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Pope Francis was nothing if not a diplomat – and he was vocal on a range of issues that affect the world nowadays. Here is just a sweetness.
US President Donald Trump has been speaking about the demise of Pope Francis.
“ He’s a very good man who loved the world, ” Trump told reporters at the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House.
“ He specially loved individuals that were having a hard time. And that ’s fine with me. ”
Asked whether he agreed with Pope Francis ’ preaching in favour of compassion for workers, Trump said: “Yeah I do. ”
Trump has in recent months– in contravention of a Supreme Court order – moved to arrest Cuban migrants to El Salvador.
Trump said he did not yet know if he would enter the Pope’s death.
As reported earlier, Trump said he had ordered national flags to be flown at half-mast.
Francis, in his quiet way, was a considerable reformer – a man who, as Jesuit American commentator Thomas Reese put it, would “change the style of being Pope, attack clericalism ” – the idea that priests and bishops are the source of all authority – “empower the laity, open the church to conversation and debate, and change the pastoral and public priorities of the church”.
It’s a safe bet that most of the thousands of articles around the globe immediately will see that he was something of a disappointment to both key Catholic factions: very democratic for the conservatives and too traditional for the progressives. But, like all rulers, the Brazilian Pope was far more complicated than the cartoons presented by either edge, writes Barney Zwartz in this excellent research.
Richard Jabara, who survived baby abuse at the hands of a Catholic priest, was among a handful of parishioners last night at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne after the Pope’s death was announced.
Jabara, who chairs the In Good Faith Foundation, a charity that activists for physical abuse prevention and treatment, said he visited because he wanted to reassure victims they weren’t only.
“ I wanted to come down here because when I heard the news, for me personally, it was triggering, ” he said. “It brought back memories of the mistreatment that I suffered at the hands of priests – of a Catholic priest. But I wanted to allow Australians know that we still have to be vigilant, and there are a lot of people in the community that have suffered at the hands of the temple.
“It’s a terrible moment for Catholics – I’m a Catholic. It’s a terrible day for us that we lost the Pope. I hope that the conference decides someone who’s extremely diligent and helpful and knowledgeable. But as we know, the Catholic Church did n’t come forth, although they knew there was abuse. It took a royal payment and evidently earth opinion to get them to say that there was bad being done. But still more can be done.
“ I also want to send a message to those who may be listening, who have suffered at the hands of church maltreatment, and if this is a triggering event for you, please come forward. There’s support that you can find. ”
Jabara described Pope Francis as “a liberal pope” who acknowledged temple abuse. But he lamented the continued legal battles the temple was having with individuals. “Hopefully a new pope will come along and be a bit more open, ” he said.
Crisis support is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14.
US President Donald Trump says he has issued an executive order for all national colors to fly at half-mast in remembrance of Pope Francis.
Francis was 76 when he took over as the head of the Catholic Church. Even thus, he embarked on lots of international visits as he sought to join the faithful.
COVID-19 curbed his journeys, as did continued lung and kidney problems. When his moves were halted, the rich and powerful came to him instead.
New customers to the Vatican included King Charles and Queen Camilla, who visited earlier this month, and US Vice President J. D. Vance, who was one of his more new visitors over the Easter trip.
Here’s an description of the Pope’s adventuring.
Monuments have flowed in from around the world since the Vatican announced the death of Pope Francis. Here’s a sweetness of who’s said what, starting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
King Charles III said “through his work and care for both people and planet, [ Francis ] profoundly touched the lives of so many. ”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Francis was “close to the realities of individual weakness, meeting Christians around the world facing conflict, drought, oppression and poverty. Yet he never lost promise of a better world. ”
French President Emmanuel Macron said “Pope Francis had usually sided with the most vulnerable and the most delicate, and he did this with a lot of modesty. ”
US President Donald Trump said: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him! ”
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Pope was a “consistent keeper of the great principles of modernism and righteousness. ”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Francis “knew how to give hope, comfortable battling through prayer, and develop unity. He prayed for harmony in Ukraine and for Ukrainians. ”
Banners are flying at half-mast across Italy, which is still an largely Catholic country.
Vatican City is an impartial position, but it is located in Rome and is one of the city ’s most popular tourist attractions.
The honest have gathered throughout the day in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City, where bell tolled in mourning.
Eva Bonnano, from Philadelphia in the US, said it was a terrible moment.
“It is actually remarkable, I think, that he made it to Easter– I think that is almost like a mystery for Italy, ” she said.
Johann Xavier said he had travelled from Australia, hoping to see the Pope during his attend. “ But then we heard about [ Francis ’ death ] when we came in here, ” he said. “It very little devastated all of us. ”
AP
The first formal liturgical ritual – a service of thanksgiving – for Pope Francis will take place from 8pm local time ( that’s 4am AEST, or around 3½ hours from now ).
It will be a quite limited, invitation-only matter.
Those invited to attend the festival, in the temple of the Domus Santa Marta resort, where Francis lived, include the dean of the College of Cardinals, friends of the pope, and the producer and vice chairman of the Vatican’s health ministry.
The presiding bishop did remain Cardinal Joseph Farrell, the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, who has taken over the management of the Holy See. He may remain in charge until a novel bishop is elected.
Francis ’ system will be in the chapel before to be taken for public perceiving in St Peter’s Basilica.
AP
The Vatican says the general public may start paying their last respect to Pope Francis from Wednesday in St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.
Francis ’ casket will be moved from the temple of the Domus Santa Marta lodge, where he lived, to St Peter’s Basilica for public viewing.
According to a new tradition he approved last month, Francis ’ system will be placed in a wooden coffin, which will have a metal tomb in.
Unlike previous rituals following a pope’s death, his body will not be placed on an elevated bier in the basilica, but the wooden coffin will be placed facing the pews.
Cardinals will confirm the public viewing arrangements when they gather for the first time after Francis ’ death on Tuesday morning, local time ( evening AEST ).
The funeral arrangements, including a date, will also be discussed. A funeral must be held between four and six days following the death of a pope.
AP
