Latest news with #HolySaturday
The Age
21-04-2025
- Health
- The Age
In the Pope's final days, doctors pleaded with him to rest. But Francis had a final mission
n the end, it was not the solemn corridors of a hospital ward that bore witness to Pope Francis's final days, but the sun-drenched square of St Peter's Basilica, draped in spring tulips and echoing with chants of 'Viva il Papa'. Doctors had pleaded with him to rest. The double pneumonia had nearly claimed him just weeks before. He was 88, frail, and barely breathing at times during a 38-day hospital stay so dire his physicians, in private, considered letting nature take its course. Yet, Francis had a different kind of prognosis in mind — one not guided by medicine, but by a mission. He would live until Easter. He would speak one last time to the world. Holy Week, with its heavy symbolism of sacrifice and renewal, saw the Pontiff re-emerge from convalescence in what now seems an act of sheer spiritual defiance. Earlier in the week, he had received a small group of children at the Apostolic Palace, surprising them with Easter sweets and simple words of affection. 'I can't do what I used to,' he reportedly told them, 'but I can still smile.' From Maundy Thursday, when he insisted on visiting inmates at Rome's Regina Coeli prison despite being too weak to perform the traditional foot-washing, to Holy Saturday, where he quietly prayed with children at the Vatican, every public appearance was a chapter in a final homily. Though his body failed him, he was determined to keep to tradition in spirit. On Good Friday, the Pope broke with public appearances but maintained private devotion. Inside the Domus Santa Marta, where he resided, he held a moment of personal reflection and prayer for the Passion of Christ — a rite he had never missed. Loading On Easter Sunday, Francis took his place atop the loggia of St Peter's, wrapped in white, thinned by illness but alert and resolute. He didn't deliver the full Urbi et Orbi message — the effort was too great — but the words read aloud to the crowd gathered by an aide were his. A benediction to the faithful. A plea to the world. 'On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew,' the Pope had written. 'To revive our trust in others… for all of us are children of God.' It was a moment made all the more poignant as the Church prepared for the Jubilee Year of Hope in 2025 — a celebration of renewal that Francis was determined to see through to its threshold. His final message, rich with calls for peace, mercy and compassion, now becomes a kind of prelude to that Jubilee – one he did not live to witness, but helped usher in with a message of enduring hope. It was Easter distilled — not just in liturgy, but in living metaphor. A man who had nearly died weeks earlier now stood, weak but unyielding, to deliver a sermon about new beginnings. It was his final act. By the next morning, the Vatican confirmed, the pope had died peacefully, from a stroke and subsequent heart failure. To some, it may appear stubbornness. To others, divine timing. But for Francis, it was likely neither. It was, in his view, his duty. The final delivery of a message he had carried since his first day in office: that the margins matter most, and love for the stranger is the test of true faith. Even his last diplomatic encounter was freighted with quiet resistance. In a short Easter Sunday meeting with US Vice President J.D. Vance — a Catholic convert and right-hand man to Donald Trump — the two men exchanged pleasantries. But Francis's Easter address, released just hours later, did not shy from a pointed reiteration of his condemnation of anti-immigrant policies. 'How much contempt is stirred up… towards migrants,' he wrote. 'Yet we are all brothers and sisters.' Loading The juxtaposition was unmistakable. The Pontiff's smile was warm yet his message firm. Francis's voice, while weakened physically, was perhaps never clearer. He named wars in Ukraine, Congo, Gaza, Myanmar and Yemen. He called for a ceasefire. He denounced rising antisemitism and decried indifference to suffering. Then, in what was to be his last public moment, he boarded the open-top Popemobile, his wheelchair locked in place, and made one final loop through the faithful. Blessing children passed to him with trembling hands, waving to crowds chanting his name, Francis turned St Peter's Square into a stage of farewell. The moment appeared intentional. Holy. Final. Francis will be remembered for many things — a reformer, a Jesuit, a defender of the poor. But perhaps the most enduring image will be of a dying man who refused to retreat, who carried his message past the point of pain and into history.
