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NBC News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
LGBTQ Catholics hope Pope Leo XIV continues Francis' legacy of acceptance
In the eyes of many LGBTQ Catholics, the late Pope Francis created a 'seismic shift' toward acceptance. Now, as the world welcomes the newly elected Pope Leo XIV, these lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer faithful say they hope he will continue to move in the same direction. Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of the LGBTQ Catholic advocacy group DignityUSA, was in Rome on Thursday when Cardinal Robert Prevost, a 69-year-old Chicago native who holds both U.S. and Peruvian citizenship, became the new pontiff. 'I was actually quite excited to see that Cardinal Prevost had been elected as Pope Leo XIV and thrilled that he took the name of a pope rooted in social justice. I think what a clear signal to a hurting world that that's where his energy is going to be focused,' she told NBC News in an interview Friday. 'I also found a lot of hope in his remarks from the balcony … where he talked about God's all-inclusive love without any condition, and where he talked about being a church for all of God's people.' Jason Steidl Jack, a gay Catholic and an assistant teaching professor of religious studies at St. Joseph's University, New York, described his reaction to the election of Pope Leo, the first-ever American to lead the Holy See, as 'cautiously optimistic.' 'I do see him continuing Pope Francis' legacy, especially of dialogue and synodality,' Steidl Jack said, describing synodality as 'this idea of journeying together' and 'listening to one another.' However, he said the new pope's election 'doesn't assuage all of the fears that I have as an LGBTQ Catholic.' 'The church's teaching, even under Pope Francis, remains incredibly homophobic, and the church goes on inventing new ways of being transphobic as it really avoids learning about trans people and their experiences,' he said, adding, however, that the new pontiff seems 'open to dialogue and inclusion' given his remarks on Thursday. Chicago resident Greg Krajewski said he's been a practicing Catholic his whole life and sings at his local parish every Sunday. However, he said, as a gay man, he's 'careful who I talk to and how I present myself.' 'There's a few things in his opening speech that he gave that really give me a lot of hope,' he said of Leo. 'The first thing is he said a couple of times, 'God loves us without limits or conditions.' I think this is a really big indication that even if he himself maybe has more reservations about the LGBTQ issues in the church, he is open to those discussions. He is open to bringing us in.' Track record on LGBTQ issues Leo's past comments on LGBTQ issues are limited, though several LGBTQ Catholics expressed concern about remarks he reportedly made in an address to church leaders over a decade ago. During the 2012 Synod of Bishops, then-Father Prevost reportedly lamented the challenges presented to the Catholic Church due to sympathetic media portrayals of 'alternative families.' 'Note, for example, how alternative families comprised of homosexual partners and their adopted children are so benignly and sympathetically portrayed on television programs and in cinema,' he told a group of bishops at the time, according to the Catholic News Service. 'The sympathy for anti-Christian lifestyle choices that the mass media fosters is so brilliantly and artfully engrained in the viewing public that when people hear the Christian message, it often inevitably seems ideological and emotionally cruel by contrast to the ostensible humaneness of the anti-Christian perspective.' Francis DeBernardo, the executive director of New Ways Ministry, which works to foster LGBTQ inclusion in the Catholic Church, called the remarks 'disappointing.' 'We pray that in the 13 years that have passed, 12 of which were under the papacy of Pope Francis, that his heart and mind have developed more progressively on LGBTQ+ issues, and we will take a wait-and-see attitude to see if that has happened,' DeBernardo said in a statement. Steidl Jack said Leo seemed to have a 'culture warrior mentality' on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ representation in pop culture back in 2012, but he expressed hope that the new pope's views have changed since then. 'A lot of the world has changed since 2012 — even Pope Francis changed a great deal over the course of his pontificate,' he said. 'So I hope that Pope Leo has been listening to LGBTQ Catholics. I hope he's been paying attention and growing, just as Pope Francis did, just as the rest of the world has been.' Views on LGBTQ issues have shifted dramatically over the past decade, including the views of practicing Catholics. For example, the Pew Research Center's 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study, which found 19% of U.S. adults identify as Catholics, found 70% of Catholics favor allowing same-sex couples to marry, up from 57% in 2014. Michael O'Loughlin, the executive director of Outreach, an LGBTQ Catholic organization, was in Rome for the announcement of the new pope. He said the 2012 comments were disappointing but that he was keeping an open mind. 'I'm willing to look at his wider message, which was one of peace and standing up for the marginalized,' he said. 'The fact that he switched to Spanish to address his former community in Peru I thought was a nice sign that he's a man of the people.' After 2012, the future pope's subsequent remarks on LGBTQ issues are sparse. In 2017, when he was bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, and spokesman of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, he appeared to speak out against 'gender ideology,' a term some people use to refer to transgender identities, telling local media that this ideology 'seeks to eliminate biological differences between men and women.' Then, in 2024, a year after Pope Francis formally approved allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples, then-Cardinal Prevost said the subsequent pushback from bishops in Africa highlighted the need to give more doctrinal authority to local bishops, according to CBCPNews, the news service of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines. 'The bishops in the episcopal conferences of Africa were basically saying that here in Africa, our whole cultural reality is very different. … It wasn't rejecting the teaching authority of Rome, it was saying that our cultural situation is such that the application of this document is just not going to work,' Prevost said at the time, according to CBCPNews. 'You have to remember there are still places in Africa that apply the death penalty, for example, for people who are living in a homosexual relationship. … So, we're in very different worlds.' Hopes for the future When asked what she'd like to see from Leo's papacy, Duddy-Burke said she hopes he can serve a 'trusted moral voice.' 'The world is so broken at the moment in so many places — you know, this rise of nationalism, the increased xenophobia, so many wars that are very vicious happening around the world — I just hope that he can become a very clear and trusted moral voice in the world, and some of that means dealing with the inequities and failings within our own church as well,' she said. Steidl Jack said he hopes Leo listens to Catholics with differing viewpoints. 'One of the gifts of Pope Francis' papacy was that he encouraged church leaders to go outside of the church, to listen to people outside of the hierarchy, and that's really what Pope Leo needs to do, especially regarding same-sex relationships and transgender experience,' he said. DeBernardo, of New Ways Ministry, said in his statement that he hopes Leo continues to build upon the foundation that Francis laid out. 'Pope Francis opened the door to a new approach to LGBTQ+ people,' he said. 'Pope Leo must now guide the church through that door.'
