Latest news with #AmorisLaetitia
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - This conclave must rescue the Catholic Church from Francis' legacy
The Catholic Church is not dying from persecution. It is dying from confusion. Under Pope Francis, ambiguity became policy. Tradition was treated as baggage, and doctrine was left to the discretion of bishops' conferences and synodal subcommittees. This was not pastoral creativity but ecclesial disintegration. The next pope cannot merely adjust the tone or refine the messaging — he must reverse course. He must be a rupture from the rupture. Another pontificate like Francis's will not just weaken the Church but unmake it. This is not about aesthetics, liturgical preferences or partisanship within the Church. It is about the integrity of the Catholic faith itself. Pope Francis did not act as a steward of that faith, but as an improviser. Under his pontificate, clarity was displaced by ambiguity, continuity by novelty and the teaching Church by the therapeutic Church. Francis did not reform the Church — he destabilized it. The consequences are now in plain view. His document 'Amoris Laetitia' cast doubt on the Church's teaching on marriage and the sacraments. 'Fiducia Supplicans' muddied its moral witness on sexuality. And his Synod on Synodality has institutionalized confusion, treating doctrine as something subject to opinion and consensus. Under Francis, Bishops now openly contradict one another on fundamental questions of faith and morals with no correction from Rome — only encouragement for more listening and 'discernment.' This is not doctrinal development but demolition disguised as dialogue. The result has been a church that speaks in half-truths, governs by vagueness and loses the faithful not because it is too demanding, but because it is no longer intelligible. The next pope cannot continue this trajectory. He must restore what has been compromised: the Church's clarity, coherence and courage. Pope John Paul II understood what was at stake. His papacy was a confrontation with modernity's moral and spiritual deformations. He spoke plainly, prophetically and unapologetically — defending the dignity of the human person, the demands of moral truth and the universality of Christ. He did not try to make the Church relevant by softening its teachings — he made it compelling by standing firm in them. Pope Benedict XVI understood it even more deeply. He saw the metaphysical crisis underlying the moral one. Western man had not just lost the sense of sin, but the sense of reality — of nature, of order, of God. Benedict's response was not reinvention but recollection: a return to the sources, to the liturgy, to tradition and to the Logos. His papacy was a quiet but forceful insistence that the Church must be rooted in truth, not blown about by the spirit of the age. Francis, by contrast, repurposed the papacy as a platform for global moral diplomacy. His priorities — climate change, migration, economic justice — mirrored the agenda of secular elites. Meanwhile, the Church's supernatural mission receded from view. Francis spoke often of mercy but rarely of judgment; of inclusion but almost never of conversion; of accompaniment but not repentance. That is not reform — it is retreat. A Church that loses the courage to speak of sin, grace and salvation is surrendering its soul. The sacraments become gestures, the liturgy a performance, the Gospel a lifestyle brand. The priest becomes a facilitator, not a mediator of grace, and the Church becomes just one more voice in a secular chorus that no longer hears God's word. To be sure, Francis showed real pastoral concern. His critique of clericalism has merit. His emphasis on the peripheries was often well placed. But these cannot outweigh the damage done to doctrine, discipline and identity. The papacy is not a personality. It is an office — one ordered toward the preservation and proclamation of truth. The next pope must take that office seriously. He must restore confidence in the magisterium. He must reject the doublespeak that cloaks doctrinal drift in the language of 'discernment.' He must appoint bishops who teach the faith — not just manage decline. He must reaffirm that tradition is not a problem to be solved, but a gift to be guarded. The pope is not the architect of Catholicism but its servant. Yes, it will be difficult. Francis has reshaped the College of Cardinals. Many within the hierarchy are deeply invested in the current trajectory. The institutional Church is comfortable with ambiguity. But the conclave must resist the urge to play it safe. The stakes are too high. We do not need another cultural conciliator. We need a man who knows that the Church is not a stakeholder in the liberal world order. It is a supernatural reality. It does not exist to echo the concerns of the age, but to call the age to repentance. It does not belong to the world — it belongs to Christ. Some will say a pope like that would divide the Church. But division already exists — not because of clarity, but because of its absence. The next pope must not fear being labeled 'rigid' or 'reactionary.' He must fear only this: being unfaithful. If we get another Francis, we will get more confusion, contradiction and collapse. But a pope in the mold of Benedict or John Paul could still rescue the Church from the cul-de-sac of synodality and restore it to its mission — to proclaim the truth, without apology and without fear. In the end, the Church won't be destroyed by opposition from the outside but only by incoherence from within. The next pope must understand that — and act accordingly. Andrew Latham is a professor of international relations at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn., a senior fellow at the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy, and a non-resident fellow at Defense Priorities in Washington, D.C. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