Sydney Morning Herald
21-04-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
In the Pope's final days, doctors pleaded with him to rest. But Francis had a final mission
n the end, it was not the solemn corridors of a hospital ward that bore witness to Pope Francis's final days, but the sun-drenched square of St Peter's Basilica, draped in spring tulips and echoing with chants of 'Viva il Papa'. Doctors had pleaded with him to rest. The double pneumonia had nearly claimed him just weeks before. He was 88, frail, and barely breathing at times during a 38-day hospital stay so dire his physicians, in private, considered letting nature take its course. Yet, Francis had a different kind of prognosis in mind — one not guided by medicine, but by a mission. He would live until Easter. He would speak one last time to the world. Holy Week, with its heavy symbolism of sacrifice and renewal, saw the Pontiff re-emerge from convalescence in what now seems an act of sheer spiritual defiance. Earlier in the week, he had received a small group of children at the Apostolic Palace, surprising them with Easter sweets and simple words of affection. 'I can't do what I used to,' he reportedly told them, 'but I can still smile.' From Maundy Thursday, when he insisted on visiting inmates at Rome's Regina Coeli prison despite being too weak to perform the traditional foot-washing, to Holy Saturday, where he quietly prayed with children at the Vatican, every public appearance was a chapter in a final homily. Though his body failed him, he was determined to keep to tradition in spirit. On Good Friday, the Pope broke with public appearances but maintained private devotion. Inside the Domus Santa Marta, where he resided, he held a moment of personal reflection and prayer for the Passion of Christ — a rite he had never missed. Loading On Easter Sunday, Francis took his place atop the loggia of St Peter's, wrapped in white, thinned by illness but alert and resolute. He didn't deliver the full Urbi et Orbi message — the effort was too great — but the words read aloud to the crowd gathered by an aide were his. A benediction to the faithful. A plea to the world. 'On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew,' the Pope had written. 'To revive our trust in others… for all of us are children of God.' It was a moment made all the more poignant as the Church prepared for the Jubilee Year of Hope in 2025 — a celebration of renewal that Francis was determined to see through to its threshold. His final message, rich with calls for peace, mercy and compassion, now becomes a kind of prelude to that Jubilee – one he did not live to witness, but helped usher in with a message of enduring hope. It was Easter distilled — not just in liturgy, but in living metaphor. A man who had nearly died weeks earlier now stood, weak but unyielding, to deliver a sermon about new beginnings. It was his final act. By the next morning, the Vatican confirmed, the pope had died peacefully, from a stroke and subsequent heart failure. To some, it may appear stubbornness. To others, divine timing. But for Francis, it was likely neither. It was, in his view, his duty. The final delivery of a message he had carried since his first day in office: that the margins matter most, and love for the stranger is the test of true faith. Even his last diplomatic encounter was freighted with quiet resistance. In a short Easter Sunday meeting with US Vice President J.D. Vance — a Catholic convert and right-hand man to Donald Trump — the two men exchanged pleasantries. But Francis's Easter address, released just hours later, did not shy from a pointed reiteration of his condemnation of anti-immigrant policies. 'How much contempt is stirred up… towards migrants,' he wrote. 'Yet we are all brothers and sisters.' Loading The juxtaposition was unmistakable. The Pontiff's smile was warm yet his message firm. Francis's voice, while weakened physically, was perhaps never clearer. He named wars in Ukraine, Congo, Gaza, Myanmar and Yemen. He called for a ceasefire. He denounced rising antisemitism and decried indifference to suffering. Then, in what was to be his last public moment, he boarded the open-top Popemobile, his wheelchair locked in place, and made one final loop through the faithful. Blessing children passed to him with trembling hands, waving to crowds chanting his name, Francis turned St Peter's Square into a stage of farewell. The moment appeared intentional. Holy. Final. Francis will be remembered for many things — a reformer, a Jesuit, a defender of the poor. But perhaps the most enduring image will be of a dying man who refused to retreat, who carried his message past the point of pain and into history.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Watch Pope Francis' final public appearance on Easter Sunday
Pope Francis made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday, one day before his death on Monday morning. The pontiff, who in his final weeks struggled to speak for long periods, used an aide to deliver a message to a crowd gathered at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican: a condemnation of policies that stir up "contempt for the vulnerable, the marginalized, and the migrants." He also paid tribute to those celebrating Easter amid war, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of Israeli hostages, and stressing the need for peace in Ukraine. In his own voice, Pope Frances said: "Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!" "Viva il Papa! [Long live the pope!]," the gathered crowd chanted in response. Notably absent were any oxygen tubes as Pope Francis rode in his open-air popemobile around the square, a mere three weeks after he was discharged from a five-week hospital stay for life-threatening double pneumonia. He stopped occasionally to bless babies, despite being under strict doctor's orders to rest and avoid large crowds. Since his release from the hospital, Pope Francis had been slowly returning to work, making several Sunday appearances in St. Peter's Square — even visiting a prison on Holy Thursday, although he skipped the Good Friday and Holy Saturday services leading up to Easter. Earlier on Sunday, Pope Francis also met briefly with Vice President JD Vance, a devoted Catholic, who was visiting Rome with his family. "I know you've not been feeling great, but good to see you in better health," Vance told Francis. Vance's strict views on border security had clashed with Pope Francis, the world's most vocal champion of migrants. According to one of Pope Francis' aides, the late pontiff continued working in defiance of doctor's orders because he wanted "to die on the battlefield." Inside the monarch butterfly migration mystery: flying to Mexico from Canada, the U.S. Chocolate Easter eggs: Cracking open a candy tradition Inside the transformation of the Frick Collection