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
LGBTQ Catholics hope for continued inclusion under new pope
As the conclave to select a new pope begins, LGBTQ Catholics hope that whoever is picked will finish the inclusion work Pope Francis started more than 20 years ago. Pope Francis, who died at 88 last month, was the first pontiff to be publicly inclusive of the LGBTQ Catholic community. He didn't change doctrine, but he changed the conversation by voicing support for legal civil unions, personally meeting with LGBTQ groups and extending blessings to individuals in same-sex unions. "Francis was really a breath of fresh air, and a revolutionary in the way he was telling Church leaders to approach and relate to LGBTQ people," said Francis DeBardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, a Catholic outreach that educates about and advocates for LGBTQ persons. DeBardo said the previous two popes before Francis held anti-gay views, probably the most strident in the Church's history. Under Francis, the papacy adopted a different tone toward the LGBTQ community. Some clergy and Catholics within the community hope the conclave — in which some frontrunners appear to share Francis's inclusive views — will continue his work. St. Peter's statue and cardinals during the funeral ceremony of Pope Francis at the Vatican on April 26, 2025. / Credit: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images "Who am I to judge?" Just four months after Francis became pope in 2013, he created controversy when, during a July inflight press conference, he responded to a journalist's question about gay clergy members. He said: "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" Francis's answer went against years of Catholic precedent. These words, which reverberated worldwide, set a very different tone from the previous relationship the Church had with gay clergy and members. His predecessors John Paul II and Benedict XVI were far less accepting of LGBTQ people. Benedict XVI published the first modern formal statement denouncing homosexuality in 1986. The treatise was written by Benedict while he was still a cardinal under Pope John Paul II. John Paul endorsed Benedict's message, and he also explicitly denounced legal recognition for same-sex marriage. Those sentiments prevailed in 2003 when the Vatican officially opposed same-sex unions. In response to the Vatican's hardline stances, LGBTQ people held protests during John Paul's 1987 US visit. During his trip he stopped in multiple cities, but the resistance was most notable during his time in San Francisco. San Francisco was reeling from the AIDS epidemic and during the visit, the pope was met with activists holding protest signs and participating in candlelight processions and prayer vigils, hoping to enact change. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is an official document that outlines Catholic beliefs, the Church still views homosexual acts as "intrinsically immoral and contrary to the natural law." The text says that homosexual tendencies are "objectively disordered." Cristina Traina, a professor in the Theology department at Fordham University, says the language used in the catechism to describe homosexuality doesn't easily translate into everyday life. "You could read ["objectively disordered"] as just a technical term, but people read it as fundamentally evil and broken," Traina said. "It's a technical term, but it certainly does not work pastorally." With his public comments, Pope Francis began to change the narrative. Francis called homosexuality "a human fact," during a May 2024 interview with CBS News' Norah O'Donnell. He personally met with LGBTQ Catholic groups, including DeBardo's New Ways Ministry, and he clarified that transgender people can be baptized and serve as godparents. Pope Francis and Norah O'Donnell speak during a 2024 interview. / Credit: 60 Minutes Potential for continued progress Traina sees the potential for continued progress within the Church despite the death of Pope Francis, because attitudes among everyday Catholics have changed. "These things change on the ground and in practice, and then they change at the Vatican, and that's the last thing that changes," Traina said. A 2020 study from UCLA's Williams Institute found that there were approximately 11.3 million LGBTQ adults in the U.S., and about 5.3 million of them are religious, including about 1.3 million who are Roman Catholics. Although 69% of Americans support same-sex marriage, political figures such as Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, continue to push for traditional family values and support laws allowing for religious exemptions to LGBTQ protections. While campaigning for his U.S. Senate seat in 2022, one of the laws he said he would vote 'no' for is the Respect for Marriage Act, which provided federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. Teresa Thompson is a member of Catholic Lesbians at the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York. Catholic Lesbians was founded in 1995 and has over 300 members. Thompson, who grew up Catholic, started to distance herself from religion during college, which also coincidentally was when she came out as a lesbian. Although her move away from religion was not due to her sexuality, she felt as though she couldn't return to Catholicism. That began to shift when Francis adopted a more compassionate tone toward LGBTQ people, and Thompson discovered communities that welcomed her. Ahead of the conclave, Thompson expressed hope that the next pope will continue the work Francis started. Cardinals attend the sixth Novemdiales Mass held for the late Pope Francis, in St. Peters Basilica, May 1, 2025. / Credit:"I think there's a sense of nervousness, not being sure what is going to happen," Thompson said. "If we look at the structure of the College of Cardinals, Francis appointed so many cardinals that it seems unlikely we would … go back, but also, who's to say?" Sister Jeannine Gramick, co-founder of New Ways Ministry, believes the next pope will mirror the path of Pope Francis rather than undo his legacy. "My sense is that the cardinal electors will elect somebody who [will