Pope Francis

Timothy Schmalz an 'artistic soldier' for Francis

Text of the final “Urbi et Orbi” Easter Sunday message from Pope Francis delivered at the Mass presided over by the Delegate of the Holy Father, Cardinal Angelo Comastri.

How fitting – how Francis! – that the Holy Father’s final day on earth was spent in part meeting with U.S. Vice-President JD Vance to press the case for Christian charity toward migrants and refugees.

In his brief final testament, Pope Francis asked to be buried at Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major and said he had offered his suffering for peace in the world.

Just as hundreds of people had gathered at the Vatican each night to recite the rosary when Pope Francis was hospitalized, throngs returned to recite the Marian prayer for the repose of his soul after his death.

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.

With his death April 21, Pope Francis marked yet another first in the history of the Catholic Church: he became the first pope to open the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica without living to close it.

Asserting that the Catholic Church needed the gifts and experiences of women, Pope Francis appointed several women to top positions in the Roman Curia, including the first female prefect of a major dicastery.

It is with profound sadness that I join my brother Bishops, as well as the Catholic faithful in Canada and those around the world, to mourn the loss of our Holy Father, Pope Francis.

The 12-year papacy of Pope Francis has been like a freight train. It began slowly with more smoke than movement. However, as time passed, the Pope built a full head of steam and rumbled through the Catholic Church in ways that will not be easily halted.