that funds — called Peter’s pence — were loaned by Pope Leo XIII to some borrowers whose names were not known.

“It was therefore a surprise when his executors were unable to locate anything like the vast sums the late pope was known to have left. It was thought that the wealth had been stowed away somewhere about the Vatican, but diligent search failed to reveal it,” the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

Leo’s fortune

A month after Pope Leo XIII’s death, on Aug. 21, 1903, the lost Fisherman’s Ring was found on his writing table. Per tradition, the ring was broken up, according to the Bismarck Tribune and the Minneapolis Journal.

The financial scandal continued, even as a new pope was elected. Cardinal Gotti, the deceased pope’s favored candidate, failed to win.

Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto became Pope Pius X, and he launched an investigation into the fraud, called a “serious scandal” by the Jackson Citizen Patriot. He was elected and crowned with a newly-made Fisherman’s Ring, a custom that broke with tradition because the old ring was considered lost, and was not properly destroyed.

The financial scandal reportedly ended about four months later when Gotti and a secretary were seen tugging a heavy object from a carriage shortly after Pope Leo XIII’s death.

Gotti dragged in about $9 million of the deceased pope’s funds (about $327 million in 2025 dollars), according to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Times Herald. As he was considered by many to become the next pope, he told Pope Pius X that his predecessor gave him the fortune to use as he saw fit if he succeeded him.

“But if another took his place I was to turn the money over to him after a period of four months,” Gotti reportedly told the new pope.

More of Pope Leo XIII’s money was discovered in his chambers after his death. Electricians found a hole in the wall while fixing electric lights and “several bags, which were carelessly tied … were found to contain $1,850,000,” according to the Cincinnati Enquirer (about $67.2 million in 2025 dollars).

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Thousands honor Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica

Reuters — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 15:53:22 GMT

VATICAN CITY — Thousands of people poured into St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday to pay their final respects to Pope Francis, whose body is lying in state for three days ahead of his funeral on Saturday.

Crowds stretched down the main boulevard leading through Rome into the Vatican, pressing forward slowly in warm spring sunshine as people took their turn to see the late pontiff in his open coffin.

The body of the 88-year-old pope, who died two days ago in his rooms at the Vatican's Santa Marta guesthouse after suffering a stroke, was brought to St. Peter's in a solemn procession earlier on Wednesday.

Red-hatted cardinals, bishops, candle-carrying friars and helmeted Swiss Guards walked slowly into the vast square in front of the basilica as a choir chanted psalms and prayers in Latin while a bell gently tolled.

As the coffin crossed St. Peter's Square, a crowd of several thousand broke into repeated applause — a traditional Italian sign of respect at such events.

"He's like a member of the family. Somebody very close to our hearts, somebody who made the Church very accessible to everybody and inclusive to everybody," said Rachel Mckay, a pilgrim from Britain.

Breakout Info

Pope Francis fact He was the first non-European pope in 1,300 years.

Vatican officials helped 14 white-gloved, black-suited pallbearers carry the coffin up a stone incline, before the procession passed through St. Peter's giant bronze doors and into the hushed interior of the ornate, cavernous church.

Francis, who had only recently left hospital after five weeks being treated for double pneumonia, last appeared in public on Sunday, when he delighted onlookers gathered to celebrate Easter by being driven around the packed square in his white, open-topped popemobile.

Mixture of emotions

As the formal ceremony to bring the pope's body to the basilica was ending, Sr. Genevieve Jeanningros, a nun from the Roman seaside town of Ostia, stood by his casket and cried.

Jeanningros, known for her work with the LGBTQ community, had hosted Francis for visits in Ostia several times.

Crowds were guided through the central nave of the basilica to come forward and offer respects.

Francis was dressed in red vestments, his hands clasped together holding a rosary, and a white miter on his head.

Alex Lenrtz, a U.S. pilgrim who was among the first public mourners to stand in line, said he felt a mixture of emotions.

"It's just such a surreal (feeling) ... and seeing the body and just remembering everything that he stood for is very important."

Francis' body will lie in state in St. Peter's Basilica until Friday evening. The Vatican had originally planned to close Wednesday's visits at midnight, but said it may extend the timeframe, due to a "high flow" of pilgrims.

Saturday's funeral will draw heads of state and government from around the world, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who clashed repeatedly with the pope on social issues such as immigration.

Leaders from Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Ukraine, Brazil, EU institutions and Francis' home nation of Argentina have also confirmed their presence, among many others.

Future conclave

A conclave to choose the new pope is not expected to start before May 6. The cardinals now gathering in Rome will decide the date following what are often prolonged discussions.

