Pope Francis' very unusual funeral plans and every rule he tore up for his own service
Before his death at the age of 88, Pope Francis made his final wishes for his funeral clear.
The Vatican has confirmed the Argentine pontiff died at 7.30am on Easter Monday - two months on following his treatment for bronchitis at Gemelli Hospital in Rome. Cardinal Ferrell revealed the sad news at the Casa Santa Marta, close to St Peter's Basilica. He said: "Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7.35am, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.
"His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God."
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It comes after an announcement from the pope's spokesperson, who shared how his respiratory tract infection had sparked a 'complex clinical picture' that had left him requiring further hospital treatment. When he was discharged from hospital in March, he was ordered to rest at his residence for two months.
In his final years, the Buenos Aires-born head of the Catholic Church appeared to be looking ahead beyond his papacy, consecrating 21 new cardinals in what was regarded by some as a move to secure his legacy. This planning also included details for his funeral, the relative simplicity of which will come as no surprise to those who followed Francis' teachings.
In November 2024, as per Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, it was announced that Pope Francis had revised his funeral rites, simplifying the rituals to emphasise his role as a humble bishop. Outlining these new reforms, master of liturgical ceremonies, Monsignor Diego Ravelli, explained that the Vatican would be eliminating the usual requirement that the pope's body be placed on an elevated bier in St. Peter's Basilica to be viewed by members of the public.
Instead, Pope Francis' body will be placed in view at the Basilica in a simple coffin, where dignitaries and some of the faithful may pay their final respects. The burial itself will no longer require the three coffins crafted of cypress, lead, and oak, as is the papal tradition. According to Ravelli, this stripping back of more elaborate customs is intended 'to emphasise even more that the Roman Pontiff's funeral is that of a shepherd and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful man of this world.'
This follows a pattern that Catholics have seen since the beginning of Pope Francis' papacy in March 2013, when he opted against residing in lavish state apartments in the Apostolic Palace, instead making a home for himself in a guest house on the Vatican grounds. On the night he was elected, the then-new pontiff even rode the bus back to his hotel with the rest of the cardinals, as opposed to being driven in the papal car. The next morning, he insisted on paying the hotel bill.
Long before entering the Vatican, during his days as an archbishop in Buenos Aires, Pope Francis earned the nickname 'Slum Bishop' on account of his frequent visits to the most rundown, crime-ridden barrios. In a decision that would later set the tone of his papacy, Francis opted against moving into the archbishop's official residence, instead remaining in his modest flat where he cooked his own meals and travelled about by public transport.
Even in death, Pope Francis continues to adhere to his vision of a church that took an outward view, not necessarily adhering to the expectations of previous popes. In a notable break from tradition, Pope Francis, whose funeral will take place in St Peter's Square, won't be buried in the grottoes beneath St. Peter's Basilica, where the majority of his predecessors lie. Instead, Francis will be laid to rest at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, signifying his devotion to an icon of the Virgin Mary that can be found there - the holy Salus populi Romani (Salvation of the people of Rome).
Discussing his funeral plans with Mexican Televisa broadcaster N+, the Pope opened up about how, after every trip, he would visit the Basilica, where he would pray before an image of Mary, cradling her baby son, Jesus Christ. He revealed: 'It's my great devotion. The place is already prepared.'
Pope Francis previously oversaw the funeral of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, who passed away in December 2022 after abdicating.
