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Toronto Star
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
News about the secretive Vatican must be reported with caution
The steps leading to the selection of Pope Leo XIV this week attracted fascination worldwide. The billowing white smoke signaling the naming, the sequestering of the cardinals while they deliberated, the secrecy, the power of the papacy, the drama of the wait — all of this and more made for a compelling, tension-filled news story. At the Star we also learned a tough, but very important lesson this week about covering this story: that news surrounding the process isn't always reliable — even when it comes from seemingly reliable sources. In our print and online editions last Sunday, we published a 1,521-word article about how the pope is chosen and who the front runners were. A section of the piece referenced Cardinal Pietro Parolin, a former Vatican secretary of state and long-time diplomat, widely considered one of the top contenders. We reported that there was a reminder of the stakes involved in picking a new pope, when Parolin's blood pressure 'reportedly spiked this week' sending Vatican doctors scrambling to Parolin's aid. Monday morning, I popped open an email from reader Alan, a Toronto resident, who told us to 'check your facts' regarding the point about Parolin's health and subsequent medical attention. 'Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See press office, reported that this did not happen,' Alan stated — the Holy See being the governing body for the Catholic Church that includes the pope and advisers. I reached out to veteran Star journalist Allan Woods, the author of the article. I also got in touch with the editors who handled the story. As it turns out, we didn't pick up the statement last Friday from the Vatican that shot down the report on Parolin in time to revise the article. We weren't alone, however, in printing the erroneous detail. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW We ran a correction early this week quoting the Vatican spokesperson. Other media outlets in other countries published corrections too. As public editor, getting into the details of what went wrong here was very instructive for me. Woods, a Paris-based veteran staff reporter, who covers global and national affairs, told me he first saw a post about Parolin's alleged health episode on the platform X. It came May 1 from a rather good source — Diane Montagna, the Rome correspondent for the Catholic Herald, a well-known and respected Roman Catholic magazine. According to multiple sources … an 'alert' was triggered in the Vatican concerning the health of Parolin, one of the leading papal contenders, Montagna said in her post. She cited an elevated blood pressure issue and that a medical team assisted Parolin for an hour. She attributed the report to an Italian journalist from the daily Rome publication Il Tempo. After the Vatican clarified things, questions began being asked about who initially launched the false report. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The ran an interesting piece afterward, reporting that there was finger pointing regarding who was responsible. 'At the moment, the American Catholic site and several Italian news agencies seem to be in a contest to see who can off-load responsibility for the rumour on the other,' the Catholic Herald's website stated. The publication later added a note of intrigue — that the 'hunt seemed to be on to identify who was responsible for a report now seen as a fairly naked attempt to sabotage Parolin's chances.' I reached out to a local expert on the Catholic Church, Mark McGowan, a professor of history at the University of Toronto's St. Michael's College, who told me there may indeed have been some orchestrated mischief behind the erroneous account of Parolin's health. '(Parolin) has a progressive side to him, so those who would like to undermine that candidacy could easily start spreading rumours,' McGowan told me in a telephone interview. McGowan added that the Italian media had been blamed by some, but 'things in a way smell bad' when is mentioned. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'You've probably heard of them. They are kind of a cultural warrior, conservative Catholic, online site, that certainly wouldn't like a progressive pope,' McGowan said. As public editor I did reach out to in the U.S. to get their side of what happened. In an email to me Thursday, the organization said they didn't invent the story, they only reported what the Italian press reported, then retracted the report when the Vatican denied it. Yet some Italian media outlets have cited as the originator. So, we're left with a bit of a whodunit. The lessons? McGowan said anytime an extraordinary piece of information comes out of Rome pertaining to the Vatican 'you really have to weigh it with great care.' Woods, the author of the Star article, had a similar take in the aftermath. He said the world's media turn necessarily to the Vatican correspondents and the specialized Catholic publications at times such as this and this can lead to an 'absence of independent expertise.' This gap in information and access and resulting 'vulnerability' is compounded by the fact that the church conducts so much of its business (like the pre-conclave meetings) behind closed doors, Woods told me. This isn't an excuse for retransmitting information that the Vatican said was incorrect — but is important context, nevertheless, Woods added. From my vantage point as public editor, I would call this a cautionary episode for any journalists covering the Vatican.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
From Peter to Linus to Francis: How do popes pick their papal names?