This conclave must rescue the Catholic Church from Francis' legacy
The Catholic Church is not dying from persecution. It is dying from confusion. Under Pope Francis, ambiguity became policy. Tradition was treated as baggage, and doctrine was left to the discretion of bishops' conferences and synodal subcommittees. This was not pastoral creativity but ecclesial disintegration. The next pope cannot merely adjust the tone or refine the messaging — he must reverse course. He must be a rupture from the rupture. Another pontificate like Francis's will not just weaken the Church but unmake it. This is not about aesthetics, liturgical preferences or partisanship within the Church. It is about the integrity of the Catholic faith itself. Pope Francis did not act as a steward of that faith, but as an improviser. Under his pontificate, clarity was displaced by ambiguity, continuity by novelty and the teaching Church by the therapeutic Church. Francis did not reform the Church — he destabilized it. The consequences are now in plain view. His document 'Amoris Laetitia' cast doubt on the Church's teaching on marriage and the sacraments. 'Fiducia Supplicans' muddied its moral witness on sexuality. And his Synod on Synodality has institutionalized confusion, treating doctrine as something subject to opinion and consensus. Under Francis, Bishops now openly contradict one another on fundamental questions of faith and morals with no correction from Rome — only encouragement for more listening and 'discernment.' This is not doctrinal development but demolition disguised as dialogue. The result has been a church that speaks in half-truths, governs by vagueness and loses the faithful not because it is too demanding, but because it is no longer intelligible. The next pope cannot continue this trajectory. He must restore what has been compromised: the Church's clarity, coherence and courage. Pope John Paul II understood what was at stake. His papacy was a confrontation with modernity's moral and spiritual deformations. He spoke plainly, prophetically and unapologetically — defending the dignity of the human person, the demands of moral truth and the universality of Christ. He did not try to make the Church relevant by softening its teachings — he made it compelling by standing firm in them. Pope Benedict XVI understood it even more deeply. He saw the metaphysical crisis underlying the moral one. Western man had not just lost the sense of sin, but the sense of reality — of nature, of order, of God. Benedict's response was not reinvention but recollection: a return to the sources, to the liturgy, to tradition and to the Logos. His papacy was a quiet but forceful insistence that the Church must be rooted in truth, not blown about by the spirit of the age. Francis, by contrast, repurposed the papacy as a platform for global moral diplomacy. His priorities — climate change, migration, economic justice — mirrored the agenda of secular elites. Meanwhile, the Church's supernatural mission receded from view. Francis spoke often of mercy but rarely of judgment; of inclusion but almost never of conversion; of accompaniment but not repentance. That is not reform — it is retreat. A Church that loses the courage to speak of sin, grace and salvation is surrendering its soul. The sacraments become gestures, the liturgy a performance, the Gospel a lifestyle brand. The priest becomes a facilitator, not a mediator of grace, and the Church becomes just one more voice in a secular chorus that no longer hears God's word. To be sure, Francis showed real pastoral concern. His critique of clericalism has merit. His emphasis on the peripheries was often well placed. But these cannot outweigh the damage done to doctrine, discipline and identity. The papacy is not a personality. It is an office — one ordered toward the preservation and proclamation of truth. The next pope must take that office seriously. He must restore confidence in the magisterium. He must reject the doublespeak that cloaks doctrinal drift in the language of 'discernment.' He must appoint bishops who teach the faith — not just manage decline. He must reaffirm that tradition is not a problem to be solved, but a gift to be guarded. The pope is not the architect of Catholicism but its servant. Yes, it will be difficult. Francis has reshaped the College of Cardinals. Many within the hierarchy are deeply invested in the current trajectory. The institutional Church is comfortable with ambiguity. But the conclave must resist the urge to play it safe. The stakes are too high. We do not need another cultural conciliator. We need a man who knows that the Church is not a stakeholder in the liberal world order. It is a supernatural reality. It does not exist to echo the concerns of the age, but to call the age to repentance. It does not belong to the world — it belongs to Christ. Some will say a pope like that would divide the Church. But division already exists — not because of clarity, but because of its absence. The next pope must not fear being labeled 'rigid' or 'reactionary.' He must fear only this: being unfaithful. If we get another Francis, we will get more confusion, contradiction and collapse. But a pope in the mold of Benedict or John Paul could still rescue the Church from the cul-de-sac of synodality and restore it to its mission — to proclaim the truth, without apology and without fear. In the end, the Church won't be destroyed by opposition from the outside but only by incoherence from within. The next pope must understand that — and act accordingly. Andrew Latham is a professor of international relations at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn., a senior fellow at the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy, and a non-resident fellow at Defense Priorities in Washington, D.C.
USA Today
23-04-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Pope Francis hoped to change how the church operates. Why it led conservatives to revolt.
