Pope Francis and the Islamic world: A legacy of dialogue and fraternity
Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb sign the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together in 2019 . / Credit: Vatican Media
ACI MENA, Apr 26, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).
With the passing of Pope Francis, the world is reflecting on a pontificate marked by bold outreaches, including to the Islamic world, which was rooted in fraternity, humility, and a deep commitment to peace. How did the Holy Father view Islam and Muslim peoples during his time as pope? What is the position of the Islamic world toward him?
From the very beginning of his papacy in 2013, Pope Francis sought to build bridges with the Islamic world. This is a distinctly evangelical approach, following the example of Jesus, who, during his earthly life, deeply connected with those who differed from him and with people from outside his own environment.
Pope Francis, by placing great importance on Christian-Islamic communication, took his cues from the saint whose name he chose to bear: Francis of Assisi, who created channels of communication between East and West in times marked by violence and bloodshed — similar to those of our own day.
The pope also aligned himself with the Second Vatican Council, which called for open dialogue with Muslims. One example of this was his signing of the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together with the grand imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayeb, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Over the course of his papacy, Francis visited 13 Muslim-majority countries — despite increasing health challenges and advanced age. These nations included Egypt, Iraq, the UAE, Bahrain, Turkey, Morocco, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Jordan, Palestine, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Albania.
He brought to these visits a personality and pastoral style marked by humility, simplicity of life, closeness to people, and a desire to express love and fraternity with those he met. Examples of this include washing the feet of a Muslim woman and his quoting a Quranic verse on another occasion.
All of this has prompted the moderate Islamic world to reciprocate his love and cooperate with him in order to consolidate brotherhood among peoples and to work to achieve a better world characterized by understanding, mutual respect, and peace.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
5 of the most memorable prayers of Pope Francis’ pontificate
Pope Francis blesses St. Peter’s Square with the Blessed Sacrament during the statio orbis prayer to end COVID-19 pandemic, Friday, March 27, 2020. / Credit: Vatican Media
Vatican City, Apr 26, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).
Pope Francis’ pontificate spanned 12 years and numerous major global events — including international gatherings, the COVID-19 crisis, and the Synod on Synodality — that saw him delivering prayers often under extraordinary and historical conditions.
Here are five of the most memorable prayers the late Holy Father delivered over the course of his papacy.
March 2013: First benediction urbi et orbi
Stepping out onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as Pope Francis, a name he chose in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, people were immediately struck by the simple appearance of the Church’s new pontiff elected to lead the world’s approximately 1.4 billion Catholics.
Before imparting the first urbi et orbi blessing of his pontificate, the Argentine pope bowed his head, asked the blessing of the people, and prayed in silence with those gathered in St. Peter’s Square and the Via della Conciliazione.
“And now, we take up this journey: bishop and people,” he said. “This journey of the Church of Rome which presides in charity over all the Churches. A journey of fraternity, of love, of trust among us. Let us always pray for one another. Let us pray for the whole world, that there may be a great spirit of fraternity.”
July 2013: World Youth Day welcoming ceremony on Copacabana Beach, Brazil
Pope Francis made history when he successfully called more than 1 million young people to observe several minutes of prayerful silence at a single event, at World Youth Day in 2013.
Showing great care for all those who suffer, the Holy Father asked the cheering crowds to first be mindful of those who could not join them for the World Youth Day festivities before continuing his prepared speech.
“Before I continue, I would like to call to mind the tragic accident in French Guiana that young people suffered on their way to this World Youth Day. There young Sophie Morinière was killed and other young people were wounded. I invite all of you to observe a moment of silence and of prayer to God, Our Father, for Sophie, for the wounded, and for their families.”
April 2018: Consoling, praying with a boy whose father died not believing in God
Pope Francis’ encounter with a young boy mourning the loss of his father was a personal yet powerful moment of prayer that caught the attention of people around the world.
The pope listened intently to what the tearful boy had to say and assured him that God does not choose to abandon people even if they did not believe in him.
“It’s nice that a son says that about his father, that he ‘was good.’ If that man was able to raise his children like that, then he was a good man … God surely was proud of your father, because it is easier when one is a believer to baptize his children than to baptize them when you are an unbeliever. Surely God likes this so much. Talk to your dad, pray for your dad.”