Kendrick Lamar once said, "If I'm gonna tell a real story, I'm gonna start with my name." It's a long way from hip hop to the Holy See, but that sentiment is something both realms have in common: Names matter, and they can help tell a person's story. Each new pope, once chosen by a conclave of the College of Cardinals, can take on a new name, one infused with meaning, history and tradition. When Jorge Bergoglio ascended to the papacy, he chose to become Pope Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, a 13th century friar who rejected his family's wealth and went to live, minister and work among the poor. Francis was the first pope from the Americas, and the first Jesuit pope. He was also the first pope to choose the name Francis. Meeting with journalists in 2013, shortly after he became pope, he explained how he settled on the name: According to the Catholic Herald, a friend, Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, "embraced me and kissed me and said, 'Don't forget the poor,' and that struck me. ... Immediately I thought of St. Francis of Assisi. Francis was a man of peace, a man of poverty, a man who loved and protected creation." Other popes have chosen names that reflected their own values, their own heritage or their own heroes. Why do popes choose new names? Not all members of Catholic religious orders change their names upon entering ministry. But for those who do, accepting or choosing a new name is symbolic of that person's new stage in life, their entry into a new community and a new way of serving God and other people. According to the Sioux Falls Bishop's Bulletin, popes began choosing new names early in the Catholic Church's history. In 533, a new pope was selected. His name, Mercurius, though, honored a Roman god, Mercury, and was considered a pagan name. He took the name of the prior pope, John, becoming John II, who'd been martyred. Still, many popes continued to keep their given names until the 10th century, when it became a more common practice for popes to choose new names. The last pope to keep his given name was Marcellus II, elected in 1555. Pope Francis gestures from a balcony while delivering an Easter Sunday message in St. Peter's Square. The pontiff died the following day. What was the first pope's name? St. Peter was the first pope, one of the twelve Apostles and the man who Catholics believe was ordained by Jesus himself. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said to the man who'd been known as Simon, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church." Catholics believe that after Jesus' death and resurrection, Peter became the earthly leader of the nascent church, spreading the Gospel and evangelizing throughout the Roman Empire. He is believed to have settled in Rome, where it's thought he was martyred around 64 AD. What papal names have been used most? John has been the most commonly chosen papal name: 23 pontiffs have taken that name. Part of the reason for that is a papal tradition of taking the name of one's predecessor. Another reason: There are dozens of Catholic saints named John (at least 126 of them, according to the Catholic news outlet Aleteia), including John the Baptist, John the Apostle (also called John the Evangelist for his work spreading Jesus' story), St. John of the Cross and St. John Damascene. Francis' predecessor, Joseph Ratzinger, chose the second-most-used papal name when he became Benedict XVI. There have also been 16 popes named Gregory. Clement, Innocent, Leo and Pius have also been used often throughout church history. Are there any names used just once? Many popes have chosen names not used before or since, including (but not limited to): Lando (who served from 913-914), Romanus (897), Formosus (9891-896), Valentine (827), Zachary (741-752), Conon (686-687), Agatho (678-681), Vitalian (657-672), Severinus (638-640), Silverius (536-537), Hormisdas (514-523), Symmachus (498-514), Simplicius (468-483), Hilarius (461-468), Mark (336-337), Dionysius (259-268), Fabian (236-250) and Linus (64-76). Peter, the first pope, was also the only one to have that name. (This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How do popes pick their papal names? What you need to know
USA Today
06-05-2025
- General
- USA Today
From Peter to Linus to Francis: How do popes pick their papal names?