There is no clear frontrunner to succeed Francis, although British bookmakers have singled out Luis Antonio Tagle, a reformer from the Philippines, and Pietro Parolin, from Italy, as early favorites.

During the ceremony earlier on Wednesday, Tagle and Parolin stood together in the basilica, flanked by about 80 other cardinals, as the wooden coffin was laid on a dais.

The body was placed in front of the altar, built on the spot where St. Peter, the first pope, is believed to have been buried after dying as a martyr in the reign of Emperor Nero (54-68 AD).

Cardinal Raymond Burke, a U.S.-born conservative prelate who was often at odds with Francis during his 12-year papacy, was among those who approached the coffin and bowed.

Another reformer?

Francis shunned much of the great pomp and ceremony traditionally associated with the role of head of the world's 1.4 billion Roman Catholics. He clashed repeatedly with traditionalists, who saw him as overly liberal and too accommodating to minority groups, such as the LGBTQ community.

In electing a new pope, cardinals will have to consider whether to complete Francis' promised reform of the Church, making more room for women in senior positions and being more amenable to an evolving society, or opt for retrenchment.

Some 135 cardinals are eligible to participate in the secretive conclave, which can stretch over days before white smoke pouring from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel tells the world that a new pope has been picked.

Speculation is already rife on who should succeed Francis, who was from Argentina and was the first non-European pope in 1,300 years.

Swedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius suggested his fellow electors should again look beyond Europe, where Catholic congregations have been dwindling for years.

"I believe it would be very natural to choose someone from Africa, Asia, or in any case from those parts of the world where the Church is, in some way, more alive, more dynamic, and with more of a future," Corriere della Sera newspaper quoted him as saying.

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Pope Francis' body to lie in state before funeral on Saturday

Reuters — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 14:36:00 GMT

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis' funeral will be held on Saturday in St. Peter's Square, Roman Catholic cardinals decided on Tuesday, setting the stage for a solemn ceremony that will draw leaders from around the world.

Francis, 88, died on Monday after suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest, ending an often turbulent reign in which he repeatedly clashed with traditionalists and championed the poor and marginalized.

The pontiff spent five weeks in hospital earlier this year suffering from double pneumonia and had appeared to be slowly recovering, but the Vatican on Tuesday recounted his last moments, saying death came quickly and he had not suffered.

He started to feel unwell at around 5:30 a.m. (0330 GMT) on Monday and was promptly attended to by his team. More than an hour later he made a gesture of farewell to his ever-present nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, and slipped into a coma, the Vatican's official media channel said.

His time of death was given as 7:35 a.m.

The Vatican released photographs of Francis dressed in his vestments and holding a rosary, lying in an open coffin placed in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence, where he lived during his 12-year papacy.

Swiss Guards stood on either side of the casket as dignitaries, including Italian President Sergio Mattarella, paid homage to the first Latin American pope.

His body will be taken into the adjacent St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. (0700 GMT), in a procession that will be led by cardinals. He will lie in state there until Friday evening at 7:00 p.m.

His funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. the following day in St. Peter's Square, in front of the 16th century basilica. It will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old dean of the College of Cardinals.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who clashed repeatedly with the pope about immigration, said he and his wife would attend.

Among other heads of state set to attend were the presidents of France, Brazil, Germany, Poland, Ukraine the European Commission and Argentina, Francis' home nation. Britain's prime minister and the king and queen of Belgium will also fly in.

Ancient rituals

In a break from tradition, Francis confirmed in his final testament released on Monday that he wished to be buried in Rome's Basilica of Saint Mary Major and not St. Peter's, where many of his predecessors were laid to rest.

Francis' death has set in motion ancient rituals, as the 1.4-billion-member Church started the transition from one pope to another, including the breaking of the pope's "Fisherman's Ring" and lead seal, used in his lifetime to seal documents, so they cannot be used by anyone else.

As Catholics worldwide mourned Francis, all cardinals in Rome were summoned to a meeting on Tuesday to decide on the sequencing of events in the coming days and review the day-to-day running of the Church in the period before a new pope is elected.

A conclave to choose a new pope normally takes place 15 to 20 days after the death of a pontiff, meaning it should not start before May 6. The exact date will be decided by cardinals after Francis' funeral.

Some 135 cardinals are eligible to participate in the secretive ballot, which can stretch over days before white smoke pouring from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel tells the world that a new pope has been picked.

There is no clear frontrunner to succeed Francis.

Progressive

Pope Francis inherited a Church in disarray and worked hard to overhaul the Vatican's central administration, root out corruption and confront the scourge of child abuse within the ranks of the priesthood - with mixed results.

