International

From the transfer of the coffin to the funeral, three days to say goodbye to Pope Francis

The public funeral of Pope Francis will begin this Wednesday, with the transfer of the coffin to St. Peter’s Basilica to receive the tribute of the faithful, who will have three days to say goodbye to the pontiff, until Saturday, when the funeral and the funeral of the pontiff will be held.

The coffin with the body of Francisco, who died this Monday at the age of 88 due to a stroke after months of suffering serious respiratory problems, has been veiled since his death in his residence of the Casa Santa Marta at the express request of the pope, who made some changes in the rules to simplify the funerals of the pontiffs.

From today, the faithful, with whom Francisco liked so much to surround themselves to feel his closeness and affection, will be able to go to the basilica to say goodbye during three intense days in which the temple will be open Wednesday and Thursday until midnight.

At 9.00, local time (10.00 GMT), and after a moment of prayer, chaired by the carmarlengo, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, “the translation” of the body will begin, as decided by the 60 cardinals participating this Tuesday in the first general congregation or preparatory meeting for the conclave.

The procession will pass through Santa Marta Square and the Roman Protomartyrs Square and from the Arch of the Bells will exit to St. Peter’s Square and enter the Vatican Basilica through the central door.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

Then on the Altar of Confession, under the canopy, the chamberlened cardinal will preside over the Liturgy of the Word, at the end of which the visit of the faithful will begin.

The funerals will be on Saturday, April 26 at 10.00, local time (8.00 GMT), in St. Peter’s Square, while tomorrow, Wednesday, the coffin will be transferred to the Vatican Basilica to receive the tribute of the faithful.

The ceremony, which is scheduled for the arrival of Heads of State from all over the world, will begin at 10.00 local time (8.00 GMT) and will be officiated by the dean of the college of cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re.

Then, the coffin will be transferred to the basilica of Santa María la Mayor to be buried, as the Argentine pontiff left in his will.

“Thank you for bringing me back to the Square,” Francisco said to his personal health assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, for encouraging him to make his last trip on the papamobile on Sunday, after the Urbi et Orbi blessing, touring St. Peter’s Square among the faithful.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

These words, among the last of the pontiff, according to the Vatican media, show once again the importance that “the pope of the disadvantaged” gave to contact with people, even in their last hours.

“Around 5.30 in the morning the first symptoms appeared, with the prompt intervention of those who took care of him. More than an hour later, after greeting Strappetti, who was lying in bed in his apartment on the second floor of Casa Santa Marta, the pope fell into a coma. He didn’t suffer, everything happened quickly, says someone who was by his side in those last moments,” Vatican news revealed.

According to the date chosen for the funeral and the rules governing the process, the conclave must be held between May 5 and 15, since no more than 20 days should pass and the funerals, the so-called Novediales, in which suffrage masses are held by the late pontiff, cannot be called during the successive days.

Despite having been elected mostly by Pope Francis, the 135 cardinals from 71 countries who will form the conclave that will choose their successor are a heterogeneous group that is not known and without a common idea about the future of the Church, which will make them present themselves in the Sistine Chapel strongly divided.

There are many differences with respect to the conclave that met twelve years ago to elect Jorge Bergoglio: one is the number of cardinal electors, that is, those who are under 80 years old on the day of the pope’s resignation or death, which is much greater than on other occasions, and another, the largest number of countries from which they come.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

International

Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.

During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.

“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.

“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”

Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

20250501_vacunacion-influenza-728x90

20250501_vacunacion_vph-728x90

20231124_etesal_728x90_1

20230601_agenda_primera_infancia_728X90

domfuturo_netview-728x90

20240604_dom_728x90

CEL

On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.

International

Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition

he Vatican’s post offices and select collector shops began selling special edition stamps this week to mark the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.

Known as “Sede Vacante” stamps, they feature an image used on official Vatican documents during the interregnum between popes — two crossed keys without the papal tiara. These stamps went on sale Monday and will remain valid for postal use only until the new pontiff appears at the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards, and parcels. “Once the new pope is elected, the stamps lose their postal validity, but their collectible value rises,” said Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collectors’ shop across from St. Peter’s Square.

The Vatican has issued the stamps in four denominations: €1.25, €1.30, €2.45, and €3.20. Each is inscribed with “Città del Vaticano” and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” — Latin for “Vacant See 2025.”

International

Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may

The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.

The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”

The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”

Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.

The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.