March 2020: Statio orbis prayer to end COVID-19 pandemic
Pope Francis blessing the world with the Eucharist before an empty St. Peter’s Square at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic is considered to be one of the most memorable moments of his pontificate.
The Holy Hour and special urbi et orbi blessing was livestreamed by the Vatican on a wet and cold evening on March 27, 2020.
Before the Byzantine icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the “Salus Populi Romani” (“Health of the Roman People”) and the 14th-century statue of the “Miraculous Crucifix” brought to a dark and wet St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father pleaded to God on behalf of the Church for faith and strength amid the crisis:
“Look at your Church, which crosses the desert;
Console us, O Lord.
Look at humanity, terrified by fear and anguish;
Console us, O Lord.
Look at the sick and the dying, oppressed by loneliness;
Console us, O Lord.
Look at the doctors and health workers, exhausted by fatigue;
Console us, O Lord.
Look at the politicians and administrators, who bear the weight of choices;
Console us, O Lord.”
May 2022: International prayer for peace in Ukraine, war-torn countries
The Holy Father held those affected by the Russia-Ukraine war close to his heart, describing its end as his “wish for 2025.” Every general audience and Sunday Angelus address was used as an opportunity by the pontiff to ask people to pray for peace to reign in Ukraine and Russia.
Entrusting every man, woman, and child suffering war and violence to the Mother of God, the pope consecrated both Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25, 2022.
“Accept this act that we carry out with confidence and love. Grant that war may end and peace spread throughout the world. The ‘fiat’ that arose from your heart opened the doors of history to the Prince of Peace. We trust that, through your heart, peace will dawn once more. To you we consecrate the future of the whole human family, the needs and expectations of every people, the anxieties and hopes of the world.”
October 2024: Pope leads rosary for peace in the Basilica of St. Mary Major
The same day Pope Francis opened the Vatican’s final session of the Synod on Synodality’s three-year discernment phase, he invited every Christian to participate in a global day of prayer and fasting on Oct. 7, 2024, to bring an end to the Israel-Hamas war, which broke out the same day the year before.
On the evening vigil of the Oct. 7 feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Holy Father led the recitation of the prayer dedicated to the Mother of God to begin the Church’s day of prayer and fasting to overcome “diabolical plots of war” carried out throughout the world.
“Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary, loosen the knots of selfishness and dispel the dark clouds of evil. Fill us with your tenderness, lift us up in your caring embrace, and bestow on us, your children, your motherly caress, which gives us hope for the coming of a new humanity where ‘the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. The effect of righteousness will be peace’ (Is 32:15-17). O mother, Salus Populi Romani, pray for us!”
LIVE UPDATES: Pope Francis is laid to rest at St. Mary Major
An aerial view of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome as the body of Pope Francis arrives for burial following his funeral Mass on April 26, 2025. / Credit: Alexey Gotovskiy / EWTN News
Vatican City, Apr 26, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).
Pope Francis passed away at 7:35 a.m. local time on Easter Monday, April 21, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, as confirmed by the Holy See Press Office. The 88-year-old pontiff led the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years.
Follow here for live updates of the latest news and information on the papal transition:
Pope Francis’ funeral: A global farewell to a humble shepherd
Pallbearers carry the wooden coffin of Pope Francis, marked with a cross, into St. Peter's Square for the funeral Mass on April 26, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Vatican City, Apr 26, 2025 / 05:03 am (CNA).
More than 200,000 people filled St. Peter’s Square for the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday as the world said goodbye to the first Latin American pope who led the Catholic Church for the past 12 years.
Under the bright Roman sun and amid crowds extending down the Via della Conciliazione, the funeral Mass unfolded within the great colonnade of St. Peter’s Basilica. Heads of state, religious leaders, and pilgrims from across the globe gathered for the historic farewell.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over the Mass, delivering a homily that paid tribute to Francis’ missionary vision, human warmth, spontaneity, witness to mercy, and “charisma of welcome and listening.”
“Evangelization was the guiding principle of his pontificate,” Re said.
Pope Francis “often used the image of the Church as a ‘field hospital’ after a battle in which many were wounded; a Church determined to take care of the problems of people and the great anxieties that tear the contemporary world apart; a Church capable of bending down to every person, regardless of their beliefs or condition, and healing their wounds.”