"Things are not as bad as they were, that is for sure but they also are not as good as they could be," said Marie Collins, who was abused by a priest at the age of 13 in 1960s Ireland.

Collins was a member of a papal commission for the protection of minors that was founded in 2014, but quit in 2017, saying it was hobbled by internal resistance.

During his papacy, Francis often clashed with conservatives, nostalgic for a traditional past, who saw the pope as overly liberal and too accommodating to minority groups, such as the LGBTQ community.

Francis appointed nearly 80% of the cardinal electors who will choose the next pope, increasing, but not guaranteeing, the possibility that his successor will continue his progressive policies.

One of the hallmarks of Francis' reign was his decision to appoint cardinals to far-flung regions - places where Roman Catholics make up a tiny minority or where the Church is growing faster than in the mostly stagnant West.

While Europe still has the largest share of cardinal electors, with about 39%, it is down from 52% in 2013, when Francis became pope. The second largest group of electors is from Asia and Oceania, with about 20%.

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Pope Francis died of a stroke, irreversible heart failure, Vatican doctor says

Joshua McElwee / Reuters — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 18:53:00 GMT

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Monday after suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest, the Vatican said.

He was 88, and had suffered double pneumonia this year, but appeared in St. Peter's Square in an open-air popemobile to greet cheering crowds on Easter Sunday.

"Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis," Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican's TV channel.

"At 7:35 (0535 GMT) this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father."

Francis died of a stroke and irreversible cardiovascular arrest, Vatican doctor Andrea Arcangeli said in the death certificate, which was released by the Vatican. It added that the pope had fallen into a coma before he died.

Besides his recent lung infection, Arcangeli said Francis had also suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes.

A Vatican spokesman said the pope's coffin might be moved to St. Peter's Basilica as early as Wednesday morning to allow the faithful to pay their respects.

No date has yet been given for the funeral, but the Vatican said it would normally be expected to take place sometime between Friday and Sunday. A group of cardinals are due to meet on Tuesday and could set the timetable for the funeral then.

Tributes for Francis poured in from around the world, with many leaders praising his humility.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would attend the ceremony, which was expected to draw dozens of other world leaders to Rome. Meanwhile, Francis' native Argentina ordered seven days of mourning, as did neighboring Brazil.

"The pope of the poor has left us, the pope of the marginalized," said Jorge Garcia Cuerva, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, a position Francis once held.

Francis had on Sunday made his first prolonged public appearance since being discharged from hospital on March 23 following a 38-day stay for pneumonia, occasionally waving to onlookers and greeting a child who was brought to his side.

Public mourns death of Pope Francis

People react Monday morning, April 21, 2025, to the news of Pope Francis's death.

Christians light candles, after the death of Pope Francis was announced by the Vatican, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City, April 21, 2025.

People react Monday morning, April 21, 2025, to the news of Pope Francis's death.

A pilgrim carries a cross near St Peter's Square, after the death of Pope Francis was announced by the Vatican, in Rome, Italy, April 21, 2025.

People react Monday morning, April 21, 2025, to the news of Pope Francis's death.

In an Easter Sunday message read aloud by an aide as the pope looked on from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the pontiff had reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza — a conflict he had long railed against.

At the Vatican, locals, tourists and pilgrims visiting for Easter expressed their shock and grief.

"This is something that really hits you hard," said Emanuela Tinari from Rome. "He was a pope who brought so many people closer to the church. He was not appreciated by everyone. But he definitely was by ordinary people."

Final meetings

Doctors had prescribed two months of rest when the pope left hospital last month but he appeared on a number of occasions. Francis met Britain's King Charles in April and had a brief meeting on Sunday with visiting U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

World leaders praised his efforts to reform the worldwide Church and offered condolences to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

"He was a good man, worked hard. He loved the world," said U.S. President Donald Trump, whom the pope had criticized in the past, especially for his hardline on immigration.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni mourned the departure of "a great man, a great shepherd."

The outspoken president of Argentina, Javier Milei, had clashed with the pope in the past, branding him at one point the devil's representative on earth. But he changed his tune after taking office in 2023 and mourned his death on Monday.

"Despite differences that seem minor today, having been able to know him in his goodness and wisdom was a true honor for me," Milei said on X.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed Francis as an outstanding man, the Kremlin said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he knew how to foster unity and give hope.

Many global leaders were expected to attend his funeral. In a break from tradition, Francis confirmed in his final testament released on Monday that he wished to be buried in Rome's Basilica of Saint Mary Major and not St. Peter's Basilica.