Pope Francis hoped to change how the church operates. Why it led conservatives to revolt. Show Caption Hide Caption Pope Francis dies at 88 years old one day after Easter Sunday Pope Francis, the first pope born outside of Europe in over a millennia, has died. The battle over Pope Francis' reforms opened with a coordinated attack against guidance that eased restrictions on divorced and remarried parishioners receiving communion. Four conservative bishops challenged Francis' guidance in a document titled "Amoris Laetita" in a July 2017 letter, issuing a "correction" to "protect our fellow Catholics." "Heresies and other errors have in consequence spread through the Church," the four bishops wrote. Francis set out to reshape how the church operates, but not what it teaches. 'Amoris Laetitia' was the first major attempt at that. The document emerged from a lengthy discernment process that included public input and an assembly of bishops, known as a synod. But to critics, these bureaucratic changes were a slippery slope to doctrinal erosion. Francis, born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio and who died April 21 at age 88, leaves a legacy in which an institution that operates under a strict hierarchy made room for women and laity to voice concerns and for bishops to rigorously debate how to best implement church teaching. But those adjustments provoked traditionalists to mount a resistance that rallied supporters using ideological grievances, not ecclesiological ones. Live updates: Pope Francis to lie in state at St. Peter's ahead of Saturday funeral Francis' posture on issues such as LGBTQ+ inclusion and immigration have frustrated conservative Catholics in the United States and led many to become more loyal to the Republican Party and leaders like Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, instead of the Vatican. 'What is the most surprising thing about so many of the Catholic conservatives is they've been saying 'well the pope isn't saying what I think the pope is saying, therefore he's not really the pope,'' Cathleen Kaveny, a professor of theology and law at Boston College, which is affiliated with the same Jesuit Catholic order that Francis belonged to. 'That suggests the pope isn't a Holy Father or an authority, but more like a snowplow that you put on your own ideological train that you use it to push people out of the way.' Related: As conclave looms, major Catholic nations may be passed over again Before Francis, liberals often protested the more orthodox leadership of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. But Kaveny said the conservative backlash against Francis was different because it often called into question the legitimacy of the pope's authority. Doubt about the pope's authority seeded deeper levels of questioning, leading some conservatives to disregard other policies that were inspired by the Second Vatican Council. The Second Vatican Council, a policymaking assembly that convened 60 years ago, aimed to make the church more accessible to a wider audience – a goal that many have compared to Francis' legacy. But cynicism toward those reforms have driven a conservative fervor for independence from Catholic authority. The Rev. Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest and a columnist for Religion News Service, said that independence is ironic because the conservative bishops who attacked Francis were upset over the disruption to an earlier model in which a select few church leaders consulted the pope, who had the final say. 'It's interesting,' Reese said. 'The pope gave people the freedom to speak and criticize, and the conservatives took that freedom and used it to criticize him for making it possible to criticize.' 'Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable' 'Amoris Laetitia' triggered a conservative uprising more for what it said about Francis' vision to elevate historically underrepresented perspectives. 'What he was trying to do, if I had one sentence to describe Pope Francis, is comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable,' Kaveny said. Francis, drawing from his experiencing ministering to low-income Argentinians during his time as Buenos Aires archbishop, was committed to the ideal of mercy. It's from that same source he was critical of capitalism and environmental degradation early in his tenure as pope. But this commitment to a bottom-up view of discourse in the church began in earnest with the 2016 Synod on the Family, which led to 'Amoris Laetitia.' Even before the bishops convened for the synod – essentially a time for bishops to workshop church teaching and policy and then vote on what guidance to relay to the pope – Francis encouraged regional episcopal leaders to solicit public input and compile that feedback in a document for the synod to consult. Ultimately, in 'Amoris Laetitia,' Francis advised priests to consider the unique circumstances of divorced and remarried parishioners to help decide whether to grant communion. Beforehand, only divorced couples who received a church-sanctioned annulment were eligible to participate in sacraments. Annulments were rare, often because of the difficult process for obtaining one. Francis foreshadowed such attentiveness to lay peoples' concerns within his first year as pope, when he outlined his vision for his papacy in a November 2013 document titled 'Evangelii Gaudium.' In 'Evangelii Gaudium,' a Latin phrase that translates to 'Joy of the Gospel,' Francis supported a 'decentralization' of church hierarchy and pushed against 'structures that give us a false sense of security, within rules that make us harsh judges,' according to National Catholic Reporter. But traditionalists felt sidelined by that message, and the 2016 events surrounding guidance for divorced and remarried Catholics was early evidence of that. 