Pope Francis’ famous exhortation to Catholic youth just months after being elected the 266th pope of the Catholic Church in March 2013 was “Hagan lio!” — “make a mess!” Twelve years later, upon his death Easter Monday morning at age 88, it’s fair to say that Francis took his own advice, making a mess of his pontificate and leaving the Catholic Church in a state of confusion and disarray.

It’s 3 a.m. as I lie sleepless on a bunk bed in Jena, Louisiana, far from my wife, Noor, who will give birth to our baby in two weeks. The sound of rain hitting the metal roof masks the snoring of 70 men tossing and turning on hard mats in this detention facility run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Which ones are dreaming about reuniting with their families? Which ones are having nightmares about becoming the Trump administration’s next “administrative error”?

As we approach Earth Day this Tuesday, it’s tempting to believe that the world is on the brink of environmental collapse. We are constantly inundated by dire predictions of climate catastrophe and warnings about the planet’s imminent destruction.

But this is misleading. Rather than spiraling into panic, we should take a moment to appreciate the remarkable progress we’ve made in improving the environment, and acknowledge that a key factor is prosperity.

When Earth Day was first marked 55 years ago, the world faced some grim environmental challenges.

In his second term, President Trump has promised to make America meritocratic again. In his joint address to Congress, he declared: “We believe that whether you are a doctor, an accountant, a lawyer or an air-traffic controller, you should be hired and promoted based on skill and competence, not race or gender.”

In the 12 years since Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis on March 13, 2013, we’ve witnessed a rapid expansion of LGBTQ rights around the world. The pope’s death Monday is a reminder of the surprising ways his papacy was part of that wave of acceptance. 

On the menu today: The week begins with news somehow simultaneously shocking and expected — Pope Francis is dead at age 88. Meanwhile, back in the U.S., laying out the case that Kilmar Abrego Garcia must be brought back to the United States so he can be deported to El Salvador a second time in accordance with the law; some more rattles in the American economic engine; and a disgraced politician of the Covid era continues his comeback in the New York City mayor’s race.

Pope Francis Has Died

When Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the 266th pope in 2013, it marked a series of firsts. He was the first Jesuit pope and, as an Argentine, the first from outside Europe. Yet his legacy as Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at age 88, was disappointing even on the priorities he set for his papacy.

Ignoring it won’t make it go away.

Cnn must broadcast from another planet.

Network correspondent Donie O’Sullivan suggested recently — with a straight face — that political violence in the United States is almost entirely a right-wing phenomenon and that there simply is "no equivalent on the left."

This isn’t just untrue. It’s dangerous.

Bret Stephens: Gail, any strong feelings on whether Jerome Powell should remain chairman of the Federal Reserve?

Gail Collins: Gee, Bret. Do I think the Fed chairman should be bounced for calling President Trump’s maniacal tariff plans “very fundamental policy changes?” Hmm.

Bret: What Powell meant to say is, “This is the stupidest @$*%# idea since the French cavalry suited up in armor at Agincourt.”

Across the country, cannabis users today will celebrate 4/20, a day synonymous with the plant's consumption and a symbol of its growing acceptance.

But for thousands of people still incarcerated for cannabis-related offenses, 4/20 is not a day of celebration; it’s a reminder of an unjust system that has yet to make amends.