Future conclave

A conclave to elect a new pope normally takes place between 15 and 20 days after the death of a pontiff. Some 135 cardinals are eligible to take part in the highly secretive ballot which can stretch over days. At present there is no clear frontrunner to succeed Francis.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Argentine cleric's election as pope on March 13, 2013, surprised many observers who had seen him as an outsider.

He sought to project simplicity into the grand role and never took possession of the ornate papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors, saying he preferred to live in a community setting for his "psychological health."

He initiated changes within the Vatican, emphasizing transparency, accountability and financial reform, and appointed more women to senior posts in its hierarchy. However, Francis was also viewed as a haphazard leader, often blindsiding Vatican officials with his off-the-cuff comments.

He struggled to get a grip on the Church's crisis over sexual abuse by clerics. He inherited a Church torn by infighting in the Vatican bureaucracy, and was elected with a clear mandate to restore order.

But as his papacy progressed, he faced criticism from conservatives, who accused him of trashing cherished traditions. He also drew the ire of progressives, who felt he should have done much more to reshape the 2,000-year-old Church.

While he battled with internal dissent, Francis became a global superstar, drawing huge crowds on his many foreign travels as he tirelessly promoted interfaith dialog and peace, taking the side of the marginalized, such as migrants.

Unique in modern times, there were two men wearing white in the Vatican for much of Francis' rule, with his predecessor Benedict opting to continue to live in the Holy See after his shock resignation in 2013. Benedict, a hero of the conservative cause, died in December 2022.

Francis appointed nearly 80% of the cardinal electors who will choose the next pope, increasing the possibility that his successor will continue his progressive policies, despite the strong pushback from traditionalists.

The Vatican said a ceremony planned for Sunday, April 27, when Carlo Acutis was to become the first Catholic saint of the millennial generation, had been postponed.

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Photos: The life of Pope Francis

Reuters — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 13:49:00 GMT

VATICAN CITY — Following are some of the major events of the life and ministry of Pope Francis, who has died at the age of 88.

1936

Dec. 17, 1936: Jorge Mario Bergoglio is born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the son of Italian immigrants.

1969

Dec. 13, 1969: Ordained a priest in the Jesuit.

1973

July 31, 1973: Becomes head of the Jesuits in Argentina.

1992

May 20, 1992: Appointed Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires.

1998

Feb. 28, 1998: Appointed Archbishop, Primate of Argentina. He becomes famous for commuting to work on public transport, not living in the archbishop's palace and cooking his own meals.

2001

Feb. 21, 2001: Appointed a cardinal by Pope John Paul II.

2005

April 19, 2005: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger elected pope after four ballots, takes the name Benedict. Subsequent leaks show that Bergoglio came second in all the secret ballots.

2013

March 13, 2013: Bergoglio is elected pope after the shock resignation of Pope Benedict. He chose to be called Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. He is the first non-European pope in 1,300 years, the first from Latin America and the first Jesuit to hold the post.

July 8, 2013: Makes first pastoral trip outside Rome, visiting the Italian island of Lampedusa and condemns the "globalization of indifference" to the plight of migrants. During his papacy, Francis made 47 trips outside of Italy, visiting more than 65 states and territories, clocking up more than 289,000 miles. However, he never returned to Argentina.

July 29, 2013: During his first news conference onboard the papal plane, Francis says: "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" - seen as the most conciliatory attitude to LGBT people by a pontiff.

Nov. 26, 2013: Calls for a deep renewal of the Church in a major document (apostolic exhortation) setting out his papacy.

2014

Feb. 24, 2014: Creates a new body within the Vatican to coordinate economic and administrative affairs.

May 24-26: Visits the Holy Land. He becomes the first pontiff to lay a wreath at the tomb of the founder of modern Zionism. He also prays in front of the Israeli security wall that is despised by Palestinians.

2015

June 18, 2015: Releases first papal document dedicated to the environment, the encyclical "Laudato Si," urging world leaders to hear "the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor."

2016

April 8, 2016: In a document on family life, Francis urges priests to be more accepting of divorced or remarried Catholics and to welcome single parents and LGBT people. But he rejects the notion of same-sex marriage.

June 26, 2016: Says Christians owe apologies to LGBT community and others who have been offended or exploited by the church.

Nov. 2, 2016: Tells reporters the Catholic ban on female priests is forever.

2017

Jan. 2, 2017: Pope Francis says in a letter bishops must show zero tolerance to clergy who sexually abuse children. He begs forgiveness for "a sin that shames us."

June 28, 2017: Cardinal George Pell, appointed Vatican economy minister by Francis, is charged with multiple historical sex crimes in his native Australia. He is initially convicted in December 2018, but then found not guilty in April 2020 on appeal.