As bells tolled solemnly, the funeral rite began with the intonation of the entrance antiphon: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.”
The late pope’s closed plain wooden coffin lay in front of the altar throughout the Mass.
“In this majestic Saint Peter’s Square, where Pope Francis celebrated the Eucharist so many times and presided over great gatherings over the past twelve years, we are gathered with sad hearts in prayer around his mortal remains,” Re said.
“With our prayers, we now entrust the soul of our beloved Pontiff to God, that he may grant him eternal happiness in the bright and glorious gaze of his immense love,” he added.
Among the more than 50 heads of state present were U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, alongside former President Joe Biden. Also in attendance were Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Argentine President Javier Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva joined the throng of international dignitaries along with representatives of religious traditions from around the world.
Royal families also paid their respects, with Prince William representing King Charles III and Spanish King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia seated near the altar.
Pilgrims arrived before sunrise to claim their spots in St. Peter’s Square for the Mass with the first in line camping out the night before.
The funeral followed the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the official liturgical order for papal funerals, which was updated at Pope Francis’ own request in 2024. Scripture readings included Acts 10:34-43, Philippians 3:20–4:1, Psalm 22, and the Gospel of John 21:15-19 — a passage in which the risen Christ tells Peter: “Feed my sheep.”
More than 200 cardinals and 750 bishops and priests concelebrated the funeral Mass. More than 4,000 journalists representing 1,800 media outlets reported on the event. All told, the Holy See said more than 250,000 mourners attended.
In his homily, Cardinal Re reflected on key moments in Pope Francis’ pontificate from his risk-defying trip to Iraq to visit Christians communities persecuted by the Islamic State to his Mass on the border between Mexico and the United States during his journey to Mexico.
“Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason and honest negotiation to find possible solutions,” the cardinal said, causing the crowd to erupt in spontaneous applause.
“Pope Francis always placed the Gospel of mercy at the center, repeatedly emphasizing that God never tires of forgiving us. He forgives, whatever the situation might be of the person who asks for forgiveness and returns to the right path,” Re reflected. “Mercy and the joy of the Gospel are two key words for Pope Francis.”
The cardinal presided over the final commendation and farewell for Pope Francis, praying: “Dear brothers and sisters, let us commend to God’s tender mercy the soul of Pope Francis, bishop of the Catholic Church, who confirmed his brothers and sisters in the faith of the resurrection.”
“Let us pray to God our Father through Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit; may he deliver him from death, welcome him to eternal peace and raise up him on the last day,” he said.
After the crowd chanted the Litany of Saints in Latin, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, offered a final prayer: “O God, faithful rewarder of souls, grant that your departed servant and our bishop, Pope Francis, whom you made successor of Peter and shepherd of your Church, may happily enjoy forever in your presence in heaven the mysteries of your grace and compassion, which he faithfully ministered on earth.”
A poignant moment followed as Eastern Catholic patriarchs, major archbishops, and metropolitans from the “sui iuris” Churches approached the coffin while a choir chanted a Greek prayer from the Byzantine Funeral Office.
Re blessed the coffin with holy water and incense as the choir sang in Latin: “I know that my Redeemer lives: on the last day I shall rise again.”
At the end of the Mass, the traditional antiphon “In Paradisum” was sung in Latin, asking for the angels to guide the pope’s soul to heaven.
“May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs come and welcome you and take you to the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem. May choirs of angels welcome you and with Lazarus, who is poor no longer, may you have eternal rest.”
In keeping with his wishes, Pope Francis will not be buried in the Vatican grottoes alongside his predecessors. Instead, his body will be taken in procession through the streets of Rome in a vehicle to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, a church he visited over 100 times in his lifetime to pray before an icon of the Virgin Mary, “Salus Populi Romani,” particularly before and after his papal journeys.
In Rome’s most important Marian basilica, Pope Francis will be laid to rest in a simple tomb marked with a single word: Franciscus.
Remembering Pope Francis
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and entered the Society of Jesus at age 21. Following his ordination in 1969, he served as a Jesuit provincial, seminary rector, and professor before St. John Paul II appointed him auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992. He became archbishop of the Argentine capital in 1998 and was created cardinal in 2001.