'What does appear to be clear is that efforts seem to be in place to prevent traditional voices having any sort of a key influence,' Edward Pentin, a writer for the conservative leaning National Catholic Register, said in an August 2018 column. 'Some believe this is simply the culmination of an agenda that's been pushed since before Francis' election: to legitimize not so much heterodoxy as homosexual relationships within the Church.' 'Quite revolutionary' Conservatives reasoned, and grew increasingly anxious, that Francis would push the boundaries on LGBTQ+ inclusion if he was already willing to do the same on permissions for divorced and remarried Catholics. Related: Vatican releases photos of Pope Francis lying in state after Easter Monday death Over time, the pope's posture on LGBTQ+ inclusion did in fact change and it subsequently mobilized these traditionalists. Francis was less combative toward LGBTQ+ Catholics and in 2023 said priests could bless same-sex unions. Conservative bishops and outspoken critics of Francis based in the United States – namely Cardinal Raymond Burke, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganó and Bishop Joseph Strickland, among others – responded by rallying allies in the pews, which bolstered an emergent Catholic right led by clerical and political figures. That movement eventually contributed to the strong Catholic support for President Donald Trump and Vance in November's election. As conservatives in the United States were getting riled up about real or perceived changes over LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church, far more substantive maneuvers were underway at the Vatican. It began with Francis issuing a new apostolic constitution that reordered Vatican agencies and expanded criteria to allow women to run those agencies. Then, the pope gave women and lay people the power to vote in a synod. 'That was quite revolutionary,' said Reese, author of the 1998 book 'Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church.' These changes in synod participation preceded the 2023 Synod on Synodality. Francis also led the charge on an extensive public outreach campaign ahead of the 2023 synod to solicit public input, a strategy he started with the 2016 Synod on the Family but on a much larger scale. These changes between 2016 and 2023 were a huge difference from synods under Francis' predecessors, Reese said. 'Under Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, the synods were more like Soviet legislatures,' Reese said. 'You came and praised the great leader. There was no challenging the leader.' 'Accomplished a discussion' Conservatives were in full revolt by the 2023 synod. In addition to the changes around LGBTQ+ inclusion, 2021 restrictions on a certain traditionalist liturgy outraged a contingent of Catholics who developed a cynicism about Francis' reforms mirroring that of the Second Vatican Council. Then, the constitutional revisions and synodal rule changes to give women more authority fueled conservative concerns about women's ordination as deacons. Ultimately, a vote on that matter during the 2023 Synod on Synodality resoundingly defeated a motion to allow women's ordination as deacons. But the concern was enough to lead five conservative bishops in advance to critique Francis in a formal complaint known as a 'dubia,' which was the same type of attack against 'Amoris Laetitia' in 2017. A leading figure behind both those attacks was Burke, who church leadership ultimately stripped of his Vatican salary and apartment in 2023. Around that same time, the Vatican ousted Strickland from his post overseeing the Tyler, Texas, diocese and charged Viganó with inciting schism. 'I regard the accusations against me as an honor,' Viganó said in a June 2024 letter, referring to his rejection of Francis' authority and of the Second Vatican Council. 'No Catholic worthy of the name can be in communion with this 'Bergoglian church,' because it acts in clear discontinuity and rupture with all the Popes of history and with the Church.' The church ultimately excommunicated Viganó, who had also become a vocal proponent of Trump and rightwing conspiracy theories. These disciplinary judgments turned Burke, Strickland and Viganó into martyrs in the eyes of their supporters, and was additional confirmation that Francis was silencing traditionalists at the expense of other perspectives. Even if these changes are as revolutionary as conservatives fear, Kaveny said they're impermanent. 'I would want to see the actual Canon Law implementing it,' she said. Kaveny alluded to the history of the Second Vatican Council reforms, which didn't have much bearing on Catholic life for nearly two decades until the passage of the 1983 Code of Canon Law. This ratification happened under a different pope than the one who convened the Second Vatican Council. Likewise, whomever succeeds Francis could either push to enshrine what the late pope set out to do or completely dismantle those modifications. 'He accomplished a discussion,' Kaveny said, noting how bishops still have the most influence aside from the pope. 'Francis allowed and encouraged people to express their views and to say, 'nobody is excluded from the table.' But the power still is where the power is.'