July 1, 2017: In a major shake-up, Francis replaces Catholicism's top theologian, a conservative German cardinal who has been at odds with the pontiff's vision of a more inclusive Church.

2018

Jan. 30, 2018: Just days after defending a Chilean bishop accused of sex crimes against minors, the pope sends top sexual abuse expert to Chile to investigate. In April, Francis says he made "grave mistakes" in handling the Chile crisis, asks for forgiveness.

May 18, 2018: In an unprecedented move, all Chile's bishops offer to resign after attending a crisis meeting with Pope Francis. In the subsequent months he accepts many of the resignations.

July 28, 2018: Accepts resignation of U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. In February 2019, Francis expels him from the priesthood after the Church finds him guilty of sexually abusing minors - the first time a cardinal has been defrocked for sexual abuse.

Aug. 25-26, 2018: Visits Ireland, says Church failure to adequately address "repugnant" clerical child abuse crimes in Ireland is a source of shame for Catholics. He begs forgiveness.

Aug. 26, 2018: A former top Vatican official, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, accuses the pope of knowing for years of sex abuse allegations against Cardinal McCarrick; says Francis should resign. Months later, the Vatican accuses Vigano of calumny.

Sept. 22, 2018: The Vatican signs a landmark agreement giving it a long-desired say in the appointment of bishops in China. Critics label the deal a sellout to the Communist government.

2019

Feb. 21, 2019: Pope opens an unprecedented four-day meeting with Catholic leaders from around the world on child sex abuse. Calls for "concrete and efficient measures" to tackle the abuse.

April 19, 2019: Meets South Sudan's previously warring leaders and kisses their feet. Urges them not to return to a civil war.

May 24, 2019: Appoints women to a key Vatican department for the first time. In January 2020, he appoints the first woman to hold a high-ranking post in the Secretariat of State. In August 2020 he appoints six women to Vatican finance council. In November 2021 he names a woman to the number 2 position in the governorship of the Vatican City. In March 2022, he introduces a reform saying Catholic women could in future take charge of most departments.

June 2, 2019: During a visit to Romania, the pope asks forgiveness in the name of the Catholic Church for the mistreatment of the Roma people.

2020

Feb.12, 2020: In an apparent victory for conservative clergy, the pope dismisses a proposal to allow some married men to be ordained in remote areas of the Amazon.

March 7, 2020: The pope cancels all regular public appearances because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Planned trips are also canceled. On March 27, he holds a solitary prayer service in the vast, empty St. Peter's Square.

Sept. 24, 2020: The pope fires Italian Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu from powerful Vatican post after accusing him of embezzlement and nepotism. Becciu denies wrongdoing. He is indicted for alleged financial crimes in July 2021 and is convicted in December 2023 of embezzlement and fraud and sentenced to five-and-a-half years in jail. He remains free pending appeal.

Nov. 5, 2020: Shakes up running of Vatican funds after London property scandal.

Dec. 31, 2020: The pope, suffering a flare-up of a sciatica condition that causes pain in his right leg, misses New Year's Eve and New Year's Day services — the first time health problems caused him to skip major religious events.

2021

Jan.11, 2021: Francis, in another step towards greater equality for women in the Roman Catholic Church, changes Church law, saying they can serve as readers at liturgies, altar servers and distributors of communion.

Jan. 21, 2021: A Vatican court convicts Angelo Caloia, a former head of the Vatican bank, on charges of embezzlement and money laundering, making him the highest-ranking Vatican official to be convicted of a financial crime.

March 5, 2021: Resuming trips after the COVID crisis, Francis makes the first visit by a pontiff to Iraq.

July 4, 2021: Has surgery to remove part of his colon, spends 11 days in hospital to recuperate.

July 16, 2021: In blow to conservatives, Francis overturns the decisions of his two predecessors and re-imposes restrictions on the old-style Latin Mass preferred by traditionalist Catholics.

Oct. 29, 2021: U.S. President Joe Biden says after meeting the pope that the pontiff had told him he was a "good Catholic" who can receive communion, widening gulf with conservative prelates.

2022

Feb. 25, 2022: Departing from protocol, the pope visits the Russian embassy to the Vatican to relay personally his concern over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In the following weeks and months he repeatedly calls for an end to the war and grows increasingly critical of Moscow for launching the invasion.

July 24, 2022: Starts a six-day visit to Canada where he repeatedly asks forgiveness for sexual abuse at schools for indigenous children run by Catholic orders.

Dec. 31, 2022: Pope Benedict dies in the Vatican monastery where he had lived since his resignation in 2013.

2023

Jan. 11, 2023: The conservative Cardinal Pell dies in Rome. It is later revealed that he had penned an anonymous 2021 memo condemning Francis's papacy as a "catastrophe."

