22 April 2025 - Pope Francis Dies at 88
‘A man of the people’: World reacts to the death of Pope Francis
Aljazeera Reporter (Aljazeera, 21/04/2025)
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, has died aged 88, the Vatican says. His death on Monday came shortly after a bout of double pneumonia that kept him hospitalised for five weeks at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. Just a day earlier, the pontiff made what would be his final major appearance as he greeted thousands of Easter worshippers from an open-top Popemobile in St Peter’s Square and delivered a blessing through an aide.The death of the 266th pope prompted tributes from across the world.
Pope Francis dies: an unconventional pontiff who sought to modernise Catholicism
Liam Temple (The Conversation, 21/04/2025)
From the moment of his election in 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the man who became Pope Francis, proved himself to be unconventional. Shedding much of the formality of previous papal elections, he appeared for the first time on the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica in a simple white cassock without the red ermine-trimmed cape, known as a mozzetta, traditionally worn on such occasions. On his chest was the silver pectoral cross he had worn as archbishop of Buenos Aires, rather than the gold cross worn by previous popes. His early demonstrations of unconventionality went beyond his dress as he refused to live in the Apostolic Palace, residing primarily in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse.
Who will be the new pope? Here's a list of cardinals who could be the next pontiff
Dannielle Maguire (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 21/04/2025)
Speculation is swirling about who could be Pope Francis's successor after his death. But because of the way new popes are elected, it can be a complex question to answer. Let's unpack how a pope is chosen and look at some of the people Vatican researchers reckon could be contenders for the position. They have to be elected by a vote. Only cardinals — who are the second-highest-ranking members of the church under the pope — vote in this election. And that's only if they're under the age of 80. There are currently 136 cardinals in that category, according to the Vatican press office's cardinal dashboard.
The complex legacy of Pope Francis
Ben Munster and Hannah Roberts (Politico, 21/04/2025)
Just weeks before he died, Pope Francis was doing what he does best: infuriating conservatives. In an extraordinary intervention in mid-February, the pope initiated a head-on clash with the new U.S. administration, slamming President Donald Trump’s plans to deport millions of undocumented migrants as a “violation of dignity,” and accusing Vice President JD Vance of misusing an obscure theological term. Washington responded with predictable fury, but the Holy See was undeterred. It was a vintage Francis move: impulsive, instinctively protective of the poor and defenseless, and — mercifully — light on theological jargon. But it was also illustrative of the pope’s willingness to abandon diplomatic niceties and take a divisive, outspoken approach at a time of increasing fragmentation.
Pope Francis in 2014. Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.0.