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The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
The quiet Scot who revealed some of Hitler's last words
And that, as the conflict in Europe came to an end and the celebrations began, it would be Fife-born Rena who would be given a particularly onerous task; one that required all of her language skills, acute attention to detail and ability to keep a secret. Alongside another young woman who, like her, had studied at St Andrews University before being picked to work at Bletchley Park, Rena's war efforts continued well beyond VE Day. While 80 years ago the nation's focus turned to victory over Japan and VJ Day, she was in Germany, translating interrogations of German intelligence officers and, critically, Hitler's personal will. Bletchley Park, centre of Allied codebreaking during the Second World War Just how a young woman from Fife came to be given the job of translating the final personal will of the architect of the Holocaust was captured in the nick of time, when she finally opened up about her wartime work at the top secret home of the codebreakers, Bletchley Park. However, just a few months after speaking about her work to biographer Victoria Walsh, Rena passed away. She was 100 years old. Rena's memories of working in the German Book Room at Bletchley Park and her role translating Hitler form the basis of a new book that traces her journey from Lundin Links and a childhood 'filled with books, music and Scottish dancing' to the heart of the secret war effort and, later, a pioneering role at the BBC. 'They had the secrecy of their work drummed into them,' says writer Victoria, whose chats with Rena in her final months offer fascinating insight into the camaraderie of the Bletchley Park women, the daily demands made on them and the personal sacrifices they made then and in their later lives. 'She was still incredibly active even though she was 100 years old, and she remembered the war years very well. 'But even though the Official Secrets Act had been lifted and people like Rena were allowed to talk about their work, often they still didn't want to. 'And some would take it to their grave.' (Image: Contributed/Victoria Walsh) Perhaps surprisingly, adds Victoria, often the women who toiled at Bletchley Park, churning through tens of thousands of coded messages and translating snippets of details, didn't even realise the importance of their role. "They knew there was a secrecy aspect," she adds, "but they didn't even think they were doing anything special.' Read more Sandra Dick: Born in the Fife coastal village in 1923, Rena was bright and bookish with a fondness for poetry that blossomed into a love of languages. Determined to choose a career over being a housewife, she studied French and German at St Andrews University. Young Rena Stewart growing up in Fife. Image: Stewart Maclennan 'She was determined not to follow the usual route for women of the times, which was get married, have children or maybe teach," says Victoria. 'She thought studying French and German would open the world up to her. 'She didn't know exactly where it would take her and certainly couldn't have known it would lead her to Bletchley Park.' By the time she began her studies in 1940, Admiral Sir Hugh Sinclair, head of M16, had already taken over the country house near Milton Keynes for use as part of the secret war effort. Rena Stewart studied French and German at St Andrews University during the early years of World War II. Image: Stewart Maclennan Earmarked for the Code and Cypher School and Secret Intelligence Service, it was handy for a supply of bright students from Oxford and Cambridge. Soon, though it was snatching bright young graduates from around the country, many of them young women like Rena who could handle the huge amount of information that flowed through its walls. Recruited in early 1944, she worked in the German Book Room, surrounded by around 40 other women like her rattling away at typewriters, working in German and handling secret German military messages. Rena had a role at Bletchley Park (Image: Stewart Maclennan) 'She would be analysing secret messages, filling in any gaps and making sure they read properly so intelligence analysts could use them to chart the course of the war,' says Victoria. 'They worked all day in shifts, and it was serious work, probably in a smoky room and it would be stressful because they would know how important it was to the outcome of the war. 'But they also made sure they had fun in their spare time.' To keep spirits up and to drown out the constant clatter of typewriter keys, the women sang songs, including one which Rena sang for Victoria as she recalled her war work. Signatures of Bletchley Park women left on a song sheet from May 1945 (Image: Contributed) 'The second and last time I met Rena, in her living room down in London, we were talking about Bletchley Park when all of a sudden, she burst into song,' she recalls. 