The surprise election of Cardinal Bergoglio on March 13, 2013, at age 76 marked several historic firsts: He became the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first to choose the name Francis, inspired by St. Francis of Assisi’s devotion to poverty, peace, and creation.
His 12-year pontificate was characterized by a focus on mercy, care for creation, and attention to what he called the “peripheries” of both the Church and society. He made 47 apostolic journeys outside Italy, though he never visited his native Argentina.
During his tenure, Pope Francis canonized 942 saints — more than any other pope in history — including his predecessors John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul II. He published four encyclicals and seven apostolic exhortations while promulgating 75 motu proprio documents.
Throughout his papacy, Francis significantly reshaped the College of Cardinals through 10 consistories, creating 163 new cardinals. His appointments reflected his vision of a global Church, elevating prelates from the peripheries and creating cardinals in places that had never before had one, including Mongolia and South Sudan.
Health challenges marked the pope’s final years. He underwent surgery in July 2021 and in June 2023. In November 2023, he suffered from pulmonary inflammation, and in February 2025, he was hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for bronchitis and a respiratory infection.
His papacy faced unprecedented challenges, including the global COVID-19 pandemic, during which he offered historic moments of prayer for humanity, notably the extraordinary urbi et orbi blessing in an empty St. Peter’s Square in March 2020. He also repeatedly called for peace amid conflicts in Ukraine and the Holy Land.
Francis convoked four synods, including the Synod on Synodality, whose second session concluded in October 2024. He implemented significant reforms of the Roman Curia and took several steps to address the clergy abuse crisis, including the 2019 motu proprio Vos Estis Lux Mundi.
Pope Francis’ funeral marks the first day in the Catholic Church’s traditional nine-day mourning period that will include nine days of requiem Masses to be offered for the repose of his soul.
“Pope Francis used to conclude his speeches and meetings by saying, ‘Do not forget to pray for me,’ Re recalled at the end of his homily.
“Dear Pope Francis, we now ask you to pray for us. May you bless the Church, bless Rome, and bless the whole world from heaven as you did last Sunday from the balcony of this Basilica in a final embrace with all the people of God, but also embrace humanity that seeks the truth with a sincere heart and holds high the torch of hope.”
7 popes are buried at St. Mary Major; Pope Francis will soon be the eighth
The statue of Our Lady, Queen of Peace in the Basilica of St. Mary Major. / Credit: Jonah McKeown/CNA
CNA Staff, Apr 26, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).
Pope Francis, who died April 21, will be buried today in Rome, with a funeral Mass presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals.
In accordance with his personal wishes, Francis will not be buried in the Vatican grottoes — as many popes throughout the centuries have been — but instead at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
With roots stretching back to the fifth century, St. Mary Major (called Santa Maria Maggiore in Italian and sometimes referred to as Our Lady of the Snows) is one of the most famous Catholic churches in the world and one of the four “major basilicas” located in and around Rome.
Pope Francis made more than 100 visits to the basilica since becoming pope, most notably to venerate the icon known as the “Salus Populi Romani” — “Mary, Protection of the Roman People” — before and after every international trip.
As Pope Francis is laid to rest there, let’s take a look at the tombs of the seven popes who are currently buried at this church, one of whom is a saint. (Information on each pope comes from the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia unless otherwise noted.)
Pope Honorius III (1150–1227)
Born Cencio Savelli, Honorius III was the first pope to be buried here after his death in the 13th century. He served as part of a chapter of priests who helped to administer St. Mary Major before becoming pope and held other important positions before his election.
Honorius III is perhaps most notable for having confirmed St. Francis’ second “rule” — a plan of life and discipline — for the saint’s then-new religious order. Innocent III had first approved a simple rule for the new order in 1209, but the “second rule,” approved by Honorius in 1223, is the one that Franciscans still profess today.
Pope Nicholas IV (1227–1292)
Girolamo Masci was elected pope in 1288, the first Franciscan to hold the office. As pope, he sent missionaries to Bulgaria, Ethiopia, China, and the Tartar people of Central Asia. He built the palace next to St. Mary Major, the church that was to become his final resting place.
In 1292, Nicholas IV commissioned the first known Nativity scene figurines, inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, the creator of the first living Nativity in Greccio, Italy, in 1223.