follow] in the footsteps of Pope Francis," Gramick said. "So if that proves correct, then the changes that Pope Francis brought about will not be undone." In her conversations with LGBTQ Catholics, Gramick says that she senses a lot of hope for the future, and there is hope for a pope who will go even further than Francis did. "[LGBTQ] people, they're looking for more changes, and I think the primary change they're looking for is to change the sexual ethics teaching of the church," Gramick said. "The catechism has not been changed yet." Watching the conclave for clues With the conclave set to begin, some of the cardinals who could be contenders seem poised to continue Francis's legacy. As CBS News has reported, they include: Cardinal Peter Erdo, archbishop of Budapest, HungaryCardinal Fridolin Ambongo, archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general for the Synod of BishopsCardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Luis Tagle of the PhilippinesCardinal Matteo Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna, Italy Cardinal Anders Arborelius, archbishop of Stockholm Cardinal Gerald Cyprien Lacroix of Quebec Cardinal Grech has advocated for more compassionate language when speaking about LGBTQ people and has spoken about the importance of the inclusivity of all members, including LGBTQ people, according to New Ways Ministry. Cardinal Tagle has also spoken compassionately about LGBTQ Catholics and was an ally of Francis. Cardinal Zuppi is another contender supportive of Francis's embrace of LGBTQ Catholics, according to New Ways Ministry. "I am voting for Cardinal Tagle to be the first Filipino pope," Thompson said. "I think in character and ideas, he's very similar to Francis, and I used to live in the Philippines, so I also have a special place in my heart for the idea of a Filipino pope." Traina says she is also hopeful for someone like Tagle, but notes that predicting who will be the new pope is almost impossible. "It's often hard to tell what (a cardinal) will actually do when they get into the papacy, because Francis was also a surprise," Traina said. "Since we have a global College of Cardinals, now the list of possibilities is much longer." Although Thompson is throwing her personal support behind Cardinal Tagle, she urges the electorate to set aside their political motivations while casting their votes. "I really hope this will be a moment where leaders can practice what they preach," Thompson said. "In Ignatian spirituality, there's a practice of making decisions through discernment, [where you] let go ... of your preconceived notions [and] allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. ... I would say please try to let politics go and try to listen to how the church really wants to move forward." Sneak peek: The Depraved Heart Murder Why Hegseth is calling for cuts to senior ranks across U.S. military Analyzing Trump's announcement of ceasefire with Houthi rebels in Yemen
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'He made Catholicism cool again.' SoCal's Catholic leaders reflect on Pope Francis' impact
Three years ago, on the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' papacy, I wrote a story describing the humble Jesuit-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the first pope to be 'a bit of a Californian.' Yes, he was from Argentina, not the United States, and no, he never visited the 'best coast' during his 13 years as head of the church, but by prioritizing the environment, championing poor people and striking a more welcoming tone with LGBTQ Catholics, he demonstrated a commitment to the compassionate and open-minded values many Californians share. He also appointed more women to leadership roles in the Vatican than any pope before him, although he stopped well short of advocating for them to become priests. In the wake of his death, and the collective mourning it's inspired, I reached out to Catholic leaders across Southern California, asking them to share how they sum up his papacy — its impact, legacy and lingering inspiration. A single theme came through loud and clear: Francis was a pope who prioritized those on the margins and encouraged all Catholics to do the same. When Pope Francis began his papacy, Whoopi Goldberg expressed her admiration: "He's going with the original program." Indeed. Francis took seriously what Jesus took seriously: Inclusion. Non-violence. Unconditional, loving-kindness, and compassionate acceptance. He knew that the only way to erase the margins was to stand out at them. He stood with those whose dignity had been denied and those whose burdens were more than they could bear. He stood with the demonized so that the demonizing would stop and with the disposable, so that the day would come when we stop throwing people away. One of his last acts as pope was to visit a jail and stand with the easily despised and the readily left out. His entire life invited us to "the original program."— Father Gregory Boyle, S.J., Founder, Homeboy Industries Francis — a pastor, pope, prophet, and friend who "smelled like his sheep" — taught us through example that working for a just distribution of the fruits of the earth and human labor is not mere philanthropy. It is a moral obligation. For Christians he said, the responsibility is even greater: It is a commandment. Pope Francis entrusts all of us with this task. To become "poets of social change" by encountering the sufferings and dreams [of] our neighbors, learning to recognize the sacredness and goodness of every person and Mother Earth, and practicing a revolutionary kind of love through community organizing that makes it more possible for every person to live with dignity and hope — "a kind of hope that does not disappoint."— Joseph Tomás Mckellar, executive director, PICO California One of the best aspects of Francis' legacy was his connection with young people. He was open and understanding and talked about issues many young people care about: the LGBTQ community, the health of the planet, fairness and social justice. In many ways, he made Catholicism cool again — this was the pope that landed on the cover of Rolling Stone.