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Pope Francis said Mary picked his burial place, cardinal says

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ROME (CNS) -- "The Virgin Mary told me, 'Prepare the tomb.'" That is what Pope Francis said Mary told him when he was discerning whether to be buried in the historic Marian church where his body will be laid to rest April 26. Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, coadjutor archpriest of Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major, discussed the pope's decision to be buried at the papal basilica some three miles outside the Vatican during a news conference April 25, the day before the late pope's funeral.The cardinal said that during a meeting with the pope in 2022 to discuss a remodeling project in the basilica, he asked the pope if he wanted to be buried there given his devotion to the Marian icon "Salus Populi Romani" ("health of the Roman people"), which is housed in the church. Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, coadjutor archpriest of Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major, speaks during a news conference outside of the basilica April 25, 2025. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

Poor to welcome pope's casket to St. Mary Major where simple tomb is ready

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Given the late Pope Francis' care and concern for the poor, a representative group of them has been formally invited to welcome his casket to Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major for burial."The poor have a privileged place in the heart of God," the Vatican press office said in a statement April 24. It was the same "in the heart and magisterium of the Holy Father, who had chosen the name Francis to never forget them.""For this reason, a group of the poor and needy will be present on the steps leading to the papal Basilica of St. Mary Major to pay their last respects to Pope Francis before the burial of his coffin," the statement said.The College of Cardinals decided Pope Francis' funeral would be celebrated April 26 in St. Peter's Square. In his final testament, Pope Francis asked to be buried at St. Mary Major where he frequently went to pray to seek Mary's help or to thank her for her assistance.The Vatican said the pope's casket would

Cardinals choose prelates to offer reflections on church, future pope

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A Benedictine abbot and a Capuchin cardinal will offer spiritual meditations on the needs of the Catholic Church to the cardinals preparing to elect a new pope, according to the Vatican press office.Benedictine Father Donato Ogliari, abbot of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, will offer the first meditation soon after Pope Francis' funeral April 26, said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office. Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher of the papal household, delivers the homily during the Good Friday Liturgy of the Lord's Passion in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican April 15, 2022. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, the retired preacher of the papal household, will offer the second meditation inside the Sistine Chapel before members of the conclave begin to vote. Because Cardinal Cantalamessa is 90 years old, he is not eligible to participate in the voting.The meditations should focus "on the problems facing the

“Encourage a young man to consider the priesthood or to attend Eucharistic Adoration; he could be your future pastor,” says Bishop Boyea

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WASHINGTON – According to a new survey, nine in ten men who will be ordained to the priesthood this year were encouraged to consider this vocation by someone in their life. Three-quarters of them regularly participated in Eucharistic Adoration before entering the seminary. “Encourage a young man to consider the priesthood or to attend Eucharistic Adoration; he could be your future pastor,” said Bishop Earl Boyea. “We express our deepest gratitude to the many priests, family members, mentors, formators, and laity who have encouraged and supported these men in their discernment of their call to the priesthood.” In conjunction with the World Day of Prayer for Vocations on May 11, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations released the Ordination Class of 2025 Study, conducted annually by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University.“We pray for the contin

Clericalism was chief target of Pope Francis' teaching

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- From the moment he took the helm of the Catholic Church's sprawling hierarchy, Pope Francis positioned himself as a pastor close to the people he served, and he called out the behavior of priests who were distant from and thought they were superior to their flocks.The pope set the tone early for his consistent rebukes of clericalism by including it in his first apostolic exhortation, "Evangelii Gaudium," the 2013 document that was considered a roadmap for his pontificate.Discussing the need to recognize the baptismal dignity and gifts of the laity, the pope wrote that sometimes laypeople did not have the necessary training to exercise leadership, but often "room has not been made for them to speak and to act, due to an excessive clericalism which keeps them away from decision-making."Pope Francis' campaign against clericalism was waged when meeting both ordinary parish priests and "princes of the church," as cardinals once were known.

Prayer, pilgrims accompany pope's body to basilica

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VATICAN CITY -- To the chanting of Christ's promise, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live," the mortal remains of Pope Francis were carried into St. Peter's Basilica by 14 pallbearers.Thousands of people had made an early morning pilgrimage to St. Peter's Square April 23 to witness the transfer and pray for the late pope; they erupted in applause when his body, in an open casket, reached the square and again when it reached the top of the basilica steps.The basilica was to be open until midnight April 23, from 7 a.m. to midnight April 24 and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 25 for visits by the public. Another rite, to close the casket, was scheduled for late April 25. The pope's funeral was scheduled for April 26 in St. Peter's Square with burial to follow in Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major. U.S. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, "camerlengo" or chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, stands before the body of Pope Francis

Pope was a pastor first, which is lasting gift to church, cardinal says

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis was a pastor first, "so consistently, so spontaneously and with such deep conviction," that it will remain a gift to the Catholic Church, said Cardinal Michael Czerny.The cardinal, who served as prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, spoke with Catholic News Service April 22, the day after Pope Francis died at the age of 88."Pope Francis will be remembered as a pastoral pope," he said. "The word 'pastoral' is easy to use, and you can apply it to many things, but to see it lived consistently by the person with the highest responsibility in the church is a really important contribution."Cardinal Czerny, 78, said it is not that previous popes were not pastoral, but Pope Francis excelled at "showing how the church was first and foremost interested in the welfare, the salvation, the happiness, the development of people and ready to reach out as far as possible, to accompany people in their path

Pope thanks nurse for taking him to St. Peter's Square one last time

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis' final moments were peaceful, and he managed to give one last farewell to his nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, before slipping into a coma early April 21, Vatican News reported.Among his last words were his thanks to Strappetti late April 20 when he said, "Thank you for bringing me back to the square," referring to the pope's surprise appearance after giving his Easter blessing from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.The 88-year-old pope, who was still recovering from pneumonia, did not attend the Easter Mass April 20, but he did appear shortly after noon to give the solemn blessing. With his voice still weak, he wished everyone a Happy Easter and he barely raised his arms as he made the sign of the cross. Pope Francis greets the crowd after delivering his Easter blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world) from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican April 20, 2025. His nurse, Massimil

Pope's funeral set for April 26, public viewing April 23-25

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The funeral Mass of Pope Francis will be celebrated April 26 in St. Peter's Square, the Vatican announced.Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside over the liturgy, which begins a nine-day period of official mourning and daily memorial Masses.The deceased pope's body, which was taken to the chapel of his residence late April 21, the day of his death, will be carried into St. Peter's Basilica for public viewing and prayer early April 23.The public viewing was scheduled to end late April 25 with another prayer service to close the coffin.Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, said the Mass originally scheduled for the Jubilee for Adolescents April 27 would be one of the eight memorial Masses that follow the funeral of the pope. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was secretary of state under Pope Francis, will preside.The rites and rituals for dressing the body, moving it to St. Peter's Basilica and celebrating the funeral

Pope died of stroke, heart failure, coma, Vatican says

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis died April 21 after suffering a stroke and heart failure, said the director of Vatican City State's department of health services. The pope had also gone into a coma."I certify that His Holiness Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936, resident of Vatican City, Vatican citizen, passed away at 7:35 a.m. on 4/21/2025 in his apartment at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, Vatican City, from: cerebral stroke, coma, irreversible cardiovascular collapse," said the statement, signed by the director, Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, and published by the Vatican press office. This file photo shows the Domus Sanctae Marthae at the Vatican Feb. 19, 2023. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) The doctor said the pope also had a history of: "a previous episode of acute respiratory failure due to polymicrobial bilateral pneumonia; multiple bronchiectases; arterial hypertension; and type II diabetes."A heart monitor or E

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