St. Pius V (1504-1572)
The only saintly pope to be buried here — though not the only saint — Pius V was born Michele Ghislieri in 1504 to poor parents of noble lineage. He was a Dominican known for his austere penances and long hours of prayer and fasting. He was elected pope on Jan. 7, 1566, with the influential backing of his friend St. Charles Borromeo.
His pontificate was dedicated to applying the reforms of the Council of Trent, which took place from 1545–63 in response to the Protestant Reformation. As pope he set about raising the standard of morality of the Catholic clergy and strongly supported foreign missions. The Catechism of the Council of Trent was completed during his reign.
Ironically, Pius V promulgated a new Roman Missal in 1570 that is still used today as part of the Tridentine Mass, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass — the celebration of which Pope Francis has moved to curtail throughout his papacy in favor of Pope Paul VI’s 1970 missal.
A devotee to Mary, Pius V established the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, which is celebrated each year on Oct. 7.
Pope Sixtus V (1521–1590)
Few popes had as much of an effect on the city of Rome itself as Felice Peretti, Pope Sixtus V. In addition to reforming the Church’s finances, he made far-reaching changes to the Church’s governing structure. He is perhaps best known for his massive public works projects throughout Rome, including the building of magnificent streets and the moving of a massive obelisk into the center of St. Peter’s Square. He also built the Chapel of the Cradle, which is said to contain relics of Jesus’ manger, at St. Mary Major.
Pope Clement VIII (1536–1605)
Ippolito Aldobrandini was elected pope in 1592. St. Philip Neri was reportedly his confessor for 30 years.
Known for his reforms amid major contemporary geopolitical problems, Clement VIII also issued revised editions of the Latin Vulgate Bible in 1598 as well as new editions of the Church’s breviary and missal.
Pope Paul V (1550–1621)
Though born in Rome, Camillo Borghese may have been a relative of St. Catherine of Siena. A renowned canon lawyer, in 1596 he was made cardinal by the aforementioned Clement VIII and became cardinal vicar of Rome. He was elected to the papacy in 1605.
A “very stern and uncompromising” figure who was reportedly not immune to the then-widespread practice of nepotism, Paul V oversaw serious church-state disputes during his papacy, at one point even excommunicating almost the entire government of the city-state of Venice. He condemned the oath of allegiance that James I of England — who famously survived the Catholic-led “gunpowder plot” — demanded of his subjects because it contained clauses no Catholic in good conscience could affirm.
Paul is perhaps best remembered for canonizing St. Charles Borromeo and St. Frances of Rome and beatifying Sts. Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier, Philip Neri, Theresa the Carmelite, Louis Bertrand, Thomas of Villanova, and Isidore of Madrid. He’s also remembered for putting the finishing touches on St. Peter’s Basilica, which had been under construction for a century, and enriching the Vatican Library.
He is buried in the same chapel as his predecessor, Clement VIII.
Pope Clement IX (1600–1669)
Clement IX, born Giulio Rospigliosi, is the most recent pope to be buried at St. Mary Major, having been laid to rest there more than 350 years ago. Clement requested that he be buried at St. Mary Major with merely a simple inscription, but his successor erected a large statue and monument to him inside the church.
After his election as pope, Clement reportedly manned a confessional at St. Peter’s Basilica two days a week and heard anyone who wished to confess to him. He frequently visited hospitals, was lavish in his alms to the poor, and resisted the then-widespread practice of nepotism.
He is perhaps most notable for declaring St. Rose of Lima “blessed” in 1668, and she would go on to become the first saint from the Americas.
This article was first published Dec. 14, 2023, and has been updated.
Holy Spirit chose Pope Francis to be ‘instrument of Christ,’ Cardinal Pierre says
Cardinal Christophe Pierre speaks to EWTN News President and COO Montse Alvarado in Rome on Friday, April 25, 2025. / Credit: EWTN News
CNA Staff, Apr 25, 2025 / 19:36 pm (CNA).
Pope Francis asked us “to be a Church which announces the good news of Christ,” Cardinal Christophe Pierre said on Friday, one of the many fruits of the Holy Spirit’s having selected the late Argentine prelate to be the supreme pontiff.