— Joe Ferullo, CEO and publisher, National Catholic Reporter Pope Francis deeply mirrored the love of Jesus Christ especially among our most vulnerable in society. His care and humility for all people and creation drew people from all cultures and faiths. He moved in this world in an ecumenical way that went beyond his beloved church. He was truly an extraordinary leader and a role model to the world that embodied a deep faith and commitment to embrace the dignity of the human person.— Jeanette Gonzalez Seneviratne, director of Caring for the Whole Person, Archdiocese of Los Angeles As I reflect on the life and legacy of our beloved Holy Father, my heart is deeply moved by the profound love and compassion he showed for his people. He was, in every sense, a true shepherd — one who bore the scent of his flock, walking closely with them through their struggles, their sorrows and their joys. He reminded us, as priests and bishops, that our calling is not from afar but from within the lives of those we serve.— Father Angelos Sebastian, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, Diocese of Orange As a Catholic university founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, we are so grateful for our pope's leadership and his unwavering commitment to social justice and care for our common home. Like Pope Francis modeled, our CSJ (Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph) tradition teaches us to walk with humility, to act with courage and to build unity through love. In honoring his legacy, may we continue to educate and empower leaders who will build a more just and compassionate world.— Ann McElaney-Johnson, president, Mount St. Mary's University He was a great pope, a really great pope of my era, especially the way he reached out to the peripheries, which reaffirmed the ministry I had of reaching outside of the church. From the very beginning his words made it clear that this pontificate was about more than the church, that it would have a larger and greater reach. He really made that happen in his 13 years as pope.— Father Michael Gutierrez, pastor, St. Louis of France Catholic Church, La Puente Pope Francis has modeled a papacy grounded in inclusivity, compassion and dialogue — values at the heart of LMU's mission. I found particular inspiration in the Synod on Synodality, his bold invitation for the global church to embrace deeper listening, shared discernment and collective journeying. His legacy, especially with our connection to him as the first Jesuit pope, empowers us to live as servant-leaders, building communities rooted in empathy and justice.— Thomas Poon, president-elect, Loyola Marymount University Pope Francis was a true prophetic voice in a world where human dignity has been challenged and attacked. He called each of us [to] go out to the peripheries, so that we can act as agents of mercy to the poor and the marginalized. We are blessed here in Los Angeles with having Archbishop Gomez as a spiritual leader who took on this call from Pope Francis, forming our Office of Life, Justice and Peace so that we can honor all human life: the unborn, the immigrant, our brothers and sisters suffering from homelessness, our elderly and the sick and dying. This was the mission of Pope Francis, and we will proudly continue to live out this radical spirit of accompaniment which honors the sacredness of our neighbor. — Michael P. Donaldson, senior director, Office of Life, Justice and Peace, Archdiocese of Los Angeles I suspect that Pope Francis was never as concerned with reforming the church as he was simply trying to reveal something of the fullness and power of the church's most basic teachings — that God is love, that we come to know God more fully in our own loving more completely, and that our highest calling and greatest joy might just be living as if that were true.— Father Brendan P. Busse, S.J., pastor, Dolores Mission Church Sign up for The Wild newsletter to get weekly insider tips on the best of our beaches, trails, parks, deserts, forests and mountains. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
‘He made Catholicism cool again.' SoCal's Catholic leaders reflect on Pope Francis' impact
Three years ago, on the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' papacy, I wrote a story describing the humble Jesuit-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the first pope to be 'a bit of a Californian.' Yes, he was from Argentina, not the United States, and no, he never visited the 'best coast' during his 13 years as head of the church, but by prioritizing the environment, championing poor people and striking a more welcoming tone with LGBTQ Catholics, he demonstrated a commitment to the compassionate and open-minded values many Californians share. He also appointed more women to leadership roles in the Vatican than any pope before him, although he stopped well short of advocating for them to become priests. In the wake of his death, and the collective mourning it's inspired, I reached out to Catholic leaders across Southern California, asking them to share how they sum up his papacy — its impact, legacy and lingering inspiration. A single theme came through loud and clear: Francis was a pope who prioritized those on the margins and encouraged all Catholics to do the same. When Pope Francis began his papacy, Whoopi Goldberg expressed her admiration: 'He's going with the original program.' Indeed. Francis took seriously what Jesus took seriously: Inclusion. Non-violence. Unconditional, loving-kindness, and compassionate acceptance. He knew that the only way to erase the margins was to stand out at them. He stood with those whose dignity had been denied and those whose burdens were more than they could bear. He stood with the demonized so that the demonizing would stop and with the disposable, so that the day would come when we stop throwing people away. One of his last acts as pope was to visit a jail and stand with the easily despised and the readily left out. His entire life invited us to 'the original program.'