March 29, 2023: Francis is admitted to the Gemelli hospital in Rome with a respiratory infection.

June 7, 2023: Francis is admitted to Gemelli hospital for an operation on his abdomen.

Oct. 4, 2023: The pope starts a month-long summit of bishops to discuss potentially momentous issues for the Church. However, the meeting ends without taking clear stands on issues such as women deacons and welcoming the LGBT community.

Nov. 11, 2023: In a very rare move, Francis dismisses Bishop Joseph E. Strickland of Tyler, Texas, one of his fiercest critics among U.S. Catholic conservatives.

Nov. 28, 2023: In a further move targeting a conservative critic, Francis punishes U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke by evicting him from a large Vatican apartment and revoking his salary.

Nov. 28, 2023: The pope cancels a planned trip to the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai after suffering a lung inflammation.

Dec. 18, 2023: The Vatican says in a landmark ruling approved by Francis that Roman Catholic priests can administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not part of regular Church rituals or liturgies.

2024

June 14, 2024: Pope Francis becomes the first pontiff to address a Group of Seven summit, telling leaders about the potential risks and benefits of artificial intelligence.

Sept. 2, 2024: Starts a 12-day visit to four island nations across Southeast Asia and Oceania, traveling nearly 33,000 km (20,500 miles) in the longest trip of his papacy.

Sept. 26, 2024: Francis undertakes a four-day visit to Belgium and Luxembourg, where he is sharply criticized over the Church's mishandling of clergy sexual abuse cases and its treatment of women.

Oct. 2, 2024: The pope starts a month-long summit of Catholic bishops at the Vatican, the second in two years. It discusses contentious issues such as women's leadership, but the gathering ends without enacting any major reforms.

Oct. 22, 2024: The Vatican extends its agreement with China over the appointment of Catholic bishops for a further four years. Conservative critics continue to label the deal a sellout to Beijing.

Dec. 7, 2024: The pope appears at a ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica with a large bruise on his chin, which the Vatican says is the result of a minor fall in his residence.

Dec. 24, 2024: Francis opens the 2025 Catholic Holy Year, a special time of peace, forgiveness and pardon for Catholics that runs through early 2026.

2025

Jan. 6, 2025: Pope Francis names Cardinal Robert McElroy, seen as a key progressive ally in the U.S., as the new Archbishop of Washington, D.C. The appointment comes days before President Donald Trump, whose immigration crackdown Francis criticized, retakes office.

Feb. 6, 2025: The Vatican says the pope is suffering from bronchitis but will keep his scheduled appointments. The pope had said the day before that he had a "strong cold."

Feb. 14, 2025: The Vatican announces that the pope has been admitted to hospital for treatment of bronchitis. In later days, doctors announce he is battling double pneumonia.

March 23, 2025: The pope is discharged after a 38-day hospital stay.

April 20, 2025: On Easter Sunday, the pope enters St. Peter's Square in an open-air popemobile for the first time since his serious illness, greeting tens of thousands of Catholics after the Vatican's celebration of Easter Mass. He also has a brief private meeting at the Vatican with U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

April 21, 2025: The Vatican announces the death of Pope Francis.

Gallery: The papacy of Pope Francis

Pope Francis makes a public appearance during his 12-year papacy. Francis died early Monday morning, April 21, 2025, according to the Vatican.

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What happens when a pope dies?

Philip Pullella / Reuters — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 11:30:00 GMT

VATICAN CITY — With the death of Pope Francis, announced by the Vatican on Monday, April 21, the Roman Catholic Church will begin elaborate rituals steeped in tradition that mark the end of one papacy and lead to the start of the next.

Most are governed by a constitution known as Universi Dominici Gregis (Of the Lord's Whole Flock) approved by Pope John Paul II in 1996 and revised by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 and 2013.

A cardinal known as the camerlengo (chamberlain), currently Irish-American Cardinal Kevin Farrell, will run the ordinary affairs of the nearly 1.4 billion-member Roman Catholic Church during the period known as the "sede vacante" (empty chair).

He officially confirms the pope's death, a simple matter these days involving a doctor and a death certificate. Until sometime in the 20th century, this was ritually done by tapping a silver hammer on the pope's forehead three times.

The camerlengo and three assistants chosen from among cardinals under 80 years of age, known as cardinal electors, decide when the pope's body is to be taken into St. Peter's Basilica for the public to pay their respects.

They also make sure the pope's "Fisherman's Ring" and his lead seal are broken so they cannot be used by anyone else. No autopsy is performed.