Pierre, who has served as apostolic nuncio in various countries over several decades and who has served as nuncio to the United States under Francis, told EWTN News President and COO Montse Alvarado that as he sees it, Francis’ election in 2013 was the fruit of a process that arose out of the 2007 Aparecida conference of Latin American and Caribbean bishops in Brazil.
Then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio headed up the committee that produced the conference’s final document. The bishops at that conference were “inspired [and] helped” by the future pope, Pierre said.
“Then, six years later, Pope Francis was elected pope,” Pierre said, describing the selection as providential. “The Holy Spirit chose him so that he could be an instrument of Christ in today’s world,” the cardinal said.
He further pointed to Francis’ regular contention — articulated first in his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium — that “realities are more important than ideas.”
“Today in the world, we are all tempted to transform reality into ideas,” Pierre told Alvarado. “And when you transform reality, it’s in abstractions. And ideas become ideology, and they become instruments of power, of war, of dispute between ourselves. And it is impossible to achieve peace as Christ asks us to do.”
“Even in the Church, at times we are tempted to defend our ideas,” the cardinal said. “But what Christ wants us to be is simply like him, and like Pope Francis has been.”
Asked about what the Catholic Church needs in the wake of Francis’ death, Pierre said it “needs first and foremost to be close to the people, to be attentive to the real needs of the people, especially the poor.”
He further urged Catholics to “remember that Jesus met you and changed your life.” He encouraged the faithful to “be a witness of Jesus for the world today.”
“I met Jesus, and this has transformed my life,” the prelate said. “And because Jesus transformed my life, I cannot do anything else but to announce his presence through my witness of life, but also through the way I live [and the way] I see the world.”
Cardinal Dolan: Pope Francis was ‘a man of the heart’
The archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, speaks to EWTN News on Friday, April 25, 2025, in Rome. / Crdit: EWTN News/Screenshot
CNA Staff, Apr 25, 2025 / 19:16 pm (CNA).
The late Pope Francis was “a man of the heart” who preached tenderness and mercy to the global Church, New York archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan said on Friday.
Dolan spoke to EWTN News President and COO Montse Alvarado at the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls on Friday. The cardinal is one of 10 from the United States who will vote in the upcoming conclave to elect the next pope.
Reflecting on the three most recent popes — St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis — the cardinal archbishop said John Paul II “reinvigorated the soul of the world” that was weary from “lies” and “atrocities.” Benedict XVI, meanwhile, was known for uniting “the mind, faith, and reason.”
“And Pope Francis, I thought, spoke very much about the heart,” Dolan said.
“I remember his first time at the window after his election, I guess we were all thinking there would be some theologically erudite talk,” Dolan said. “And [instead] he spoke about tenderness, tenderness.”
“We have a God who’s tender with us, and we have a God who wants us to be tender with one another,” Dolan continued.
The prelate said it was “magnificent” that Francis’ final encyclical, Dilexit Nos, was a call for Catholics worldwide to rediscover the love and compassion found in the heart of Jesus Christ.
“Remember when he was in the hospital for so long,” Dolan said of Francis’ hospitalization earlier this year prior to his death. “When we got the medical bulletins [the] doctors would say, ‘Ah, but his heart is strong.’ And I said, ‘You bet it is.’ He was a man of the heart.”
First pilgrims begin to line up 12 hours ahead of Pope Francis’ funeral
Left: Ismael with his friend Dalia, who traveled from Barcelona, Spain. Right: Nadia Trujillo, Ana Asensio, and their friend who joined them from Portugal. / Credit: Ursula Murua/EWTN News
CNA Staff, Apr 25, 2025 / 18:56 pm (CNA).
At 9:45 p.m. Rome time, 12 hours before Pope Francis’ funeral is set to take place, the first of thousands of pilgrims were already lining up along the streets to catch a glimpse of the late pontiff as his body passes by on the way to the Basilica of St. Mary Major — his final burial place.
Pope Francis’ funeral will take place on April 26 at 10 a.m. Rome time. Following the funeral, his coffin will be taken in a procession to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where it will be interred. The procession route is set to take approximately half an hour and will pass several historic, Roman landmarks including the Colosseum.
Sitting on the sidewalk near St. Peter’s Basilica, Ismael is one pilgrim who intends to “camp out” during the night to be present at this historic moment. Ismael, who preferred not to give his last name, came back to the Catholic Church five years ago — thanks to Pope Francis — after leaving for 20 years.
