VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Given the late Pope Francis’ care and concern for the poor, a representative group of them has been formally invited to welcome his casket to Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major for burial. “The poor have a privileged place in the heart of God,” the Vatican press office said in a…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — From the moment he took the helm of the Catholic Church’s sprawling hierarchy, Pope Francis positioned himself as a pastor close to the people he served, and he called out the behavior of priests who were distant from and thought they were superior to their flocks. The pope set the tone…
VATICAN CITY — To the chanting of Christ’s promise, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,” the mortal remains of Pope Francis were carried into St. Peter’s Basilica by 14 pallbearers. Thousands of people had made an early morning pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Square April…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The funeral Mass of Pope Francis will be celebrated April 26 in St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican announced. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside over the liturgy, which begins a nine-day period of official mourning and daily memorial Masses. The deceased pope’s body, which was…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis was a pastor first, “so consistently, so spontaneously and with such deep conviction,” that it will remain a gift to the Catholic Church, said Cardinal Michael Czerny. The cardinal, who served as prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, spoke with Catholic News Service April 22, the…
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis’ final moments were peaceful, and he managed to give one last farewell to his nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, before slipping into a coma early April 21, Vatican News reported. Among his last words were his thanks to Strappetti late April 20 when he said, “Thank you for bringing me back…