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VOL. XXXIX • NO. 66 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2025
Francis, People’s Pope, dies 88-year-old pontiff to be laid to rest outside Vatican
P
OPE Francis, an energetic reformer who inspired widespread devotion from Catholics but riled traditionalists, died on Monday aged 88.
Engagement with LGBTQ+ Communities 2024
Pope Francis held a private meeting with LGBTQ+ activists, including transgender individuals, to discuss the Church’s stance on gender-affirming care.
On Economic Inequality 2013
(Evangelii Gaudium) – He criticized “trickle-down economics,” stating that it “expresses a crude and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power.”
Pope Mercy
The 2019
of
Pope Francis established the Section for Migrants & Refugees within the Vatican to coordinate global Catholic responses to migration crises.
On the Environment & Climate Change 2019
(Amazon Synod) – He championed the protection of the Amazon rainforest and indigenous peoples’ rights.
View on Divorce & Remarriage 2019
Pope Francis endorsed a Vatican document emphasizing mercy and accompaniment for those in irregular marriages.
Expanding Women’s Roles in the Church 2014
Pope Francis stated that the Church must develop a deeper theology of women’s roles, advocating for greater inclusion.
“
The Lord never tires of forgiving. It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness.
“
For Immigrants and Refugees
Dubbed “the people’s Pope,” the Argentine pontiff will go down in history as a radical pontiff and a champion of underdogs who forged a more compassionate Catholic Church while stopping short of overhauling centuries-old dogma. The first pope from the Americas and the southern hemisphere, Francis staunchly defended the most disadvantaged, from migrants to communities battered by climate change, which he warned was a crisis caused by humankind. The leader of the Catholic Church since March 2013, he spent 38 days being treated for double pneumonia at Rome’s Gemelli hospital before seeming to recover, leaving the facility on March 23. Next page
IN MEMORIAM. Pope Francis greets a joyful crowd in Manila, top photo, while wearing a yellow rain poncho during his Apostolic Visit to the Philippines in January 2015, braving the rain to connect with thousands of faithful gathered to see him. Top left photo shows the pontiff waving to the crowd at the entrance of the Manila Cathedral. Center left photo shows the Holy Father reaching out of his vehicle to kiss a baby thrust upon him during his Manila visit. Bottom left photo shows Leyte 1st District Representative Martin G. Romualdez greeting Pope Francis upon his arrival in Tacloban City where he celebrated mass and delivered an emotional message of God’s mercy and compassion to the victims of Super typhoon Yolanda. Edd Castro, Revoli Cortez, Ver Noveno.
Next steps PBBM, top solons join 86m Catholics in mourning ‘Lolo Kiko’ in choosing the papal successor
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the nity worldwide in grieving the Pontiff’s that to be a good Christian is to extend By Charles Dantes, Maricel V. Cruz, kindness and care to one another. His Ram Superable and Vito Barcelo Philippines (CBCP), meanwhile, called loss, calling it “a profoundly sad day.”
THE death of Pope Francis yesterday sets in motion centuries-old traditions which will culminate in the election by cardinals of a new pontiff—but with a few changes. Here is how the process unfolds:
Sede Vacante The Catholic Church enters a period known as “Sede Vacante” (Vacant See) during which a senior cardinal takes over day-to-day affairs until a new pope is elected. The cardinal, referred to as the “camerlengo” (“chamberlain”), in this case will be Irish-American Kevin Farrell, appointed to the role by Francis in February 2019. Next page
THE country’s leaders joined its estimated 86 million Roman Catholics in mourning the passing of Pope Francis, still fondly remembered for his visit to survivors of super typhoon Yolanda in Leyte province.
on all churches in the nation’s 3,656 parishes to ring their bells in remembrance of Saint Peter’s 265th successor. In a Facebook post yesterday afternoon, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said Filipinos are one with the Catholic commu-
“A man of profound faith and humility, Pope Francis led not only with wisdom but with a heart open to all, especially the poor and the forgotten,” the chief executive wrote. “By example, Pope Francis taught us
humility brought many back to the fold of the Church. As we mourn his passing, we honor a life that brought hope and compassion to so many, and inspired us to love one another as Christ Next page
World leaders remember ‘beacon of compassion’ WORLD leaders remembered Pope Francis as “a beacon of compassion,” reacting with sadness after the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics died on Monday. “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis,” the US presidency wrote on X, accompanied by photos of the pontiff meeting President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on separate occasions. Vance, a Catholic convert who just
met with the pontiff in the Vatican on Sunday, said his “heart goes out to millions of Christians all over the world who loved him.” “I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill.” The Argentine pontiff, leader of the Catholic Church since March 2013, spent 38 days being treated for double pneumonia in a Rome hospital before seeming to recover and leaving the fa-
cility on March 23. Care for both people and planet King Charles III said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of Pope Francis, and that he had been “greatly moved” to visit him earlier this month with his wife Queen Camilla. “Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly Next page
Balikatan 2025 kicks off showcasing state-of-the-art weapons By Rex Espiritu
PH junks China’s intrusion claim in Scarborough Shoal NEWS / A2
THE Philippine and United States militaries yesterday kicked off three weeks of joint exercises that will simulate a “full-scale battle scenario,” as the two allies seek to strengthen defense coop-
eration in the face of China’s expansionist moves in the South China Sea. Some 18,000 troops are expected to take part in the annual “Balikatan,” or “shoulder-to-shoulder” drills, which for the first time will include an integrated air and missile defense simulation to be
attended by President Ferdinand Marcos. Approximately 6,000 AFP personnel were deployed for the drills, mainly from Northern Luzon Command and Western Command. The US deployed approximately 12,000 Next page
ALYANSA BETS STILL DOMINATE RACE FOR SENATE SEATS—SWS NEWS / A3