Articles in this Cluster
26-04-2025
Israel’s government issued a delayed, terse condolence message for Pope Francis four days after his death, deleted an earlier warmer post from the official @Israel account, and will send only its Vatican ambassador to the funeral—choices widely seen as signaling displeasure with the Pope’s comments on Gaza. Pope Francis had criticized the humanitarian situation, urged scrutiny of possible genocide, and maintained close contact with Gaza’s Christian community, which earned Palestinian praise. While Israel’s president posted a heartfelt tribute, he is not expected to attend the funeral, possibly due to Shabbat. The restrained response contrasts with higher-level Israeli attendance at past papal funerals and underscores tensions between the Israeli government and the Vatican over the Gaza war.
Entities: Israel, Pope Francis, Gaza, Vatican, Israeli government • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
26-04-2025
Archbishop Paul Gallagher told the BBC that Pope Francis insisted on working to the end, driven by a mission to defend the powerless and “die with his boots on.” Despite ill health and advice to slow down, Francis pursued an intense schedule, visiting over 60 countries and prioritizing migrants and victims of conflict. He often defied caution, including a risky 2015 trip to the Central African Republic, and preferred engaging with ordinary people over dignitaries. Gallagher described him as courageous, compassionate, approachable, and clear-eyed on tough issues, noting his legacy of breaking down barriers between the papacy and the public. Over 250,000 people paid respects ahead of his funeral.
Entities: Pope Francis, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, BBC, Central African Republic, migrants • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: positive • Intent: inform
26-04-2025
José Ignacio Bergoglio, nephew of Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio), recalls his uncle as a loving, humorous father figure who helped fill the gap of growing up without a dad. The family long knew him simply as “Jorge Mario” and accepted that his life—and theirs—would change when he became pope in 2013. José Ignacio vividly remembers collapsing in tears upon hearing “Habemus Papam,” and later receiving a candid, affectionate phone call from his uncle that comforted his mother. As crowds prepare for the funeral in Rome, the family will remain in Argentina, urging people to honor Francis by donating to charity. José Ignacio cherishes their last conversation about his wife’s pregnancy and says Francis’s lasting lesson was to live with solidarity, humility, and commitment—changing the world from within by actively engaging in institutions rather than criticizing from the outside.
Entities: Pope Francis, José Ignacio Bergoglio, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Argentina, Rome • Tone: emotional • Sentiment: positive • Intent: inform
26-04-2025
CBS News will air and stream Pope Francis’ funeral Saturday at 4 a.m. ET (1 a.m. PT), with live coverage anchored from St. Peter’s. The Mass, led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, begins at 10 a.m. local time and is expected to last about 90 minutes, followed by a 30-minute procession to the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where Francis—per his wishes—will be buried in a simple grave marked only “Franciscus.” A replay will run on CBS News 24/7 after about 7 a.m. ET. The conclave to elect the next pope must begin 15–20 days after his death, likely in early to mid-May. Thousands of mourners have visited as he lay in state, and dignitaries including President Biden and former President Trump are expected to attend.
Entities: Pope Francis, CBS News, St. Peter’s, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
26-04-2025
Tens of thousands queued for hours at St. Peter’s Basilica on the final day of Pope Francis’ lying in state, prompting overnight opening as some 150,000 people paid respects by Friday. His coffin will be sealed ahead of Saturday’s funeral in St. Peter’s Square, with 130 delegations—including about 50 heads of state and 10 monarchs—set to attend. Notable attendees include President Biden, former President Trump, Argentina’s President Javier Milei, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, France’s President Macron, and the U.K.’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prince William. The conclave to choose a successor will begin after nine days of mourning, no earlier than May 5. Francis will be buried at St. Mary Major near a beloved Madonna icon, with a simple tombstone inscribed “Franciscus,” and a group of poor and needy will pay homage per his wishes. Relations with Israel remain strained; its Vatican ambassador will attend.
Entities: Pope Francis, Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square, President Joe Biden • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
26-04-2025
Pope Francis was honored in a massive funeral at St. Peter’s Square attended by 250,000 people and over 160 official delegations, including global leaders like Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, António Guterres, and Prince William. Remembered as a “pope of the people,” he was praised by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re for his compassion, informal style, and steadfast advocacy for migrants and the marginalized. The ceremony reflected Francis’ own simplified funeral plans, emphasizing the papacy as pastoral service. After the Mass, his coffin was to be taken by popemobile to Rome’s St. Mary Major Basilica—where he chose to be buried—fitting his devotion to the Madonna icon there and ties to the Jesuit order. Forty representatives of groups he championed—homeless people, migrants, prisoners, and transgender people—were to greet him at the basilica. Francis died at 88; preparations for a conclave to elect his successor will begin, likely in early May.
Entities: Pope Francis, St. Peter’s Square, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, St. Mary Major Basilica, Donald Trump • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: positive • Intent: inform
26-04-2025
At Pope Francis’ funeral, during the Sign of Peace, U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron exchanged a handshake, symbolically expressing peace and unity as part of the rite.
Entities: Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, Pope Francis, United States, France • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
26-04-2025
CNN’s Anderson Cooper retraces the planned funeral procession route for Pope Francis in Rome, highlighting the path to the pontiff’s final resting place and providing on-the-ground context ahead of the ceremony. The video is part of a roundup of top news clips featured on CNN.