'She had remembered that she and the 40 women of 'The German Book Room' had made up a song about their time there, toiling away at their typewriters. 'The song went to the tune of My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean and was called The Swan Song of GBR. 'It was all about how fed up they were of typing and how they wished for the war to be over. 'Rena couldn't remember all the words, but it was an unforgettable moment.' Victoria later found Rena shared a typed copy of the song, signed by the German Book Room 'girls' in May 1945, to the museum at Bletchley Park. The end of the war in Europe brought their German Book Room work to a close, but Rena's service was not yet over. Instead of being demobbed, she and some others from the German Book Room were sent to an interrogation centre near Hanover in Germany, where they were given the important task of translating the statements of captured Nazi officers ahead of the Nuremberg Trials. Rena and other women on parade in Germany (Image: Stewart Maclennan)Another role specifically for Rena – known affectionately as Sgt McHaggis – and fellow Bletchley Park colleague and St Andrews alumna, Margery Forges, from Dundee, was even more pressurised. Handed to them by the head of the unit, Major Bill Oughton, they were told to work together on translating a document with the instruction: 'Take as long as you like, but there must be no mistakes, and you must agree on all details'. Hitler had two wills, a political will and a personal will which stated who his executors would be, stating how he had married Eva Braun and who was to inherit his belongings. It had been dictated 24 hours before he killed himself. It had to be perfect and they consulted every dictionary they could to make sure it was absolutely right. Tracking down the two wills had already been something of a saga involving a trio of messengers' efforts to smuggle the documents out of Germany before they were finally seized by the Allies. Sergeant Rena Stewart - affectionately known as Sgt McHaggis - while serving in Germany (Image: Stewart Maclennan) Rena and Margery were trusted with Hitler's personal will: a task Margery's family only discovered by chance, years after her death. Rena was finally demobbed in 1947, but that was just the start of another remarkable chapter. Having refused to settle for marriage and housework and having had a taste of international relations, Rena set sights on becoming a journalist with the BBC. But she was at an immediate disadvantage, says Victoria. Read more Sandra Dick: 'She couldn't say anything about her secret wartime work,' adds Victoria. 'It took her a long time to find a job and there were a lot of people who had been demobbed ahead of her. 'But she was very determined and she became a huge inspiration for younger women.' Having started at the bottom typing scripts and making tea, she rose to become the BBC World Service's first female senior duty editor. Rena Stewart went on to blaze a trail for women at the BBC World Service In her later years she occupied her time with simple tasks: editing the magazine for the church close to her Ealing home, running Scottish country dancing sessions and planning Burns Suppers – all a world away from the pressure of Bletchley Park. 'Rena left Scotland in 1943 and never moved back,' adds Victoria. 'But she was always incredibly proud to be Scottish, and she kept up her love of Scottish culture for a century. 'She deserves to be better known.' The Story of Rena Stewart is published by Pen and Sword Books.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
English saint to receive prestigious doctor designation from Pope
The first Englishman to be made a saint in the Catholic Church for hundreds of years will soon be recognised with an even more prestigious Henry Newman was first made a cardinal in 1879 by Pope Leo XIII, a position he held for 11 years before his 150 years later, current pontiff Pope Leo XIV announced last week that Newman would be recognised as a Doctor of the doing so, the Pope made Newman the 38th person and first Briton born in the past 1,000 years to be given the title. Newman studied at Trinity College, Oxford, before becoming an Anglican priest in the was during his time among the dreaming spires that he founded the Oxford Movement, which argued for the reinstatement of some older Christian traditions into the Victorian Church of England. He lived at The College, in Littlemore, during the 1840s, which is where he controversially converted to Roman Catholicism in College still stands as a symbol of Newman's theology and is maintained by a group of devoted nuns, with much of it remaining untouched since the early Victorian Mary-Birgit Dechant said Newman's "religious impact and his contribution to education" were "formed and shaped in Oxford".She said: "St John Henry left a tremendous legacy in theology, philosophy, spirituality, pastoral care, education and, not to forget, poetry."His works are much read and researched, which proves that he is speaking to people of our time." Newman was canonised by Pope Francis in 2019, after