N O L A.C O M
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T u e s d ay, a p r i l 22, 2025
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POPE FRANCIS: Dec. 17, 1936 - April 21, 2025
‘He embraced all people’ Wanted church to be a refuge for everyone
Was willing to shake up scandal-ridden church
Easter blessing was his final public farewell
Cause of death was a stroke that led to heart failure
Recent hospitalization lasted 38 days
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MATT ROURKE
Pope Francis waves to the crowd during a procession in Philadelphia in 2015.
Francis’ humble style charmed the world BY NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday. He was 88. The Vatican said Francis suffered a stroke which led to a coma and his heart to fail, as he recovered from a five-week hospitalization for double pneumonia. His funeral and burial at Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major across town are expected over the weekend. Bells tolled in Catholic churches from his native Argentina to the
Loss of pope felt deeply across N.O.
INSIDE
ä JD Vance was one of last leaders to meet with Pope Francis. Page 4A ä Several cardinals considered frontrunners to be the next Pope. Page 5A ä What happens next? Page 5A Philippines and across Rome as news spread around the world. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived.
ä See POPE, page 4A
BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer
PHOTO PROVIDED By THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Pope Francis is presented with a New Orleans Saints jersey from team owner Gayle Benson during Benson’s 2024 trip to the Vatican.
New Orleans’ half a million Roman Catholics joined their fellow believers around the world Monday to mourn the death of Pope Francis. In a city that is home to the nation’s second-oldest diocese and a culture that is rich with Catholic symbols and traditions, the loss of the pope was felt deeply across the city. James Vincent, a retired teacher and coach at St. Joan of Arc, was among those who made a special trip to Mass on Monday to reflect on the legacy of Francis, who made care for
ä See MOURN, page 4A
With two cases identified in La., hospitals prepping for measles BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer
Before he crossed the hospital room, Dr. Mark Kline already knew what he was looking at. A child admitted to a Dallas hospital in the late 1980s had been sick for days with a fever, rash and no clear diagnosis. “That’s measles,” said Kline, an infectious disease expert who rec-
WEATHER HIGH 78 LOW 69 PAGE 6B
ognized the signs from treating hundreds of cases in Uganda earlier in his career. None of the pediatricians or nurses had considered it. They’d never treated a case. Decades later, the same unfamiliarity with a disease thought to be eliminated could ripple through emergency rooms in Louisiana as hospitals prepare for the possibility of local cases amid a nationwide outbreak.
With two cases identified in Louisiana and vaccination rates slipping below the threshold for community protection, hospitals are preparing by educating their staff on symptoms and reviewing protocols for isolation and contact tracing. Many health care providers in Louisiana have never seen a case outside of a textbook. “Most of them are too young to have actually seen a case with
their own eyes,” said Kline, now physician in chief at Manning Family Children’s in New Orleans. Louisiana’s first case was announced by the state Health Department on Saturday in an unvaccinated adult who had recently traveled internationally was treated for measles at a New Orleansarea hospital. That person is not hospitalized and is now in isolation. As officials contacted others the
Business ......................8A Commentary ................5B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................3B Opinion ........................4B Comics-Puzzles .....3D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
patient had been in contact with, they discovered a second case in a New Orleans-area adult who is no longer infectious, health officials said Monday. Measles is a highly contagious airborne virus that spreads through coughing, sneezing, or even breathing near others. Symptoms usually begin 7-14 days after exposure and
ä See MEASLES, page 6A
12TH yEAR, NO. 253