NBC News
22-04-2025
- General
- NBC News
Pope Francis' death live updates: Viewing tomorrow ahead of Vatican funeral Saturday
What we know The world is paying tribute to Pope Francis, who rattled the Catholic Church's conservatives and inspired some progressives, following his death yesterday at the age of 88. Francis' death certificate, released by the Vatican overnight, said he died from a stroke that prompted irreversible heart failure. He had suffered a long series of health issues. Francis' body will be transferred to St. Peter's Basilica tomorrow morning for worshippers to pay their respects ahead of his funeral Saturday, the Vatican said. American Cardinal Kevin Farrell has become the acting head of the Vatican until the College of Cardinals chooses the pope's successor during the conclave that will follow his funeral. "He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and the marginalized," Farrell said of Francis in a statement. In St. Peter's Square, visitors ponder the future of the church — and the world Reporting from Vatican City A few meters from the obelisk at the center of St. Peter's Square that symbolizes the eternal power of the church, visitors to the Vatican make their way out of St. Peter's Basilica and approach staff from L'Osservatore Romano, who are distributing special editions of the Vatican's daily newspaper. The special issue, released yesterday, commemorated Pope Francis on the day of his death. Among those picking up a copy is Milwaulk Anthony Navarrosa, a student priest from the Archdiocese of Cadiz in the Philippines. He came to the Vatican to see the body of Francis: 'It wasn't possible today, but I'll return tomorrow,' he says as he rolls up the newspaper in his hands. Navarrosa, who is currently writing his thesis on the pope's 2016 encyclical 'Amoris Laetitia,' recalls meeting Francis in 2021 and says he had hoped to meet him again. 'I'm not worried about the future of the church, because it is guided by the Holy Spirit,' he says. Show more Here's how the next few days will play out Tomorrow Pope Francis' body will be moved in a procession from the Chapel of the Santa Marta residence to St. Peter's Basilica tomorrow for public viewing. Cardinal Kevin Farrell will preside over the rite, which will start at 9 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) with a moment of prayer. Francis' coffin will then be carried in a procession that will pass through Santa Marta Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs, exit through the Arch of the Bells into St. Peter's Square and into the basilica through the central door. Patriarchs and cardinals, archbishops and bishops, canons and other priests will take part in the procession. Once there, his coffin will be placed facing the pews with the Paschal candle nearby, not on an elevated bier. After the liturgy, Francis will lie in state through Saturday. Saturday The funeral for Francis will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET) in St. Peter's Square in front of St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican said. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside at the funeral Mass. The pope's body will then be taken into St. Peter's Basilica and then on to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for entombment. Cardinals meet at the Vatican to plan pope's funeral Cardinals this morning held their first of what will be many daily meetings, cloistered away from the Vatican crowds as they firm up plans for Pope Francis' funeral, which will be held Saturday, and the ensuing conclave. The meetings — today's began at 9 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) and lasted around 90 minutes — will take place each day until the beginning of the conclave at which cardinals will elect the next pontiff. Video footage from Reuters shows various cardinals in traditional black cassocks arriving at the Paul VI Hall, filing past Swiss Guards wearing yellow, blue and red striped uniforms with morion helmets. The cardinals are greeted by an official who hands them dossiers. Inside an auditorium, many can be seen taking maroon leather seats and chatting, before standing to pray and begin the meeting. Show more Italy declares five days of national mourning The Italian government declared five days of national mourning that begin today and will last until Saturday, when Francis' funeral will be held outside St. Peter's Basilica. During national mourning, flags are flown at half-staff and schools observe a minute's silence, while government officials are obliged to cancel all their appointments. Lionel Messi pays tribute to Francis on Instagram Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi in a post on Instagram yesterday paid tribute to the pope, who was a lifelong fan of football, as well as a fan of Messi. The two met at the Vatican in 2013 during a private audience, where they appeared to exchange gifts. 'A distinguished Argentinian Pope,' Messi said in a caption under a photo of the two together. He added, 'RIP Pope Francis. Thank you for making the world a better place: we will miss you.' Francis and Messi both hail from Argentina, where all football matches scheduled for yesterday were postponed as a mark of respect for the late pope. Share Putin will not be in attendance at the pope's funeral Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov in a press briefing today said 'there are no such plans' for Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend Pope Francis' funeral Saturday. He did not clarify whether the Kremlin had received an invitation to the service, adding that there was 'no decision yet' on who would represent Russia in Vatican City. Putin sent his 'most sincere' condolences to senior cardinals on the pontiff's death, the Kremlin said yesterday. Francis and Putin met three times in person, but ties between the two became strained after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with the pope publicly chastising Patriarch Kirill of Moscow for supporting the war. Mourners from across the globe line up at St. Peter's Basilica A huge crowd is present today at St. Peter's Basilica as mourners from across the globe gather to pay tribute to Pope Francis. 'We left from Lecce yesterday as soon as we heard of the death of Pope Francis,' said Sister Francois Voahirana, 49, a member of the Congregation of the Disciples of the Sacred Heart. She was joined by four other nuns from the same congregation. 