the Vatican attributed two miracles to the former doing so, the then pontiff made Newman the first English saint since the Forty Martyrs, who had been executed under Reformation laws during the 16th and 17th six years later, Pope Francis' successor Leo XIV has recognised Newman with an even greater honour, making him a Doctor of the title recognises saints who "made an outstanding or eminent contribution to our knowledge of the faith," according to the Catholic Church of England and Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, who leads the church in England and Wales, said that he was "delighted and thrilled" by the Pope's declaration."This recognition that the writings of St John Henry Newman are a true expression of the faith of the Church is of huge encouragement to all who appreciate not only his great learning but also his heroic sanctity in following the call of God in his journey of faith, which he described as 'heart speaking unto heart'," he said. Sister Mary-Birgit added that Newman's appointment as a Doctor of the Church had "confirmed and encouraged" her sisterhood's mission at said: "We have seen a growing interest in Newman and we can testify that his life and words are a great help for people worldwide."As Newman, we desire that people grow in faith and trust that by his elevation as Doctor of the Church his influence will increase even more."Oxfordians can be proud of his legacy."The Vatican has not yet announced when the official ceremony will take place. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Brooklyn's Black church choirs persist amid attendance decline, gentrification
On Sunday mornings in Brooklyn, nicknamed the borough of churches, the muffled sounds of choir singers, hand‑claps and Hammond organs can be heard from the sidewalks. The borough still has a church on nearly every block, but over the years, the number of people in the pews has thinned. Many church choirs in the heart of Brooklyn, however, have kept singing — despite boasting fewer singers than in years past as neighborhoods face gentrification and organized religious affiliation decreases. Standing in front of the gospel choir at Concord Baptist Church of Christ in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, Jessica Howard, 25, led the gospel standard 'God Is' on a Sunday in July. Dressed in a powder-pink floral dress, she called out lines naming God as 'joy in sorrow' and 'strength for tomorrow.' Some choir members wiped away tears as the song stoked emotions from around the room.' As a Black Christian person, as a descendant of slaves, I think when I sing, I feel really connected to my ancestors,' said Howard, who grew up in Virginia and now sings as a soloist at Concord, where she's been a congregant for six years. 'I really feel sometimes like it's not just me singing, it's my lineage singing.' ___ This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story. ___ Founded in 1847, Concord Baptist Church is Brooklyn's oldest historically Black congregation. At the time, a nearby neighborhood known as Weeksville, now considered part of central Brooklyn, was the second-largest free Black community in the United States before the Civil War, said Amanda Henderson, collections historian at the Weeksville Heritage Center. Louise Nelson, a Brooklyn native and church historian of the Berean Baptist Church in Crown Heights, said music was the foundation of the early church, and that remains true for churches in the borough today. "The songs that uplifted us and kept us going through the midst of our misery — music is who we are,' Nelson said. 'I don't think you can have a church today without the music because it brings unity in that idea that we can all do it together.' According to Pew Research Center data, between 2019 and 2023, Black Protestant monthly church attendance fell from 61% to 46% — the largest decline among major U.S. religious groups. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend, and its impact is visible in the thinning choir stands. Glenn McMillan, Concord's director of music ministry and a musicology teacher at the City University of New York, who has worked in New York City church choirs since 1994, recalls a time when historically Black churches in Brooklyn regularly had multiple choirs at each parish. 'In the last 20 years, the members of church choirs started getting older because this generation does not see church as important as it was back in the day,' McMillan said. The choir at Concord has shrunk from about 50 voices before the pandemic to 30 today, McMillan said. Back in 2006, the choir featured 100 voices. According to research published by in June, Black Protestants attended church on Zoom more than other denominations during the pandemic, and they have been the slowest to return to in‑person worship. 'The internet has taken over and streaming has taken over,' McMillan said. ' People don't goin to the building as much as they are streaming it.' McMillan said that when in-person services first resumed, it took a long time for the choir to rebuild because many members were still staying home for health reasons. Recently, though, he's seen more people showing up. 