Entities: Anderson Cooper, Pope Francis, Rome, CNN, funeral procession • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
26-04-2025
CNN outlines the secretive conclave process to choose the next pope and highlights five cardinals to watch who could shape the Roman Catholic Church’s future direction. The segment emphasizes the global makeup of the College of Cardinals, the stakes for church leadership and policy, and the significance of the selection following Pope Francis’s funeral and burial in Rome.
Entities: Pope Francis, College of Cardinals, Roman Catholic Church, Vatican, Rome • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
26-04-2025
Pope Francis’ funeral will be held Saturday at 10:00 a.m. in Rome (4:00 a.m. ET) on the parvis of St. Peter’s Basilica, with Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re presiding and over 200,000 attendees expected. The Mass will follow traditional Catholic funeral rites, including the Penitential Act, readings (Acts, Psalm 23, Philippians), Gospel, homily, Eucharist, and final commendation, with chants like Requiem Aeternam and “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.” Francis will be buried in a wooden casket at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The nine-day Novendiali period begins with the funeral and continues with daily memorial Masses in the Vatican Basilica from April 27 to May 3, 2025, each presided over by different senior cardinals and designated for various Vatican communities and Church bodies.
Entities: Pope Francis, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, St. Peter’s Basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore, Novendiali • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
26-04-2025
Italy has mounted an unprecedented, maximum-level security operation for Pope Francis’s funeral, intensified by his wish to be buried outside the Vatican and an hour-long procession through Rome. Thousands of officers, including Carabinieri special units (bomb squad, dogs, snipers, helicopters), are deployed alongside anti-drone measures, fighter jets, and a naval destroyer. A multi-agency control room integrates police, military, intelligence, firefighters, and more to monitor St Peter’s and the city. With hundreds of thousands of mourners and numerous world leaders attending, authorities aim to manage both petty crime and major threats amid visible yet cordial policing. The operation concludes after the funeral as Rome returns to normal.
Entities: Italy, Pope Francis, Vatican, Rome, Carabinieri • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
26-04-2025
The Vatican released the full order of service for Pope Francis’s funeral, expected to draw over 200,000 people and 130 delegations to St Peter’s Square. Led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the roughly 2.5-hour, largely Latin ceremony includes the entrance antiphon, Penitential Act, opening prayer, readings from Acts and Philippians, Psalm 23, a Gospel from John (Jesus’ charge to Peter), homily, and universal prayers. Unlike most predecessors, Francis will be buried at Rome’s Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore rather than St Peter’s Basilica. Sky News will broadcast live coverage from 8am.
Entities: Pope Francis, Vatican, St Peter’s Square, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
26-04-2025
Sky News outlines attendees and absences for Pope Francis’s funeral at St Peter’s Basilica. Confirmed attendees include Prince William (on behalf of King Charles), UK PM Sir Keir Starmer, US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Argentina’s Javier Milei, Brazil’s President Lula da Silva (with a seven-day national mourning declared), and EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen, Antonio Costa, and Roberta Metsola. A wide array of global leaders and royals from Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific are also listed, including Germany’s President Steinmeier and outgoing Chancellor Scholz, Italy’s President Mattarella and PM Meloni, Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, and many others.
Not attending: Russia’s Vladimir Putin (who sent condolences), Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy (now expected not to attend despite earlier expectations), and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu (the ambassador will represent Israel amid strained Vatican-Israel relations since the Gaza war). Coverage begins 8am on Sky News.
Entities: Pope Francis, St Peter’s Basilica, Prince William, Sir Keir Starmer, Donald Trump • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
26-04-2025
Pope Francis was laid to rest in a grand Requiem Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, drawing hundreds of thousands of mourners, world leaders, and clergy. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re praised Francis’s pastoral, inclusive vision and humble style, underscoring his focus on mercy, social justice, and care for migrants and the marginalized. The ceremony highlighted Francis’s efforts to make the Church a “home for all,” including allowing broader clergy participation. Attendees included President Trump, President Zelensky, and European leaders, reflecting Francis’s global impact and the tensions of the current geopolitical moment. As cardinals prepare for the conclave to choose his successor, the Church faces a pivotal choice on whether to continue or recalibrate Francis’s direction on inclusion, governance, and global outreach. Francis, remembered for symbolic gestures of humility and solidarity with the poor, requested burial near a revered Marian icon in a different Roman basilica.
Entities: Pope Francis, St. Peter’s Basilica, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, President Donald Trump, President Volodymyr Zelensky • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: positive • Intent: inform
26-04-2025
The New York Times interactive highlights notable attendees at Pope Francis’s funeral, situating the event within broader global coverage. Surrounding links feature international reporting on topics including a probe into Therme’s dealmaking in Ontario, crackdowns on narco-themed music in Mexico, intensifying political and legal debates over sex and gender in the U.S. and Europe, and local backlash to prolonged tourism in Rovaniemi, Finland.
Entities: Pope Francis, The New York Times, Ontario, Therme, Mexico • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
26-04-2025
Kielce Gussie, a 28-year-old American reporter for Vatican News, delivered the first reading at Pope Francis’s funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square, reading Acts 10:34-43—a passage selected by Francis. Raised in Florida and a theology graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University, Gussie has worked in Rome since 2019 and joined Vatican News in 2024. She called the honor a meaningful farewell, noting her last personal memory of the pope was receiving a birthday blessing, and reflected on his frailty and dedication “until the end.”
Entities: Kielce Gussie, Pope Francis, Vatican News, St. Peter’s Square, Acts 10:34-43 • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: respectful • Intent: inform