— Father Gregory Boyle, S.J., Founder, Homeboy Industries Francis — a pastor, pope, prophet, and friend who 'smelled like his sheep' — taught us through example that working for a just distribution of the fruits of the earth and human labor is not mere philanthropy. It is a moral obligation. For Christians he said, the responsibility is even greater: It is a commandment. Pope Francis entrusts all of us with this task. To become 'poets of social change' by encountering the sufferings and dreams [of] our neighbors, learning to recognize the sacredness and goodness of every person and Mother Earth, and practicing a revolutionary kind of love through community organizing that makes it more possible for every person to live with dignity and hope — 'a kind of hope that does not disappoint.'— Joseph Tomás Mckellar, executive director, PICO California One of the best aspects of Francis' legacy was his connection with young people. He was open and understanding and talked about issues many young people care about: the LGBTQ community, the health of the planet, fairness and social justice. In many ways, he made Catholicism cool again — this was the pope that landed on the cover of Rolling Stone.— Joe Ferullo, CEO and publisher, National Catholic Reporter Pope Francis deeply mirrored the love of Jesus Christ especially among our most vulnerable in society. His care and humility for all people and creation drew people from all cultures and faiths. He moved in this world in an ecumenical way that went beyond his beloved church. He was truly an extraordinary leader and a role model to the world that embodied a deep faith and commitment to embrace the dignity of the human person.— Jeanette Gonzalez Seneviratne, director of Caring for the Whole Person, Archdiocese of Los Angeles As I reflect on the life and legacy of our beloved Holy Father, my heart is deeply moved by the profound love and compassion he showed for his people. He was, in every sense, a true shepherd — one who bore the scent of his flock, walking closely with them through their struggles, their sorrows and their joys. He reminded us, as priests and bishops, that our calling is not from afar but from within the lives of those we serve.— Father Angelos Sebastian, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, Diocese of Orange As a Catholic university founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, we are so grateful for our pope's leadership and his unwavering commitment to social justice and care for our common home. Like Pope Francis modeled, our CSJ (Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph) tradition teaches us to walk with humility, to act with courage and to build unity through love. In honoring his legacy, may we continue to educate and empower leaders who will build a more just and compassionate world.— Ann McElaney-Johnson, president, Mount St. Mary's University He was a great pope, a really great pope of my era, especially the way he reached out to the peripheries, which reaffirmed the ministry I had of reaching outside of the church. From the very beginning his words made it clear that this pontificate was about more than the church, that it would have a larger and greater reach. He really made that happen in his 13 years as pope.— Father Michael Gutierrez, pastor, St. Louis of France Catholic Church, La Puente Pope Francis has modeled a papacy grounded in inclusivity, compassion and dialogue — values at the heart of LMU's mission. I found particular inspiration in the Synod on Synodality, his bold invitation for the global church to embrace deeper listening, shared discernment and collective journeying. His legacy, especially with our connection to him as the first Jesuit pope, empowers us to live as servant-leaders, building communities rooted in empathy and justice.— Thomas Poon, president-elect, Loyola Marymount University Pope Francis was a true prophetic voice in a world where human dignity has been challenged and attacked. He called each of us [to] go out to the peripheries, so that we can act as agents of mercy to the poor and the marginalized. We are blessed here in Los Angeles with having Archbishop Gomez as a spiritual leader who took on this call from Pope Francis, forming our Office of Life, Justice and Peace so that we can honor all human life: the unborn, the immigrant, our brothers and sisters suffering from homelessness, our elderly and the sick and dying. This was the mission of Pope Francis, and we will proudly continue to live out this radical spirit of accompaniment which honors the sacredness of our neighbor. — Michael P. Donaldson, senior director, Office of Life, Justice and Peace, Archdiocese of Los Angeles I suspect that Pope Francis was never as concerned with reforming the church as he was simply trying to reveal something of the fullness and power of the church's most basic teachings — that God is love, that we come to know God more fully in our own loving more completely, and that our highest calling and greatest joy might just be living as if that were true.— Father Brendan P. Busse, S.J., pastor, Dolores Mission Church
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Pope Francis dies at 88 from stroke and heart failure, Vatican says: Live updates and reactions
Pope Francis died of a cerebral stroke and irreversible heart failure, the Vatican's top doctor said Monday. Francis was 88. The stroke led to a coma and "irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse," Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, the head of the Vatican's health department, said in a statement reported by multiple news outlets. Francis died Monday at 7:35 a.m. at the Casa Santa Marta guesthouse at the Vatican where he lived. In a statement, Arcangeli said Francis also suffered from episodes of respiratory insufficiency and had previously had bilateral pneumonia, as well as type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Francis recently spent more than a month in the hospital with double pneumonia. But he emerged from his convalescence on Easter Sunday to bless the thousands of people in St. Peter's Square and make a surprise popemobile ride through the piazza. It was his last public appearance before his death. Follow live updates on the death of Pope Francis in the blog below. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, will hold a mass for Pope Francis at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City on Tuesday at noon ET before departing for Rome, his office said in a press release. 'The cardinal will depart for Rome on Tuesday evening for the funeral of Pope Francis, and the subsequent conclave,' the release said. Dolan is one of several American cardinals who will take part in the eventual conclave to elect his successor. Speaking to reporters earlier Monday, Dolan said that Francis's death, coming on the day after he gave an Easter blessing at St. Peter's Square, couldn't have been "choreographed" any better. 'The way he lived and the way he died, he was a great teacher,' Dolan said. Pope Francis is being remembered for many things, including his progressive outreach to the LGBTQ community. In a lengthy statement, Francis DeBernardo, the executive director of New Ways Ministry, a ministry for LGBTQ Catholics, said Francis was a gift to that community. "Francis was not only the first pope to use the word 'gay' when speaking about LGBTQ+ people, he was the first pope to speak lovingly and tenderly to them. His kind words of welcome to this community, traditionally marginalized in the church, rang loudly around the globe," DeBernardo said. "His recommendation to pastoral ministers and church leaders to accompany, listen, and dialogue with LGBTQ+ people has opened doors that had been sealed shut by the homophobia and transphobia of previous pontiffs." GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis called Francis a "transformational leader." "Having had the honor of meeting with Pope Francis twice, I witnessed first-hand his dedication to make a Church for all, not just some," she said in a statement. "His principles of empathetic listening, inclusion, and compassion are exactly what this divided world needs right now. When Pope Francis spoke out against the act of criminalizing LGBTQ people and when he famously spoke 'who am I to judge,' he created an example of unity that faith and civil leaders should follow.' The group noted that in 2023, Francis approved blessings for same-sex couples and asserted that 'homosexuality is not a crime,' calling laws that criminalize same-sex relationships 'unjust.' The Vatican on Monday released Pope Francis's will, dated June 29, 2022, in which he stated that he wants to be buried at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome — not at St. Peter's, where most popes are buried. The Basilica of St. Mary Major is home to Francis's favorite icon of the Virgin Mary, where he often prayed. Francis also said in the will that his underground tomb must be "simple, without particular decoration and with the only inscription: Franciscus.' The Vatican's top doctor said that Pope Francis's death was caused by a stroke that put him in a coma and led to irreversible heart failure. Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, the head of the Vatican's health department, announced the cause of death in a statement Monday. Arcangeli also said Francis suffered from "acute respiratory failure" related to his recent bout double pneumonia as well as type 2 diabetes and hypertension. He died Monday at 7:35 a.m. in his apartment in Vatican City, Arcangeli confirmed. Here's the full text of Arcangeli's statement: DECLARATION OF DEATH OF HIS HOLINESS FRANCISI hereby certify that His Holiness Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) born in Buenos Aires (Argentina) on December 17, 1936, resident in Vatican City, Vatican citizen, died at 7:35 a.m. on 21/04/2025 in his apartment at the Domus Sanctae Marthae (Vatican City) from:- STROKE- COMA- IRREVERSIBLE CARDIOVASCULAR COLLAPSEIn a subject suffering from:- Previous episode of acute respiratory failure in the context of bilateral multimicrobial pneumonia- Multiple bronchiectasis- Arterial hypertension- Type II diabetesAscertainment of death was by electrocardio-anatomical recording.I declare that the causes of death to the best of my knowledge and belief are as stated of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of Vatican City StateProfessor Andrea Arcangeli At sunset, hundreds of people gathered inside St. Peter's Square to participate in a rosary prayer for Pope Francis — the Vatican's first public commemoration following the pope's death. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, opened the ceremony by repeating one of Francis' trademark phrases, 'Do not forget to pray for me,' according to the New York Times. 'Tonight,' Gambetti said, 'we want to pray for him.' A highlight of Pope Francis's legacy is when he kissed 1-year-old Gianna Masciantonio on the head while visiting Philadelphia in September 2015. At just a month old, Gianna had been diagnosed with histiocytosis, a rare blood disorder that caused lesions on her brain stem, which doctors considered inoperable. Gianna's parents, Joey and Kristen Masciantonio, wanted the pope to bless her and the family — and had no idea he would actually kiss their daughter's head. "We just thought we'd see him drive by," Joey told Philadelphia news outlet WTXF. "We never thought in a million years that he would bless our daughter." Kristen said that Gianna's first brain scan after the pope's kiss showed "her tumor is almost undetectable." Yahoo News reported in 2018 that Gianna had been treated and was in recovery, with plans to start preschool. Local outlet Philly Burbs shared this morning that Gianna is now 10 years old. Speaking at the White House Easter Egg Roll, President Trump said he had just ordered U.S. flags to be lowered in memory of Pope Francis. "I just signed an executive order putting the flags of our country, all of them, all federal flags and state flags, at half-mast in honor of Pope Francis," he said. "He was a good man, worked hard. He loved the world, and it's an honor to do that." Speaking to reporters earlier, Trump said he didn't know whether he would attend Francis's funeral, saying it depends on the timing. 