'After Easter, we thought he was doing better, we didn't expect his death. But he did so much in his life, so many wonderful things. He's finished his service, and now he will rest in the arms of Jesus,' she added. They were waiting their turn to enter alongside tourists from Canada, the U.S., Peru and the Philippines. Show more Share 'A dream come true': How Pope Francis helped one migrant settle in Italy In 2020, Grace Enjei fled war-torn Cameroon for Cyprus in hopes of eventually reaching Europe, and with Francis' help, eventually settled in Italy. Days after arriving in Italy, Grace was unexpectedly invited to celebrate Francis' birthday at the Vatican. Most Catholic country — after the Vatican — to fly flags at half-staff Mithil Aggarwal The president of East Timor, a predominantly Catholic Southeast Asian island nation north of Australia, said the pope's death was a tremendous loss for the whole world, not just Christians. Almost half of Eas t Timor's 1.3 million citizens — only Vatican City has a higher percentage of Catholics than East Timor does— attended a Mass that Francis presided over last year, when he became the first pope to visit after the country achieved independence from Indonesia in 2002. 'He leaves behind a profound legacy of humanity, of justice, of human fraternity, a tremendous loss for the world, not only for Christians,' President José Ramos-Horta told Reuters. Ramos-Horta said flags will be flown at half-staff for one week to mark Francis' death. Seals placed on doors of Santa Marta papal residence Mithil Aggarwal The doors of Pope Francis' apartment on the second floor of Casa Santa Marta and the papal apartment on the third floor of the Apostolic Palace were sealed last night with a red ribbon and wax. It's a ritual rooted in centuries of Catholic tradition, which formalized the end of Francis' pontificate and followed an official declaration of death which was validated by the Camerlengo, or the acting head of the Vatican, Cardinal Kevin Farrell. Who will be attending the pope's funeral? A number of world leaders have already confirmed their attendance at the funeral of Pope Francis that will be held Saturday. President Donald Trump in a post on Truth Social yesterday said he would travel to Vatican City alongside first lady Melania Trump. He will be joined by the French President Emmanuel Macron, who confirmed his attendance to reporters yesterday. E.U. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also confirmed her attendance today. In Francis' birth country of Argentina, President Javier Milei said within hours of the pope's death that he will attend the funeral service, while the Brazilian government said in a statement yesterday that President Lula Da Silva and first lady Janja Lula da Silva will make the trip to the Vatican. Middle Eastern leaders express their condolences Mithil Aggarwal In a rare moment of unity, leaders across the Middle-East expressed their condolences for Pope Francis. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun described Francis as a 'dear friend and strong supporter' of his country, who 'carried Lebanon in his heart and prayers.' Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian highlighted Francis' calls to end the war in Gaza, with Hamas also hailing pope's opposition to the war. Israel's President Isaac Herzog recalled Francis' prayers for peace in the Middle East, saying in a post on X, 'he dedicated his life to uplifting the poor and calling for peace in a troubled world.' Qatari leader Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Saudi Arabia's King Salman sent messages of condolences to the Vatican. Zelenskyy to attend Francis' funeral Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend Francis' funeral this Saturday with First Lady Olena Zelenska, his office told NBC News on Tuesday. Although the pontiff regularly called for an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, which has a majority Orthodox Christian population, he angered Ukrainians when he last year called on Kyiv to have the courage of the 'white flag' and sue for peace with Russia. In a tribute to Francis on Monday, Zelenskyy said millions of people around the world were 'mourning the tragic news' of his passing. 'He knew how to give hope, ease suffering through prayer, and foster unity,' he said in a post on X, adding, 'He prayed for peace in Ukraine and for Ukrainians.' Pope reflected on death in a book preface he wrote this year Mithil Aggarwal 'Death is not the end of everything, but the beginning of something,' Pope Francis wrote in the preface for a new book by Cardinal Angelo Scola, Archbishop Emeritus of Milan, titled 'Awaiting a New Beginning: Reflections on Old Age.' The preface, which was written early February, was released by the Vatican Publishing House and published in the Vatican News today. 'It is a new beginning, as the title wisely highlights, because eternal life—which those who love already begin to experience on earth within the daily tasks of life—is beginning something that will never end,' Francis wrote. 'And it is precisely for this reason that it is a 'new' beginning, because we will live something we have never fully lived before: eternity,' he wrote. China, which struck deal with Francis on bishops, offers condolences Reporting from Hong Kong China expressed its condolences over the death of Francis, who ended a decades-long dispute between the Vatican and Beijing by accepting seven bishops the Chinese government had named without the pope's consent. Critics of the 2018 deal accused the Vatican of selling out to communist China, where the government tightly regulates religious activity. The Vatican countered that it was important for improving relations with China, which is estimated to have as many as 12 million Catholics. 'In recent years, China and the Vatican have maintained constructive engagement, conducted useful exchanges, and the provisional agreement regarding the agreement of bishops between China and the Vatican is mostly implemented,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular briefing today in Beijing. 