The camerlengo locks and seals the pope's personal residence. In the past, this was in apartments in the Apostolic Palace but Francis lived in a small suite in the Vatican guesthouse known as Santa Marta.

The camerlengo and the other cardinals cannot make major decisions affecting the Church or change its teachings. The heads of most Vatican departments resign until the new pope confirms or replaces them.

Mourning rites last nine days, with the date of the funeral and burial to be decided by the cardinals. Universi Dominici Gregis says they should start between the fourth and sixth day after his death.

Papal funeral

Pope Francis, who shunned much of the pomp and privilege of leading the global Catholic Church, modified and simplified the papal funeral rites in 2024.

The funeral Mass is still expected to be held in St. Peter's Square, but unlike many predecessors, Francis asked to be buried in Rome's St. Mary Major Basilica to be near his favorite icon of the Madonna.

Francis also asked to be buried in a simple wooden casket, unlike predecessors who were buried in three interlocking caskets made of cypress, lead and oak. He asked that his body not be put on display atop a raised platform, or catafalque, in St. Peter's Basilica for visitors in Rome to view, as was the case with previous popes.

How the papal conclave elects a new pope

Cardinals from around the world descend on Rome following the death of a pontiff. They hold daily meetings known as general congregations to discuss Church matters, and lay out the characteristics each believes the new pope should have.

Cardinals aged 80 or over can attend the general congregations but are not allowed to enter the conclave to choose the next pope, which is a gathering of cardinals under the age of 80. Much of the discussion takes place in personal interactions between the cardinals.

Traditionally, a mourning period of 15 days is observed before a conclave can begin. Before he resigned in 2013, Pope Benedict modified the constitution to allow it to begin sooner if the cardinals chose to, or a maximum of 20 days after the death if some cardinals have difficulty getting to Rome.

The conclave is held in the Sistine Chapel. Until the two conclaves in 1978 that elected John Paul I and John Paul II, the cardinals stayed in makeshift rooms around the Sistine Chapel.

Since the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict, they have voted in the Sistine Chapel but stayed in the Santa Marta guest house, with about 130 rooms. Santa Marta is sealed off and they are taken by bus to the Sistine Chapel.

The word conclave comes from the Latin for "with a key." It stems from a tradition that started in the 13th century where cardinals were locked up to force them to decide as quickly as possible and limit outside interference.

These days the participants are prohibited from any communication with the outside world. Phones, internet, and newspapers are not allowed and Vatican police use electronic security apparatus to enforce the rules.

Except for the first day of the conclave, when there is one vote, the cardinals vote twice a day.

A majority of two-thirds plus one is needed for election. If no one is elected after 13 days, a run-off is held between the two leading candidates but a two-thirds plus one majority is still needed. This is to promote unity and discourage seeking compromise candidates.

How is a new pope officially announced?

When the conclave has elected a pope, he is asked if he accepts and which name he wishes to take. If he declines, the procedure starts again.

The new pope dons white vestments that have been prepared in three sizes and sits on a throne in the Sistine Chapel to receive the other cardinals, who pay homage and pledge obedience.

The world will know that a pope has been elected when an official burns the paper ballots with special chemicals to make white smoke pour out of the chapel's chimney. Black smoke indicates an inconclusive vote.

The senior elector amongst the cardinal deacons, currently French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, steps on to the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to announce to the crowds in the square "Habemus Papam" (We have a Pope).

The new pope then appears and gives the crowd his first blessing as pontiff.

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Pope apologizes in Canada for 'evil' of residential Indigenous schools

Reuters — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 17:58:00 GMT

MASKWACIS, Alta. -- Pope Francis on Monday made good on a promise to apologize to Canada's native people on their home land for the Church's role in schools where Indigenous children were abused, branding forced cultural assimilation "evil" and a "disastrous error."

Speaking near the site of a former school, Francis apologized for Christian support of the "colonizing mentality" of the times. He called for a "serious investigation" of the so-called residential schools and more assistance to help survivors and descendants heal.

"With shame and unambiguously, I humbly beg forgiveness for the evil committed by so many Christians against the indigenous peoples," Francis told Indigenous leaders from the First Nations, Metis and Inuit people.

The 85-year-old pope is making the week-long apology tour of Canada to fulfill a promise he made to Indigenous delegations that visited him this year at the Vatican, where he made the initial apology.

"I ask forgiveness, in particular, for the ways in which many members of the Church and of religious communities cooperated, not least through their indifference, in projects of cultural destruction and forced assimilation promoted by the governments of that time, which culminated in the system of residential schools," he said.

Between 1881 and 1996 more than 150,000 Indigenous children were separated from their families and brought to residential schools. Many children were starved, beaten and sexually abused in a system that Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission called "cultural genocide."