He credited his return to the Church to the pope’s “message of openness and his welcoming of all people,” he told CNA.
“Since I’m so grateful for my return home, that is why I came to say goodbye,” Ismael, who traveled from Barcelona, Spain, said while showing his backpack that had a picture of the pope and the words: “In the Church we all fit, everyone, everyone” and also: “I came back to the Church thanks to you.”
Among the first in line were also pilgrims from Portugal and El Salvador who live in Milan, Italy. Nadia Trujillo wanted to accompany her friend Ana Asensio on a pilgrimage to Rome to pass through the Holy Door of the jubilee and was surprised by the death of the pope.
“We did not expect the death of the pope to happen, and even less so at the moment when Jesus overcomes death. It gives a life lesson because we are all prone to die, but we must keep in mind who died first and gave us the opportunity to be reborn, which is Jesus Christ,” she said.
Trujillo also thanked the Catholic Church for “the spiritual guidance” she has received from its teachings, because without them, she said, “I would not have grown with guidelines that have stopped me from being more of a sinner than I already am — because we’re all sinners.”
Asensio, who made her first Communion last year, said she has gratitude in her heart for the Holy Father.
“I came because I felt it was a personal commitment because I left the Church, but with what the pope has done, I really came back to the Church and last year I made my first Communion and confirmation,” she shared.
A group of African nuns, Disciples of the Sacred Heart, were also among the first in line Friday night.
Despite the tiredness of the pilgrims, the atmosphere around the basilica is lively and pious, with many faithful continuing to arrive ready to stay up all night to attend the pope’s funeral.
Some pray, others sing songs and share words of hope as they wait for the ceremony to begin in the morning. For them, participating in this historic moment is a gesture of love, a way to pay their last respects to the spiritual father who inspired so many.
What to know about Pope Francis’ Saturday morning funeral
The casket of Pope Francis rests sealed in St. Peter's Basilica prior to the Holy Father's funeral, Friday, April 25, 2025, / Credit: Vatican Media
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 25, 2025 / 18:36 pm (CNA).
The funeral for Pope Francis, pontiff from March 13, 2013, until his death on April 21, will be held on Saturday morning in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
Saturday’s funeral will kick off the traditional “Novendiales,” nine consecutive days of mourning for the suffrage of the late pope. He will be buried at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
When and where is the funeral and how can I watch it?
The funeral will begin at 10 a.m. Rome time on Saturday, April 26, which is 4 a.m. Eastern Time, 3 a.m. Central Time, 2 a.m. Mountain Time, and 1 a.m. Pacific Time.
The Vatican has not announced how long the funeral will be, but Pope Benedict XVI’s funeral lasted about one and a half hours and St. John Paul II’s funeral was about three hours long.
Pope Francis’ funeral can be watched on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and will be streamed live on EWTN’s YouTube channel.
The funeral will be held on the parvis of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, which is outdoors in front of the basilica.
Who is presiding over the liturgy?
The primary celebrant of Pope Francis’ funeral will be Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, according to a statement from the Holy See.
Re, a native of Italy, was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001. He is 91 years old. He presided over the 2013 papal conclave that elected then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio to the papacy.
The full list of concelebrants is unknown but will include patriarchs, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and priests from around the world.
Most of the Mass will be said in Latin, but it will also include other languages, such as Italian, English, Polish, and Arabic.
Who will be attending?
The funeral is open to the general public and approximately 200,000 people are expected to attend the service. There will be a heavy security and police presence.
Numerous world leaders have announced they will attend Francis’ funeral, including United States President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Polish President Andrzej Duda.
What will the readings be?
The Gospel reading for the pontiff’s Mass will be from the 21st chapter of John, when Jesus Christ asked Simon Peter — the first pope — whether he loved him three times and entrusted the faithful to his leadership:
“‘Simon, Son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ He said to him a second time, ‘Simon, Son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’
“He said to him a third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ … He said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.’ (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.)
“And after saying this, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’”
The first reading will be from Chapter 10 in the Acts of the Apostles, in which Peter said: “He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
The second reading will be from St. Paul’s Letter to Philippians, in which the apostle said “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
‘In Paradisum’ antiphon
After the Mass, the antiphon “In Paradisum” will be sung, which prays for the angels to guide the pope into heaven.