'China stands ready to work with the Vatican for continued improvement of China-Vatican ties.' Guo did not say whether China had been invited to Francis' funeral or would send a representative. Show more Who's in charge of the Vatican right now? Mithil Aggarwal Kevin Farrell, an American cardinal, became the acting head of the Vatican following the death of Pope Francis. The Dublin-born cleric was naturalized as a U.S. citizen after spending many years in the country. Farrell was incardinated in the archdiocese of Washington in the 1984 and is the former Bishop of Dallas. Francis proclaimed Farrell a Cardinal in 2016 and, in 2023, appointed him as the president of Vatican's Supreme Court. Right now, the cardinal holds the position of chamberlain, or camerlengo, leaving him in charge of the administration and finances of the Holy See during the interregnum — the period between one pope's death and his successor's election. While he's also in charge of making the arrangements for the conclave, the poll of cardinals that chooses the next pope, his temporary position as chamberlain does not bar him from the papacy. Thousands gather in the Philippines to mourn Francis As bells tolled in churches around the Philippines, which Francis visited in 2015, thousands of worshipers gathered there to pray and reflect on the pontiff's legacy. 'As we mourn his passing, we honor a life that brought hope and compassion to so many and inspired us to love one another as Christ loved us,' wrote Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the President of the Philippines, in a post on Facebook. Philippines is home to the world's third-largest Catholic population, with around 80% of the population identifying as Catholic, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. Cardinal Luis Tagle there is among the leading candidates to succeed Francis. Japan, South Korea and India mourn Francis' death Reporting from Tokyo National flags were flown at half-staff today in Japan, which Francis visited in 2019. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Yoshimasa Hayashi, the government's top spokesperson, noted that during that trip Francis visited the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where the U.S. dropped atomic bombs at the end of World War II, and called for a 'world without nuclear weapons.' India, home to over 20 million Catholics, said it will also fly national flags at half-mast while declaring a three-day national mourning period. Seoul's Archdiocese said a memorial altar will be set up at the Myeondong Cathedral this afternoon for the public to pay tribute to Francis, who visited South Korea just a year into his papacy in 2014. Francis' funeral to be held this Saturday Pope Francis' funeral will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET), the Vatican has said, with Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re presiding over the funeral liturgy. The funeral Mass will be celebrated in the churchyard of the St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican said, adding the pontiff's body will be taken to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial. Francis' body to be taken to St. Peter's Basilica tomorrow The coffin containing Francis's body will be taken to St. Peter's Basilica tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET), the Vatican has said. A procession will pass through Saint Martha's Square, then into Saint Peter's Square before entering the Basilica. Fiji archbishop recalls pope's 'vulnerability' on Papua New Guinea trip In a message of condolence, the archbishop for the Archdiocese of Suva in Fiji said he was 'touched by Pope Francis' ministry' while accompanying him on a visit last year to Papua New Guinea, another Pacific island nation. Francis made his historic Asia-Pacific trip despite concerns about his health and spent much of the visit in a wheelchair. 'He embraced his own vulnerability as he often asked people to pray for him,' Archbishop Peter Loy Chong said in a statement. Chong said Francis also 'gave a message of hope and challenge' to the people of Oceania, where climate change threatens some countries' very existence. 'He said, Oceania is far out in the ocean, distant from the rest of the world but at the center of God's heart,' Chong said. 'The Pope's care for the Ocean resonates with the scientific view that if we care for the earth, the ocean is the first ecosystem that we should protect.' Australian PM halts election campaign to mark pope's death Mithil Aggarwal Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese marked the pope's death by pausing election campaigning and attending a Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne. 'The holy father was one of the most consequential leaders of this century and of our lifetime. He was, indeed, the people's pope,' Albanese, who was educated at Catholic schools, told reporters this morning as early voting began in the May 3 federal election. Government flags will fly at half-staff as a sign of respect, the Australian leader said. Body of Pope Francis displayed at the Vatican Images taken yesterday and released this morning, show Pope Francis in an open coffin at the Chapel of Santa Marta in the Vatican. Pope honored on Buenos Aires landmark In Pope Francis' birth country of Argentina, the obelisk of Buenos Aires was last night illuminated with a projection of the deceased pontiff bearing the phrase in Spanish that translates as 'pray for me.' Who will be the next pope? Here are some of the contenders Henry Austin Dust off the history books and there are papal conclaves with international intrigue, royal rigging and even riots, a checkered past that belies the air of sanctity and solemnity surrounding modern papal elections. The word 'conclave' comes from the Latin for 'with key.' It is a church tradition that began in 1268 with a papal election that lasted almost three years, ending only when the townspeople of Viterbo locked up the cardinals, tore the roof off their palace, fed them nothing but bread and water and threatened them until a new pope was chosen. While it is very unlikely the decision on Pope Francis' successor will take quite as long or be quite as contentious, Vatican watchers agree that the winner is not a foregone conclusion. 'The great joy of the conclave is that nobody really knows and it's such a unique electorate,' James Somerville-Meikle, the former deputy director of the Catholic Union of Great Britain, told NBC News before Francis' death. 'So many conclaves in the past have thrown up surprises.'