'He's a very good man who loved the world," Trump added. "And he especially loved people that were having a hard time. And that's good with me.' In Argentina, where Pope Francis was born, millions have been mourning his death. That includes Argentine President Javier Milei, a far-right libertarian who during his 2023 campaign for president called Francis an "imbecile" for defending social justice, even equating him with the devil. But as NPR noted, Milei "softened his tone" after the election, apologizing and even visiting Francis at the Vatican. "It is with profound sorrow that I learned this sad morning that Pope Francis, Jorge Bergoglio, passed away today and is now resting in peace," Milei wrote on X, referring to Francis by his birth name. "Despite differences that seem minor today, having been able to know him in his goodness and wisdom was a true honor for me. I bid farewell to the Holy Father and stand with all of us who are today dealing with this sad news." Elsewhere in Argentina, the statements of grief were unequivocal. In Francis's hometown of Buenos Aires, Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva called him "the pope of everyone." "We've lost the father of us all, the father of all humanity, who insisted time and again that the Church must have room for everyone," he said at the start of Monday's service, according to a translation of the Buenos Aires Times. The pope's favorite soccer club, the San Lorenzo Saints of Buenos Aires, wrote "Goodbye, Holy Father" on its website. "He was always one of us," the club said on Instagram. World leaders and other prominent figures are paying tribute to Pope Francis, who died Monday at 88. Here are some of the more notable reactions, from Donald Trump to Volodymyr Zelensky: President Trump: "Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!" Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: "I had the privilege of enjoying his friendship, his advice, his teachings, which never ceased, not even during times of trial and suffering." French President Emmanuel Macron: "Throughout his pontificate Pope Francis had always sided with the most vulnerable and the most fragile, and he did this with a lot of humility," Macron said. "In this time of war and brutality, he had a sense for the other, for the most fragile." U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres: "Pope Francis was a transcendent voice for peace, human dignity and social justice. He leaves behind a legacy of faith, service and compassion for all — especially those left on the margins of life or trapped by the horrors of conflict." Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva: "Humanity is today losing a voice of respect and welcome for others. Pope Francis lived and propagated in his daily life the love, tolerance and solidarity that are the basis of Christian teachings." Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi: "Pope Francis will always be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage by millions across the world. He diligently served the poor and downtrodden. For those who were suffering, he ignited a spirit of hope." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer: "I join millions around the world in grieving the death of His Holiness Pope Francis. His leadership in a complex and challenging time for the world and the church was courageous, yet always came from a place of deep humility." Britain's King Charles: "His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others." German Chancellor Olaf Scholz: "With the death of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church and the world lose an advocate for the weak, a reconciling and a warm-hearted person." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: "He knew how to give hope, ease suffering through prayer, and foster unity. He prayed for peace in Ukraine and for Ukrainians. We grieve together with Catholics and all Christians who looked to Pope Francis for spiritual support." The canonization of the first millennial saint, Carlo Acutis, has been postponed because of Pope Francis's death, the Vatican announced. Acutis was scheduled to be canonized next Sunday in St. Peter's Square. "Following the death of Supreme Pontiff Francis, notice is hereby given that the Eucharistic celebration and Rite of Canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, scheduled for April 27, 2025, II Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy, on the occasion of the Jubilee of Adolescents, is suspended," the Holy See Press Office said in a statement on Monday. Canonization is the process by which a deceased person is declared an official saint. The new date for Acutis's canonization has not been announced. Acutis's canonization process started in 2013, seven years after he died at the age of 15 after dealing with leukemia. The teenager was declared "blessed" in 2020 after he was credited with miraculously helping heal a Brazilian child with a rare pancreatic condition. After a pope dies, there are always "papabile" — or frontrunners among the possible successors. But following Francis's death, there is no clear frontrunner. Here's a look at possible successors, according to the Associated Press. Cardinal Luis Tagle, 67, a Filipino prelate Cardinal Robert Prevost, 69, an American Catholic who serves as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 69, archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian bishops' conference Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, Francis's secretary of state Cardinal Reinhard Marx, 71, archbishop of Munich and Freising Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, archbishop of Budapest and primate of Hungary Cardinal Robert Sarah, 79, retired head of the Vatican's liturgy office Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, 80, archbishop of Vienna Cardinal Marc Ouellet, 80, former archbishop of Quebec and primate of Canada Read more about each cardinal from the AP: Which cardinals are seen as contenders to be the next pope? President Trump has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff "as a mark of respect for the memory" of Pope Francis. The order applies to 'all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment,' Trump wrote in a proclamation. This includes 'United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.' After the death of a pope, the Vatican will follow a series of rituals outlined by the