Pope Francis passes away at 88
Investing.com -- Pope Francis, known for his efforts to steer the Catholic Church towards issues of social and economic justice, has passed away at the age of 88, as confirmed by the Vatican.
'Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,' Cardinal Farrell said in a video statement.
He passed away at 7:35 a.m. in Rome on Monday, according to the Vatican.
The Pope's passing follows a period of serious illness earlier this year, during which he was hospitalized for several weeks due to a severe case of pneumonia.
Despite returning to his residence in the Vatican, his health remained fragile.
Related articles
Pope Francis passes away at 88
Radware report reveals sharp rise in global cyber threats
Morgan Stanley presents the "Humanoid 100": How to play the Humanoid Robot theme
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Washington Post
Pope meets with child protection advisory board amid survivor calls for zero tolerance on abuse
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Vatican's child protection advisory commission on Thursday for the first time amid questions about his past handling of clergy sex abuse cases and demands from survivors that he enact a true policy of zero tolerance for abuse across the Catholic Church.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
The Ozempic boom could be bad news for restaurants as more than half of GLP-1 users report cutting back on dining out, report finds
GLP-1 users taking drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are spending less on eating at restaurants and on take-out dinners, according to a new report from Bloomberg Intelligence. Changing eating habits add to a growing number of headwinds the hospitality industry is facing as a result of slow pandemic recovery and tariff-induced economic uncertainty. As restaurants grapple with how diners are responding to economic uncertainty, they may also have to contend with consumer pull-backs as a result of the rise of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. GLP-1 users are significantly cutting back on dining in and ordering takeout, according to a report published this week by Bloomberg Intelligence. A survey of 1,000 GLP-1 users in the U.S. found 54% of respondents said they dined out 'significantly less' or 'less' frequently since starting the medication. Nearly the same percentage reported ordering less take-out. Respondents instead are choosing to eat at home, with 70% of them reporting they're cooking at home 'significantly more' or 'more' frequently since taking GLP-1 drugs, and about half reported purchasing more groceries. GLP-1 drugs, with the ability to help some users lose weight quickly, have skyrocketed in popularity. About 4% of Americans are taking some form of GLP-1 drug for weight-loss or to treat type 2 diabetes, a 600% increase in usage from six years ago, according to May data from FAIR Health. The drugs increase insulin levels and decrease glucose levels, slowing how quickly food is digested and suppressing users' appetites. Suppressed hunger has led to some users cutting down portion sizes or needing to focus on eating nutrient-dense foods, which may deter them from dining in restaurants. Bloomberg Intelligence's research adds to growing evidence of GLP-1 users losing their appetite for dining out. A Morgan Stanley survey from April 2024 found nearly two-thirds of GLP-1 users said they spent less money at restaurants, while 31% said they cut back on groceries. The trends have led to some food companies making changes to products to account for GLP-1 users' changing appetites. In October 2024, Smoothie King added a line of high-protein and fiber products particularly for those on the medication. The year before, Nestle announced it would develop 'companion products' for GLP-1 users, should those consumers need to cut calories. GLP-1 drugmakers have taken note of some companies' anxiety. In February 2024, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, the CEO of Ozempic-maker Novo Nordisk, said he was fielding calls from 'scared' food company executives about the impact of the drug on the industry. The Bloomberg Intelligence report notes the dining out slowdown among GLP-1 users could be exacerbated by other economic pressures. The decrease in away-from-home dining was reported significantly across incomes, from those earning less than $50,000 to those with $150,000 or greater annual salaries, indicating a broader shift in dining trends. The report also posited that restaurants serving fewer healthy options like fast-food could be most impacted by changing eating habits. Indeed, it's not just evolving dining habits that the restaurant industry has had to contend with. The hospitality sector has had to navigate the impact of greater economic headwinds, including a widespread labor shortage that never quite recovered from the pandemic, as well as growing uncertainty about tariffs, which have led consumers confidence to plunge. Campbell's CEO Mick Beekhuizen said in an earnings call this week canned soup sales are soaring, likely a result of tighter food budgets and consumers deciding to cook at home instead of going out to eat. 'We started to see consumer sentiment softening in January,' he said. 'This continued throughout [the quarter] with consumers making more deliberate choices with their spending on food. A key outcome is a growing preference for home-cooked meals, leading to the highest levels of meals prepared at home since early 2020.' Hospitality industry experts have noted that Gen Z is also cutting back on their order sizes bysplitting appetizers, ordering kids' meals, and skipping out on alcohol to save money. Despite evidence that GLP-1 users are significantly cutting back on restaurant dining, some restaurateurs have shrugged off concerns about the drug's impact on business. Michael Osanloo, president and CEO of Portillo's Restaurant Group told Bloomberg TV last year GLP-1 use taking a bite out of the restaurant business could be a coastal problem, not one for the U.S. Midwest. 'It's totally overblown,' Osanloo said. 'I think it's a fun narrative to propose, but I don't see any impact on our business.' This story was originally featured on
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Analysis-Pope Leo, in first month, makes a break in style from Francis