'I'm begging people my age to come to Concord,' said Howard, the youngest member of the gospel choir, adding that only a handful of people around her age attend the church. Gwen Davis, a senior member of Berean Baptist Church and a choir soloist for more than 40 years, recalled Easter services in the mid‑1960s, when over 400 people filled the pews and four separate choirs led the congregation in song. 'It was a lot of energy,' Davis said. 'Your ear got trained really well.' Today, Davis said, a typical service attracts approximately 150 people, and roughly 100 virtually. Over time, Berean's choirs have consolidated into a single mass choir with approximately 20 singers. A professional soloist who has been singing at different churches across Brooklyn throughout her adult life, Davis said she believes one reason for choirs thinning out is the decline of music education in New York City Public Schools. 'When I was in high school, I had music every day,' said Davis, who attended high school in the 1970s in central Brooklyn. 'I don't think the children are learning notes and sharps and clefs. I mean, that was like general knowledge for us at the time.' During the 1970s fiscal crisis, the city of New York eliminated thousands of teaching positions, including art and music teachers, and converted music rooms into other classrooms, narrowing arts access in schools in low-income and majority-Black neighborhoods. 'For me, singing is not just singing, it's ministry,' Davis said. 'Some of these old hymns were composed years and years ago, and those old hymns have sustained a people — many people.' Gentrification is another force reshaping Brooklyn. Between 2010 and 2020, Crown Heights lost nearly 19,000 Black residents while gaining about 15,000 whites, according to 2020 Census data. More than 75% of Bedford-Stuyvesant residents in 2000 were Black, while in 2020, around 41% were Black. Those demographic shifts have hit historically Black Catholic parishes hard. St. Teresa of Avilain Crown Heights, which was the first church in the nation to hold Mass in Creole, will close by the end of the year. The anticipated closure demonstrates a wider pattern of Catholic churches that serve people of color closing, often attributed to declining attendance. For Mike Delouis, 38, St. Teresa's longtime cantor and a son of Haitian immigrants who was baptized at the church, the loss is personal. 'Singing for me is not about performance but about participation,' said Delouis, who juggles three services most Sundays between St. Teresa and the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights. 'St. Augustine said singing is praying twice.' Delouis is part of a group fighting to keep the parish open, hoping to preserve a piece of their history in a rapidly changing Brooklyn. 'Even through the process of gentrification, there are people that hear the music and they come in,' he said. In June, from his place in the choir loft, Delouis heard the priest announce the church's closure. The words hit hard. 'It was actually kind of hard to finish,' he said. 'We only had the closing hymn to do, and I thought, 'Oh my gosh, no — we can't let this happen.'' Jesteena Walters, 55, has been part of Bedford Central Presbyterian Church in Crown Heights since she was an infant. She began singing at age 6 in the junior choir, and when she turned 18, she transitioned to its Gratitude choir, which her older siblings also joined. 'It was the young hip gospel choir of the church,' Walters said. Today, Gratitude no longer exists in the same way. Its members are older and often reunite only for special occasions, such as singing at funerals. Over the decades, Walters has also watched the congregation itself shift demographics. "When I first went to Bedford Central, it was primarily a white church, and so we were in the minority at the time,' Walters said, referring to the early 1970s. 'In the years that would come, itwas primarily a Black church.' It later became home to a large West Indian population, and today includes many members of Guyanese heritage. 'To be honest, I couldn't break down the history of Brooklyn in a way that says who came first,' Walters said. 'At the end of the day, I believe in people coming together, if we can truly connect, feel each other's pain and celebrate each other's joys.' McMillan emphasized that choirs continue to play a central role in Black church life, even as congregations decline in membership. 'Choir singers are some of the most faithful churchgoers,' McMillan said. 'A choir is a community within the church community, and whenever you have a really consistent and strong choir, they grow with one another.' Howard said she hopes to become a choir director one day, and she credits McMillan and the gospel choir for encouraging her toward the role. 'I'd like to follow in that tradition,' she said. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
