“He was the closest in a long time that seemed to remember that Christ’s love enveloped believer and [nonbeliever],” the actor wrote in an Instagram post Monday. The “Sister Act” star said Francis was “more like Pope John the 23rd, who made belief real” and who was pope from 1958–1963. Francis was known for his relatively progressive stances on issues like LGBTQ+ rights, the environment and social justice, and he made some members of marginalized groups feel more welcome in the church. Goldberg first met Francis at the Vatican in...

His death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, who will serve as the interim leader of the Catholic Church until a new pope is elected. “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow, I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Farrell said. “At 7:35 this morning, The Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the Father’s house. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His church.” Pope Francis, the 266th pope who served as the first non-European...

More than torture and murder contained liberation theology. The Vatican, headed by Pope John Paul II, refuted its core beliefs. To portray Christ as “a political figure, a revolutionary,” the pope said in 1979, violates Church catechism. There are “social sins” that “cry to heaven,” John Paul said, but to preach to only the poor denies the rich God’s Word and adds to society’s cruelty. To focus only on the people’s non-metaphorical hunger leaves “their hunger for God unsatisfied.” The Vatican either removed from office or reassigned to less influential...

From the Vatican to the Philippines, Catholics around the world are spending Easter Monday mourning the death of Pope Francis. Less than 24 hours before the Vatican's announcement, he had appeared at St Peter's Square to greet worshippers on Easter Sunday - one of the most important dates in the calendar for followers of the faith. The timing of Pope Francis's death is not lost on Catholics. "He [God] chose the most beautiful day for the Christian Church - he couldn't have chosen a better day," said Father Sergio Codera,...

Pope Francis never visited California or his holy namesake’s city by the bay, but in many ways, the heart of his message made a tremendous imprint here. The first pope from Latin America preached about the humanity of immigrants, protecting the environment and famously — and surprisingly — stated about gay people “who am I to judge?” — all themes that resonated in the largely liberal Bay Area. Francis — who first addressed a crowd of adoring well-wishers 14 years ago from St. Peter’s Basilica balcony with a simple “buona...

The Vatican announced that Pope Francis died at the age of 88 on Monday morning. Here are some of the pope's most memorable quotes. Pope Francis often spoke of acceptance and compassion towards fellow man and worked to make the church a more welcoming place to women and the LGBTQ+ community. On Easter, during his last public appearance, the pope called for peace and asked world leaders "not to yield to the logic of fear." During his time at the Vatican, Pope Francis also advocated for the rights of immigrants....

Before he was elected Pope Francis in 2013, he was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 in Buenos Aires. In his youth, he worked as a janitor, a bouncer and eventually trained to work in a food science lab. But surviving bouts of illness , the young Argentinean felt called to join the Society of Jesuits – a path neither he nor his family expected him to take. During his priesthood, Bergoglio worked in some of the most crime-ridden areas of Buenos Aires, aiding in the effort to clean up...

Stars from around the world have begun paying tribute to the Pope following the announcement of his death. The world has reacted with grief to news that the Pontiff passed away at around 7.30am today, after struggling with his health for several months. On Sunday afternoon the leader of the Vatican church blessed thousands of visitors to St Paul’s Square as he made a surprise appearance in a trip in the Popemobile for Easter Sunday. Whoopi Goldberg was one of the first to react to the news and alongside an...

Pope Francis died at age 88 on Monday, April 21, a day after his last public appearance during Easter festivities. He became pope in 2013. In 2015, the pope made his first trip to Cuba and the United States as part of his 10-day itinerary in which he traveled around both nations in recognition of the two countries renewing ties. Here is a look at the coverage: Pope Francis joined hundreds of thousands of the faithful Sunday for the last and biggest event of his joyful, six-day U.S. visit –...