By Joshua McElwee VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -In his first month, Pope Leo has taken a very different approach to his predecessor Francis. Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, has led some two dozen public events since he was elected as the first U.S. pope on May 8 but not made notable appointments, nor announced plans for foreign trips, nor said where he will live at the Vatican. It's a stark contrast to when Francis, originally from Argentina, was selected as the first pope from the Americas in March 2013. Within a month, Francis had announced he would be the first pontiff in more than a century to live outside the Vatican's apostolic palace, appointed his successor as Archbishop of Buenos Aires and created a new formal advisory group of senior Catholic cardinals. Two of Leo's long-time associates told Reuters they expect the 69-year-old Pope to take a deliberative approach to the challenges facing the Catholic Church and may require months before making major decisions. "Leo is taking his time," Rev. Mark Francis, a friend of the new pontiff since the 1970s, told Reuters. "While he is going to continue in the path indicated by Pope Francis, his disposition is very different." Leo was first appointed a bishop by Francis in 2015 and then chosen by the late pope to take up a senior Vatican role two years ago. He has frequently praised his predecessor in his first weeks. He has also repeated some of Francis' main themes, and has echoed the Argentine pontiff's emotional appeals for an end to the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. But the two men have different temperaments, according to Rev. Francis, who attended seminary with Leo in Chicago and later knew him when they both lived in Rome in the 2000s. "Leo is much more focused and methodical and not inclined to hasty decisions," he said. Among the challenges facing the American pope is the Vatican's 83-million-euro ($95 million) budget shortfall, which Reuters reported in February had stirred contention among senior cardinals under his predecessor. Other looming issues facing the 1.4 billion-member Church include declining adherence to the faith in Europe, ongoing revelations of clerical sexual abuse, and doctrinal debates over matters such as inclusion of LGBT Catholics and the possibility of women's ordination. Francis, who sought to modernise the Church, did not formally change many doctrines but garnered criticism from conservative cardinals by opening the door to communion for divorcees and blessings for same-sex couples. Rev. Anthony Pizzo, who has known Leo since 1974 when they attended Villanova University outside Philadelphia together, said the pope is someone who listens carefully and seeks to hear many viewpoints before making decisions. "This is going to be his modus operandi," said Pizzo, who leads the Midwest U.S. province of the Augustinian religious order, to which Leo also belongs. "When you first come into leadership, listen well, get to know your constituency … to make a well-informed decision," Pizzo added, describing the pope's thought process. A 'SHY' LISTENER Francis and Leo came to the papacy at different ages and with different career backgrounds. Francis, elected at age 76, had been a cardinal for 12 years before ascending to the papacy. He had earlier been a leading contender in the 2005 conclave that elected his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. Leo, seven years younger when he donned the white papal cassock, is a relative unknown on the world stage who only became a cardinal and Vatican official two years ago. He spent most of his prior career as a missionary in Peru. Early in his tenure, Francis told journalists that, due to his age, he expected to have a brief papacy of only a few years. Leo, the youngest pontiff since John Paul II was elected at age 58 in 1978, can perhaps expect a papacy of ten or more years. Among the challenges facing the new pope is a Vatican budget shortfall estimated at 83 million euros, two knowledgeable sources told Reuters. The city-state also has a much larger gap in its pension fund, said to total some 631 million euros by the Vatican's finance czar in 2022 but estimated by several insiders to have since ballooned significantly. In his first weeks, Leo has not addressed the budget issues and has made only a few new appointments to Vatican roles. But he has held formal one-on-one meetings with many senior Vatican officials, which Pizzo suggested the pope could be using to try to learn quickly. Rev. Jorge Martinez Vizueta, who knew Leo in Peru, said he is someone who pays close attention to what people tell him. "He listens a lot, even with a certain shyness," said Martinez, an Augustinian at a monastery where Leo previously was a spiritual advisor. Although Leo has not announced where he will live, more than three informed sources said he is expected to move into the official papal apartments in the Vatican's apostolic palace overlooking St. Peter's Square. Francis shunned the palace in favour of a Vatican hotel. One senior source, who asked not to be identified, said the papal apartments, which have not been lived in since 2013, will require at least 2 to 3 months of renovations. CAREFUL WITH RESPONSES While Francis made some big decisions quickly in his first month, he also took time on other issues. He did not make his first trip abroad until late July 2013, four months into his papacy. Leo's first foreign trip is likely to be to Turkey, to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of an early Church council with Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Vatican has not announced the trip, but it was previously planned for Francis. Bartholomew told an Italian television station that he and Leo discussed the possibility of the new pope travelling to Turkey in late November. Francis, who often spoke off the cuff, was known for giving freewheeling news conferences on flights home from his trips abroad and frequently responded to queries with an unexpected quip. Asked during his first flight home about a Vatican official said to be gay, Francis famously responded: "If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge him?" Rev. Francis said Leo, who in his first month has largely read from prepared texts, is likely to be more careful with his responses during news conferences. "He won't be shooting from the hip like Francis did while speaking with journalists," said the priest. ($1 = 0.8760 euros)