NZ Herald
21-04-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Pope Francis has died, aged 88. These were his greatest reforms and controversies
There were many unusual aspects of Pope Francis' papacy. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas (and the Southern Hemisphere), the first to choose the name 'Francis' and the first to give a TED talk. He was also the first pope in more than 600 years to be elected following the resignation, rather than death, of his predecessor. From the very start of his papacy, Francis seemed determined to do things differently and present the papacy in a new light. Even in thinking about his burial, he chose the unexpected: to be placed to rest not in the Vatican, but in the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome – the first pope to be buried there in hundreds of years. Vatican News reported the late Pope Francis had requested his funeral rites be simplified. 'The renewed rite,' said Archbishop Diego Ravelli, 'seeks to emphasise even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world.' Straddling a line between 'progressive' and 'conservative', Francis experienced tension with both sides. In doing so, his papacy shone a spotlight on what it means to be Catholic today. Between a rock and a hard place Francis was deemed not progressive enough by some, yet far too progressive by others. His apostolic exhortation (an official papal teaching on a particular issue or action) Amoris Laetitia, ignited great controversy for seemingly being (more) open to the question of whether people who have divorced and remarried may receive Eucharist. He also disappointed progressive Catholics, many of whom hoped he would make stronger changes on issues such as the roles of women, married clergy, and the broader inclusion of LGBTQIA+ Catholics. The reception of his exhortation Querida Amazonia was one such example. In this document, Francis did not endorse marriage for priests, despite bishops' requests for this. He also did not allow the possibility of women being ordained as deacons to address a shortage of ordained ministers. His discerning spirit saw there was too much division and no clear consensus for change. Francis was also openly critical of Germany's controversial 'Synodal Way' – a series of conferences with bishops and lay people – that advocated for positions contrary to Church teachings. Francis expressed concern on multiple occasions that this project was a threat to the unity of the Church. At the same time, Francis was no stranger to controversy from the conservative side of the Church, receiving 'dubia' or 'theological doubts' over his teaching from some of his Cardinals. In 2023, he took the unusual step of responding to some of these doubts. Impact on the Catholic Church In many ways, the most striking thing about Francis was not his words or theology, but his style. He was a modest man, even foregoing the Apostolic Palace's grand papal apartments to live in the Vatican's simpler guest house. He may well be remembered most for his simplicity of dress and habits, his welcoming and pastoral style and his wise spirit of discernment. He is recognised as giving a clear witness to the life, love and joy of Jesus in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council – a point of major reform in modern Church history. This witness has translated into two major developments in Church teachings and life. Advertise with NZME. Love for our common home The first of these relates to environmental teachings. In 2015, Francis released his ground-breaking encyclical, Laudato si': On Care for Our Common Home. It expanded Catholic social teaching by giving a comprehensive account of how the environment reflects our God-given 'common home'. Consistent with recent popes such as Benedict XVI and John Paul II, Francis acknowledged climate change and its destructive impacts and causes. He summarised key scientific research to forcefully argue for an evidence-based approach to addressing humans' impact on the environment. He also made a pivotal and innovative contribution to the climate change debate by identifying the ethical and spiritual causes of environmental destruction. Francis argued combating climate change relied on the 'ecological conversion' of the human heart, so that people may recognise the God-given nature of our planet and the fundamental call to care for it. Without this conversion, pragmatic and political measures wouldn't be able to counter the forces of consumerism, exploitation and selfishness. Francis argued a new ethic and spirituality was needed. Specifically, he said Jesus' way of love – for other people and all creation – is the transformative force that could bring sustainable change for the environment and cultivate fraternity among people (and especially with the poor). Synodality: Moving towards a Church that listens Francis' second major contribution, and one of the most significant aspects of his papacy, was his commitment to 'synodality'. While there's still confusion over what synodality actually means, and its potential for political distortion, it is above all a way of listening and discerning through openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It involves hierarchy and lay people transparently and honestly discerning together, in service of the mission of the church. Synodality is as much about the process as the goal. This makes sense as Pope Francis was a Jesuit, an order focused on spreading Catholicism through spiritual formation and discernment. Drawing on his rich Jesuit spirituality, Francis introduced a way of conversation centred on listening to the Holy Spirit and others, while seeking to cultivate friendship and wisdom. With the conclusion of the second session of the Synod on Synodality in October 2024, it is too soon to assess its results. However, those who have been involved in synodal processes have reported back on their transformative potential. Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge, explained how participating in the 2015 Synod 'was an extraordinary experience [and] in some ways an awakening'. Catholicism in the modern age Francis' papacy inspired both great joy and aspirations, as well as boiling anger and rejection. He laid bare the agonising fault lines within the Catholic community and struck at key issues of Catholic identity, triggering debate over what it means to be Catholic in the world today. He leaves behind a Church that seems more divided than ever, with arguments, uncertainty and many questions rolling in his wake. But he has also provided a way for the Church to become more converted to Jesus' way of love, through synodality and dialogue. Francis showed us that holding labels such as 'progressive' or 'conservative' won't enable the Church to live out Jesus' mission of love – a mission he emphasised from the very beginning of his papacy.