From Peter to Linus to Francis: How do popes pick their papal names? Show Caption Hide Caption Vatican announces conclave date on May 7 to elect a new pope The Roman Catholic College of Cardinals has agreed to begin a conclave May 7 to elect the next pope, per the Vatican. Kendrick Lamar once said, "If I'm gonna tell a real story, I'm gonna start with my name." It's a long way from hip hop to the Holy See, but that sentiment is something both realms have in common: Names matter, and they can help tell a person's story. Each new pope, once chosen by a conclave of the College of Cardinals, can take on a new name, one infused with meaning, history and tradition. When Jorge Bergoglio ascended to the papacy, he chose to become Pope Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, a 13th century friar who rejected his family's wealth and went to live, minister and work among the poor. Francis was the first pope from the Americas, and the first Jesuit pope. He was also the first pope to choose the name Francis. Meeting with journalists in 2013, shortly after he became pope, he explained how he settled on the name: According to the Catholic Herald, a friend, Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, "embraced me and kissed me and said, 'Don't forget the poor,' and that struck me... Immediately I thought of St. Francis of Assisi. Francis was a man of peace, a man of poverty, a man who loved and protected creation." Other popes have chosen names that reflected their own values, their own heritage, or their own heroes. Not all members of Catholic religious orders change their names upon entering ministry. But for those who do, accepting or choosing a new name is symbolic of that person's new stage in life, their entry into a new community and a new way of serving God and other people. According to the Sioux Falls Bishop's Bulletin, popes began choosing new names early in the Catholic Church's 2,000-year history. In 533, a new pope was selected. His name, Mercurius, though, honored a Roman god, Mercury, and was considered a pagan name. He took the name of the prior pope, John, becoming John II, who'd been martyred. Still, many popes continued to keep their given names until the 10th century, when it became a more common practice for popes to choose new names. The last pope to keep his given name was Marcellus II, elected in 1555. St. Peter was the first pope, one of the twelve Apostles and the man who Catholics believe was ordained by Jesus himself. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said to the man who'd been known as Simon, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church." Catholics believe that after Jesus' death and resurrection, Peter became the earthly leader of the nascent church, spreading the Gospel and evangelizing throughout the Roman Empire. He is believed to have settled in Rome, where it's thought he was martyred around 64 AD. John has been the most commonly chosen papal name: 23 pontiffs have taken that name. Part of the reason for that is a papal tradition of taking the name of one's predecessor. Another reason: There are dozens of Catholic saints named John (at least 126 of them, according to the Catholic news outlet Aleteia), including John the Baptist, John the Apostle (also called John the Evangelist for his work spreading Jesus' story), St. John of the Cross and St. John Damascene. Francis' predecessor, Joseph Ratzinger, chose the second-most used papal name when he became Benedict XVI. There have also been 16 popes named Gregory. Clement, Innocent, Leo and Pius have also been used often throughout church history. There are many popes who've chosen names not used before or since, including (but not limiited to): Lando (who served from 913-914), Romanus (897), Formosus (9891-896), Valentine (827), Zachary (741-752), Conon (686-687), Agatho (678-681), Vitalian (657-672), Severinus (638-640), Silverius (536-537), Hormisdas (514-523), Symmachus (498-514), Simplicius (468-483), Hilarius (461-468), Mark (336-337), Dionysius (259-268), Fabian (236-250) and Linus (64-76). Peter, the first pope, was also the only one to have that name. (This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)
Sky News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Pope Francis latest: Body of pontiff to go on public viewing - as queues begin to form
07:22:44 Queues forming outside St Peter's Basilica Queues are beginning to form outside St Peter's Basilica, where Pope Francis will lie in state for the next three days. Tens of thousands of mourners are expected to queue to file past the Pope's open casket. 07:13:00 Podcast: What next after the Pope? As Catholics around the world continue to mourn the death of Pope Francis, the process to elect a new pope will begin soon. But what direction will the new pontiff take? Will the cardinals pick a reformer or go with a traditionalist? And how will the church deal with waning congregations in the global north in comparison with the growing numbers in the south? On the latest episode of the Sky News Daily podcast, Niall Paterson speaks to Freddy Gray, editor of the US Spectator and former deputy editor of the Catholic Herald, about the tensions in the Catholic Church and how they will be resolved. Listen below and follow the Daily wherever you enjoy your podcasts. 07:05:01 What are the chances of a British pope? These are the UK cardinals going to Rome By Michael Drummond, foreign news reporter With the death of Pope Francis, cardinals from around the world will soon gather in the Vatican to choose a new pontiff. Francis, of course, hailed from Argentina - but could the next pope be British? It's been 866 years since the papacy of Britain's only ever pontiff (Pope Adrian IV) ended in 1159, and the history of the Catholic Church in the UK since then has been turbulent, with King Henry VIII perhaps the main culprit. There are currently four British cardinals, three of whom are young enough to vote in the conclave. And while none of them are considered odds-on favourites for the top job, it's true that surprises do happen behind the shuttered doors of the secretive congregation of cardinals. So who are the British cardinals, and could one of them be the next pope? Find out here. 06:55:55 Vatican prepares to move Pope Francis Members of the clergy and Vatican officials are preparing for the translation of Pope Francis's coffin, which will shortly be moved to St Peter's Basilica (which you can see in the first image). Queues are already forming outside the basilica, with public viewings of the pontiff's coffin to be allowed there from 10am UK time. The coffin will be moved at around 8am via procession. 