Irish Daily Star
21-04-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Star
Cause of death for Pope Francis 'revealed' as pontiff dies at 88
Pope Francis has sadly passed away after serving as the head of the Catholic Church for 12 years. While the official cause of death is yet to be confirmed, he had been battling health issues following a five-week hospital stay. Doctors at Gemelli Hospital have stated that Pope Francis "passed away peacefully" due to a brain issue, possibly a stroke, with no apparent connection to recent respiratory problems, as reported by local news outlet 'La Repubblica.' The Vatican announced the Pope's passing this morning through a senior Vatican official. Read More Related Articles Deranged Trump posts mad 184-word Easter message taking aim at all his enemies Read More Related Articles Donald Trump branded 'dumbest President ever' after six-word comment about Congo Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, stated: "Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 am this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. "His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church. He taught us to live the Gospel values with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised." "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." This news follows his appearance at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican yesterday, Easter Sunday, where he greeted thousands of worshippers to wish them a happy Easter. He missed the solemn Good Friday and Holy Saturday services leading up to Easter but made an appearance on Sunday. Emerging from his recovery just in time for Easter Sunday, Pope Francis delivered blessings to the masses gathered in St Peter's Square and even gave them an unanticipated treat with a joyous spin around the piazza in his popemobile, eliciting enthusiastic cheers. Having just gotten over a severe case of double pneumonia, the pope graced the public once again on April 6 — this time in a wheelchair — during a special Jubilee Mass for those who are ill, fresh from a two-week hospital stay. At age 88, Francis was treated for not only double pneumonia but also chronic bronchitis, enduring multiple respiratory emergencies that nearly cost him his life, until a turn for the better. Pope Francis' doctors have disclosed some grim details, admitting that at one point, they contemplated "letting him go" as he faced death twice during his treatment. The globe's first pontiff from Latin America, Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, infused new life into the ancient institution of the Catholic Church when he ascended in 2013. He assumed leadership at a time when the Catholic Church's clout was on the decline, following the turbulent reign of Pope Benedict XVI, whose unexpected resignation opened the path for Francis' ascendancy. Papal funerals have historically been elaborate events, yet Pope Francis has recently approved a complete simplification of this tradition. He chose a modest wooden coffin lined with zinc, inviting mourners to pay their respects while his body remained in the coffin, breaking away from the usual tradition of being placed on a raised platform. His final resting place will be in the Basilica of St Mary Major, one of Rome's four major papal basilicas.
CBS News
21-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Watch Pope Francis' final public appearance on Easter Sunday, a day before his death
Pope Francis made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday, one day before his death on Monday morning . The pontiff, who in his final weeks struggled to speak for long periods, used an aide to deliver a message to a crowd gathered at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican: a condemnation of policies that stir up "contempt for the vulnerable, the marginalized, and the migrants." He also paid tribute to those celebrating Easter amid war, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of Israeli hostages, and stressing the need for peace in Ukraine . In his own voice, Pope Frances said: "Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!" "Viva il Papa! [Long live the pope!]," the gathered crowd chanted in response. Notably absent were any oxygen tubes as Pope Francis rode in his open-air popemobile around the square, a mere three weeks after he was discharged from a five-week hospital stay for life-threatening double pneumonia. He stopped occasionally to bless babies, despite being under strict doctor's orders to rest and avoid large crowds. Since his release from the hospital, Pope Francis had been slowly returning to work, making several Sunday appearances in St. Peter's Square — even visiting a prison on Holy Thursday, although he skipped the Good Friday and Holy Saturday services leading up to Easter. Earlier on Sunday, Pope Francis also met briefly with Vice President JD Vance , a devoted Catholic, who was visiting Rome with his family. "I know you've not been feeling great, but good to see you in better health," Vance told Francis. Vance's strict views on border security had clashed with Pope Francis, the world's most vocal champion of migrants. According to one of Pope Francis' aides, the late pontiff continued working in defiance of doctor's orders because he wanted "to die on the battlefield."