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Pope hopes Canada trip will help heal 'evil' done to indigenous people

Philip Pullella / Reuters — Sun, 17 Jul 2022 20:03:25 GMT

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis said on Sunday his trip to Canada next week will be a "pilgrimage of penance" that he hopes can help heal the wrongs done to indigenous people by Roman Catholic priests and nuns who ran abusive residential schools.

The July 24-30 trip will include at least five encounters with native people as Francis makes good on a promise to apologize on their home territory for the Church's role in the state-sanctioned schools, which sought to erase indigenous cultures.

"Unfortunately in Canada many Christians, including some members of religious orders, contributed to the policies of cultural assimilation that in the past gravely damaged native populations in various ways," Francis said at his weekly address to people in St. Peter's Square.

About 150,000 children were taken from their homes. Many were subjected to abuse, rape and malnutrition in what Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015 called "cultural genocide."

The stated aim of the schools, which operated between 1831 and 1996, was to assimilate indigenous children. They were run by Christian denominations on behalf of the government, most by the Catholic Church.

The schools were at the center of discussions between the pope and indigenous people at the Vatican in March and April. Recalling the meetings, Francis said on Sunday he had expressed "my pain and solidarity over the evil that they endured."

"I am about to make a pilgrimage of penance, which I hope that with the grace of God can contribute to the path of healing and reconciliation that already has been started," he said.

The 85-year-old pope will visit Edmonton, Maskwacis, Lac Ste. Anne, Quebec, and Iqaluit in Canada's Arctic territory. He is scheduled to deliver nine homilies and addresses and say two Masses.

The recurring schools scandal broke out again last year with the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the former Indian Residential �� in Kamloops in the Western Canadian province of British Columbia. The school closed in 1978.

The discovery brought fresh demands for accountability. Hundreds more unmarked burial sites have been found since.

Francis was elected pope nearly two decades after the last schools closed.

The pope had to cancel a trip to Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan in early July because of a knee problem that forced him to use a wheelchair and later a cane.

In an interview with Reuters on July 2, he gave details of his ailment for the first time publicly, saying he had suffered "a small fracture" in the knee when he took a misstep while a ligament was inflamed.

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Pope says June meeting with Russian Orthodox leader is off

Philip Pullella / Reuters — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 14:02:00 GMT

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has said he has dropped plans to meet in June with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who has backed Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Francis, who has several times implicitly criticized Russia and Putin over the war, told Argentine newspaper La Nacion in an interview that he regretted that the plan had to be "suspended" because Vatican diplomats advised that such a meeting "could lend itself to much confusion at this moment."

In Moscow, the RIA news agency quoted Metropolitan Hilarion, a senior Russian Orthodox Church official, as saying the meeting was postponed because "the events of the last two months" would have created many difficulties in its preparation.

Reuters reported on April 11 that the Vatican was considering extending the pope's trip to Lebanon on June 12-13 by a day so that he could meet with Kirill on June 14 in Jerusalem.

Kirill, 75, has given his full-throated blessing for Russia's invasion of Ukraine since it began on Feb. 24, a position that has splintered the worldwide Orthodox Church and unleashed an internal rebellion that theologians and academics say is unprecedented.

Francis, 85, has used terms such as unjustified aggression and invasion in his public comments on the war, and has lamented atrocities against civilians.

Asked in the interview why he has never named Russia or Putin specifically, Francis was quoted as saying: "A pope never names a head of state, much less a country, which is superior to its head of state."

Putin, a member of the Russian Orthodox Church, has described Moscow's actions as a "special military operation" in Ukraine aimed at demilitarizing and "denazifying" the country. Moscow has denied targetting civilians

Francis has specifically rejected Russia's terminology, calling it a war that has caused "rivers of blood."

A Vatican source familiar with the planning for the Jerusalem stop said on Friday that it had been at an advanced stage, with even the location for the meeting with Kirill chosen.

It would have been only their second meeting. Their first, in Cuba in 2016, was the first between a pope and a leader of the Russian Orthodox Church since the Great Schism that split Christianity into Eastern and Western branches in 1054.

Francis said earlier this month that he was considering a trip to Kyiv, telling reporters on a flight to Malta on April 2 that it was "on the table." He has been invited by Ukrainian political and religious leaders.

Asked in the Argentine interview why he has not yet made the trip, he said:

"I cannot do anything that would jeopardize higher objectives, which are an end to the war, a truce or at least a humanitarian corridor. What good would it do for the pope to go to Kyiv if the war continues the next day?"

(Reporting by Philip PullellaEditing by Kim Coghill and Frances Kerry)

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