06:45:01 In pictures: Mourners around the globe remember Pope Francis These images show mourners around the world gathering to remember the life of Pope Francis. 06:31:05 Pope Francis to be moved to St Peter's Basilica for public mourning Pope Francis's body will be moved shortly. The process, known as translation, will see him moved from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta to St Peter's Basilica. It'll be moved that short distance in procession, which we're expecting to begin at around 8am UK time. Up to now, Pope Francis has been lying in state in the Casa Santa Marta, available for private viewing only for Vatican residents and the papal household. But from around 10am, the wider public will be able to queue and view the Pope's body in the Basilica. His body will remain there until burial. "The Basilica will remain open to the faithful who wish to visit the body of the Pontiff at the following times: Wednesday 23 April: 11:00-24:00 (local) Thursday 24 April: 7:00-24:00 (local) Friday 25 April: 7:00-19:00 (local)," the Vatican said in a statement yesterday. 06:05:04 Welcome back to our coverage We're back with our coverage of the death of Pope Francis. The pontiff's funeral is due to take place at 9am UK time in St Peter's Square on Saturday. But later today the coffin containing the Pope's body will be carried in a procession from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta to St Peter's Basilica. His body will then be laid out for public view from today in St Peter's Basilica, so mourners can pay their respects to a man dubbed the People's Pope. Yesterday, Francis's body was pictured lying in a private chapel in a wooden coffin dressed in red, with rosary beads draped across his hands. Here is what else you need to know: Vatican sources said the Pope woke up at around 6am on Monday and was fine for at least one hour. But at around 7am, the Vatican's medical unit received an emergency call from his Casa Santa Marta apartment; Vatican officials considered an urgent transfer to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome but with the quick deterioration of the Pope's condition, a police escort request was cancelled before 7.35am; Prince William will attend the Pope's funeral on behalf of the King, Kensington Palace said; Prince William, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Sir Keir Starmer will join other leaders including Donald Trump at the funeral. 22:34:10 Watch: Mourners gather at Vatican Hundreds have been gathering at the Vatican ahead of the Pope's funeral. His body will be laid out for public view from tomorrow in St Peter's Basilica. And then after his funeral on Saturday there will be a nine-day period of mourning, after which the secretive meeting - known as the conclave - to elect a new pope begins. Here, Sky's Europe correspondent Adam Parsons speaks to those gathered at the Vatican..... 22:08:38 'I think he has gone home' A friend of Pope Francis has been speaking to The World with Yalda Hakim this evening. John Studzinski, who knew the pontiff for around 12 years, said Francis had "energy up until the last minute". "I think he has gone home and the story on this earth ends well for him," he said. "He lived to see Easter Sunday and participated in the Easter vigil, which is the most sacred Catholic rite in the entire year. "Neither you nor I would let any member of our family go through this type of physical indignity - you could see how ill he was in the last several days but he defied everyone." Studzinski went on to say: "If you were writing the script you couldn't do better than the holy father did in terms of his departure." Asked how he would be remembered, Studzinski added that the public remembrance will be about Francis's "humility" and "simplicity". He said privately, the Pope was "very blunt", "funny" and "quite willing to share his frailties". "He never forgot his background, his struggles and where he came from," he added.
Sky News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Pope Francis latest: Pontiff to be moved to St Peter's Basilica for public viewing
Podcast: What next after the Pope? As Catholics around the world continue to mourn the death of Pope Francis, the process to elect a new pope will begin soon. But what direction will the new pontiff take? Will the cardinals pick a reformer or go with a traditionalist? And how will the church deal with waning congregations in the global north in comparison with the growing numbers in the south? On the latest episode of the Sky News Daily podcast, Niall Paterson speaks to Freddy Gray, editor of the US Spectator and former deputy editor of the Catholic Herald, about the tensions in the Catholic Church and how they will be resolved. Listen below and follow the Daily wherever you enjoy your podcasts. What are the chances of a British pope? These are the UK cardinals going to Rome By Michael Drummond, foreign news reporter With the death of Pope Francis, cardinals from around the world will soon gather in the Vatican to choose a new pontiff. Francis, of course, hailed from Argentina - but could the next pope be British? It's been 866 years since the papacy of Britain's only ever pontiff (Pope Adrian IV) ended in 1159, and the history of the Catholic Church in the UK since then has been turbulent, with King Henry VIII perhaps the main culprit. There are currently