constitution known as Universi Dominici Gregis (Of the Lord's Whole Flock). Traditionally, there is a mourning period of 15 days before a conclave to choose the next pope can begin, but Pope Benedict modified this rule in 2013 to allow cardinals to either start earlier or delay it to a maximum of 20 days after the pope's death. The conclave meetings require cardinals to vote on candidates who could become the next pope. Right now, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo who announced Francis's death, will oversee any decisions that affect global Roman Catholic Church members. The heads of most of the Vatican departments will step down and resign until they are either confirmed by the next pope to hold their positions or replaced. Cardinals from around the world will now travel to Rome and join in daily meetings — known as general congregations — to discuss what they are looking for in the next appointed pope. Any cardinals who are 80 years of age or older can attend these general meetings, but they are not part of the conclave. Around 120 cardinals will vote twice a day in these conclave meetings — except for the first conclave, in which they only vote once — and are not allowed to communicate with the outside world. A two-thirds majority is needed for a candidate to be elected pope, and it must happen within 13 days of conclave voting. After the conclave has elected a pope, the candidate will be asked whether he accepts the position and what name he wants. If he rejects the position, the voting process starts all over again. The world will know when a new pope is elected when the paper ballots are burned with special chemicals that make white smoke come out of the chapel's chimney. Pope Francis spent 38 days in the hospital earlier this year for a bout of severe bronchitis that developed into double pneumonia. Dr. Sergio Alfieri, who treated him, later said he didn't think he'd make it out of the hospital, after a severe respiratory crisis on Feb. 28, during which the pope inhaled vomit. "He might not survive the night," Alfieri recalled in an interview with Corriere della Sera last month. "We needed to choose whether to stop and let him go, or to push it and attempt with all of the possible drugs and the treatments, taking the very high risk of damaging other organs. In the end, that is the path we chose.' When Francis was finally discharged, Alfieri ordered the pope to rest for at least two months and to avoid crowds. After visiting with him three days after his release, Alfieri told reporters that Francis had shown "truly surprising improvement" and appeared "very lively." 'I believe that he will return if not to 100%, 90% of where he was before," Alfieri said at the time. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton highlighted an excerpt from Pope Francis's last public address in a post on X. "In Pope Francis's last public address, he preached care of the marginalized, the vulnerable, and migrants, saying: 'I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves.' May we heed his wish," Clinton wrote. Before his death, Pope Francis had requested several changes to his funeral proceedings. The funeral Mass for Francis is still expected to be held in St. Peter's Square, as has been the case for many of his predecessors. But in 2013, Francis asked to be buried in Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major , not at St. Peter's Basilica or its grottoes, where most popes are buried, according to the Associated Press. He said he wants to be laid to rest near his favorite icon of the Virgin Mary, called the Salus Populi Romani. According to Reuters, Francis also asked to be buried in a simple wooden casket, "unlike predecessors who were buried in three interlocking caskets made of cypress, lead and oak." And he asked that his body not be put on display atop a raised platform in St. Peter's Basilica for visitors in Rome to view, as was the case with previous popes. The burial will be followed by nine days of official mourning, known as the 'novemdiales,' before the conclave to select the next pope begins. Pope Francis will be placed in his coffin around 8 p.m. local time, or 2 p.m. ET, in the Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, an announcement from the Vatican states. Francis's lying in state at St. Peter's Basilica could begin on Wednesday. 'The transfer of the body of the Holy Father to the Vatican Basilica for the homage of all the faithful could take place on Wednesday morning,' Matteo Bruni, the director of the Vatican press office, told CNN. The death of Pope Francis was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, on Monday morning. The camerlengo — or chamberlain — serves as the acting head of the Vatican between the death or resignation of a pope and the appointment of the next leader of the Catholic Church. This period is known as sede vacante, which is Latin for "empty seat." Farrell was formerly the bishop of the Diocese of Dallas until 2016, when Francis appointed him to serve in the Roman Curia, elevating him to the position of cardinal. In 2019, he was named camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. Former President Barack Obama reacted to the news of the pope's death in a post on X, calling Francis "the rare leader who made us want to be better people." "In his humility and his gestures at once simple and profound — embracing the sick, ministering to the homeless, washing the feet of young prisoners — he shook us out of our complacency and reminded us that we are all bound by moral obligations to God and one another," Obama continued. The post included a photo of Obama shaking hands with Francis in the Oval Office. Speaking from St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, Cardinal Timothy Dolan said Pope Francis's death — coming on the day after his last public appearance on Easter Sunday — could not have been "choreographed" better. "We can never choreograph our own birth or death, that's always in God's hands," Dolan said. "But if you could choreograph it, you couldn't choreograph it any better." Dolan is one of several American cardinals eligible to vote in the papal conclave to elect the next pope.