“May angels lead you into paradise; upon your arrival, may the martyrs receive you and lead you to the holy city of Jerusalem. May the ranks of angels receive you, and with Lazarus, the poor man, may you have eternal rest.”
Sealing of the coffin
On the eve of the funeral, on Friday at 8 p.m. local time, Cardinal Kevin Farrell presided over the sealing of the coffin. The sealing of the coffin marked the end of the time in which the public could view the mortal remains of the Holy Father.
The pope is in a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc, and his face was covered in a silk veil, in accordance with the new papal funeral rite approved by him during his papacy. The previous standards called for three coffins: one of cypress, one of lead, and one of oak.
9 days of mourning and burial
The pope’s funeral marks the first day of the nine days of mourning, known as the “Novendiales.”
Over this period, a requiem Mass will be celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica each night. A different cardinal will preside over each Mass. Those cardinals were chosen by Francis before his death or serve in key Vatican offices.
Each Mass will be focused on a specific subset of the faithful. The Holy See has confirmed that the Sunday Mass will be focused on the Jubilee of Teenagers, which will be celebrated by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Francis will be buried at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, which is a break from the recent papal tradition of being buried in the Vatican grottoes. The burial location is in accordance with the wishes the Holy Father publicized prior to his death.
Catholic Relief Services ordered to pay ex-employee $60,000 in LGBT discrimination suit
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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 25, 2025 / 18:16 pm (CNA).
A Maryland district court judge this week ordered Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to pay a former employee $60,000 for its refusal to provide spousal health care benefits to the man’s civilly married “husband.”
The union is recognized under Maryland state law and federal law but is not recognized by the Catholic Church. The Church teaches that marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman and does not recognize homosexual civil “marriages” between two men or between two women.
In an April 21 ruling, U.S. District Judge Julie Rubin ruled that CRS violated state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination based on a person’s sex and his or her sexual orientation. The judge rejected CRS’ argument that the organization was covered under state and federal religious exemptions to the discrimination laws.
Rubin also rejected CRS’ argument that enforcing the antidiscrimination laws against the religious charity in this instance would violate the First Amendment’s protection of the free exercise of religion.
The dispute came down to the court’s interpretation of the “ministerial exception,” which is a legal doctrine in the United States that exempts religious entities from some antidiscrimination laws.
It allows exemptions when an employee works in a position that furthers the religious mission of the entity in cases when the antidiscrimination provision would hamper its religious mission.
According to the ruling, the former employee, who is named “John Doe” in the lawsuit, worked as a program data adviser; a data quality and analytics adviser; a global monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning adviser; a program manager; and a gateway manager.
The judge ruled that these positions were not integral to advancing the religious mission of CRS and therefore did not qualify for a religious exemption under federal law or the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act.
“Doe did not directly further a CRS core mission in any of his five positions held during his employment by CRS,” the ruling states.
“Because the court concludes that none of Doe’s five full-time positions with CRS directly furthered a CRS mission and that each of his positions was one or more steps removed from taking the actions that affect CRS goals, the court … concludes that CRS has not met its burden to show that [the state’s] religious entity exemption applies here,” the ruling adds.
A spokesperson for CRS told CNA on Friday that the organization did not have a comment at the time and is currently “reviewing the judge’s ruling.”
The former employee issued a statement through his lawyers at Gilbert Employment Law in which he said he was “very happy with Judge Rubin’s ruling.”
“[I] am honored to be part of such a precedent-setting case that has helped clarify, for employers and employees alike, the legal protections Maryland law provides, especially for LGBTQ+ workers,” the plaintiff said.
Ryan Tucker, who serves as senior counsel at the legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, expressed concern about the judge’s ruling in a statement to CNA.
“Now and always, every religious organization has the right to hire people who share its faith,” he said. “The government should never penalize a religious nonprofit just because it’s religious. This ruling, however, is deeply concerning due to the implications it may have for the First Amendment rights of religious organizations and employers.”
CRS primarily provides humanitarian aid around the world. According to its mission statement, the organization is “motivated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to cherish, preserve, and uphold the sacredness and dignity of all human life, foster charity and justice, and embody Catholic social and moral teaching.”