four British cardinals, three of whom are young enough to vote in the conclave. And while none of them are considered odds-on favourites for the top job, it's true that surprises do happen behind the shuttered doors of the secretive congregation of cardinals. So who are the British cardinals, and could one of them be the next pope? Find out here. Vatican prepares to move Pope Francis Members of the clergy and Vatican officials are preparing for the translation of Pope Francis's coffin, which will shortly be moved to St Peter's Basilica (which you can see in the first image). Queues are already forming outside the basilica, with public viewings of the pontiff's coffin to be allowed there from 10am UK time. The coffin will be moved at around 8am via procession. In pictures: Mourners around the globe remember Pope Francis These images show mourners around the world gathering to remember the life of Pope Francis. Pope Francis to be moved to St Peter's Basilica for public mourning Pope Francis's body will be moved shortly. The process, known as translation, will see him moved from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta to St Peter's Basilica. It'll be moved that short distance in procession, which we're expecting to begin at around 8am UK time. Up to now, Pope Francis has been lying in state in the Casa Santa Marta, available for private viewing only for Vatican residents and the papal household. But from around 10am, the wider public will be able to queue and view the Pope's body in the Basilica. His body will remain there until burial. "The Basilica will remain open to the faithful who wish to visit the body of the Pontiff at the following times: Wednesday 23 April: 11:00-24:00 (local) Thursday 24 April: 7:00-24:00 (local) Friday 25 April: 7:00-19:00 (local)," the Vatican said in a statement yesterday. Welcome back to our coverage We're back with our coverage of the death of Pope Francis. The pontiff's funeral is due to take place at 9am UK time in St Peter's Square on Saturday. But later today the coffin containing the Pope's body will be carried in a procession from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta to St Peter's Basilica. His body will then be laid out for public view from today in St Peter's Basilica, so mourners can pay their respects to a man dubbed the People's Pope. Yesterday, Francis's body was pictured lying in a private chapel in a wooden coffin dressed in red, with rosary beads draped across his hands. Here is what else you need to know: Vatican sources said the Pope woke up at around 6am on Monday and was fine for at least one hour. But at around 7am, the Vatican's medical unit received an emergency call from his Casa Santa Marta apartment; Vatican officials considered an urgent transfer to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome but with the quick deterioration of the Pope's condition, a police escort request was cancelled before 7.35am; Prince William will attend the Pope's funeral on behalf of the King, Kensington Palace said; Prince William, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Sir Keir Starmer will join other leaders including Donald Trump at the funeral. We're pausing our coverage That's all for our coverage tonight. But we'll be back tomorrow with more updates from the Vatican. Today, details of the Pope's funeral mass were revealed - it is due to take place at 9am UK time in St Peter's Square. The news came as the first images of the pontiff were published. Francis's body was pictured lying in a private chapel in a wooden coffin dressed in red, with rosary beads draped across his hands. Here is also what we learnt today: The Prince of Wales and Sir Keir Starmer will be among world leaders and dignitaries to attend the funeral of Pope Francis this weekend; The pontiff's body will be laid out for public view from tomorrow in St Peter's Basilica; Donald Trump will fly out to Rome on Friday for the funeral. Watch: Mourners gather at Vatican Hundreds have been gathering at the Vatican ahead of the Pope's funeral. His body will be laid out for public view from tomorrow in St Peter's Basilica. And then after his funeral on Saturday there will be a nine-day period of mourning, after which the secretive meeting - known as the conclave - to elect a new pope begins. Here, Sky's Europe correspondent Adam Parsons speaks to those gathered at the Vatican..... 'I think he has gone home' A friend of Pope Francis has been speaking to The World with Yalda Hakim this evening. John Studzinski, who knew the pontiff for around 12 years, said Francis had "energy up until the last minute". "I think he has gone home and the story on this earth ends well for him," he said. "He lived to see Easter Sunday and participated in the Easter vigil, which is the most sacred Catholic rite in the entire year. "Neither you nor I would let any member of our family go through this type of physical indignity - you could see how ill he was in the last several days but he defied everyone." Studzinski went on to say: "If you were writing the script you couldn't do better than the holy father did in terms of his departure." Asked how he would be remembered, Studzinski added that the public remembrance will be about Francis's "humility" and "simplicity". He said privately, the Pope was "very blunt", "funny" and "quite willing to share his frailties". "He never forgot his background, his struggles and where he came from," he added. Where will Pope Francis be buried? Preparations for the funeral of Pope Francis are ongoing in Rome. While previous popes were entombed in three coffins: the first made of wood, another of lead and a third, again made of wood, in 2024 Francis changed the rules and said that only one coffin, a wooden one lined in zinc, should be used. In a break from tradition, his body will be buried in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St Mary Major), as per his final burial wishes. Here, Sky presenter Barbara Serra takes a look at where the Pope will be buried...
