Please fasten your seatbelts, it’s about to get turbulent
Iliked him. I really liked him. I really, really liked him.
I’m talking about Pope Francis. When my Apple Watch buzzed early on Easter Monday morning, I couldn’t believe the notification. I thought that maybe I wasn’t reading things clearly without my glasses. But the news was true: The pope had died. I broke down and cried because I knew how much I’d miss him.
So many others have stated more eloquently his impact on the church and the world. You read some of those tributes in last week’s special issue of The Leaven.
I had to say something here, though, about how deeply he touched me. Most challenging were his observations about how we’ve become such a “consumerist” and “throwaway” culture. I stand guilty. I’ve spent much of my life thinking that my “wants” were actually “needs.” And that’s led to an overabundant lifestyle at the expense of the poor. (Oh, how easy to hit that “order” button online without a second thought.)
Thanks to Pope Francis, I’m starting to hear more clearly the cries of the poor — people we often treat as “throwaways.” Money selfishly spent on my wants is now being channeled much more often to those who genuinely have needs. His simple lifestyle, like choosing to live in the Vatican guesthouse instead of the Apostolic
MARK MY WORDS
Palace, has inspired me to pare down my possessions.
His concern for the environment made me aware of how I waste resources like water, food, electricity and gas. I’m much more conscious now of conservation and recycling, to leave a better world for those who will come after me. Whenever I’m tempted to complain about demands from people not on the parish roster or who rarely darken the church door, I hear Pope Francis’ voice calling me to generously head to the “peripheries” and serve all who are in need with kindness and mercy.
When I want to shake my fist and scream at all that’s wrong in the world, Pope Francis reminds me that I’m to be a pilgrim of hope and do all that I can to bring a sense of joy to folks walking about in despair and darkness.
These aren’t pro-
found thoughts, but they’re heartfelt. All I can say is: Thank you, Pope Francis, for your wisdom and witness. You’ve made me a better man, a better Christian and a better priest.
So, what’s next for the church? This issue of The Leaven explores in detail the process of electing a new pope, known as a conclave. Although an exciting process, thank God it’s not a frequent one.
Back in the early summer of 1978, I’d just finished my first year of theology at the North American College in Rome. While I was studying for a couple of months in Staufen, Germany, Pope Paul VI died on Aug. 6. I was saddened by that but also bummed to miss out on a conclave since I still had another month of German study to go.
Not only did I miss out on the conclave that elected Pope John Paul I, I also missed his entire papacy! Sadly, after only 33 days, he died, and another conclave was convened.
Well, I didn’t miss this one. I was in St. Peter’s Square the evening of Oct. 16, 1978, when Pope John Paul II was elected and
introduced. I’ll never forget the confusion as Italians around me were stunned that a Polish cardinal — “Yes, from Poland!” they kept saying — was elected pope, the first time a non-Italian would be the Successor of St. Peter in 455 years. (His redeeming feature, though, for those Italians was that “he’d studied in Rome” and came out on the balcony speaking in Italian.)
My, how things have changed since then. No one in the square that night had a “telefonino” (cellphone) or a tablet — since they weren’t yet invented. We only knew “the players” by consulting a hard copy of L’Osservatore Romano, the daily newspaper of
Vatican City State, that had photos and brief biographical information on each of the 111 cardinal-electors. There were also no huge video screens in the square, so you had to just squint to try and see the new pope.
Just as the world has changed technologically since then, so too has journalism. Everything happens now at a breakneck pace. Our special — unexpected — issue last week on Pope Francis was compiled in two days (Monday and Tuesday) so we could get it to the printer by our normal deadline. And the next few weeks will be at least as crazy.
We’re one of maybe two diocesan newspapers dealing not only with the installation of
Editor’s note
The pace of change in both the local and the universal church in recent weeks has upended The Leaven’s usual spring schedule. Please bear with us. All the coverage you are used to seeing at this time of year will resume just as soon as we are able. In the meantime, you’re missing out if you’re not following The Leaven (@ theleavenkc) on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X, where we are featuring everything from photos of Archbishop Shawn McKnight’s visit to various ministries in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas last week, to stories on preparations for the May 7 conclave in Rome.
a new pope this month, but also with the installation of a new archbishop. So, the next few issues of the paper will look different. Please be patient with our staff . . . and send some prayers our way as well! You can keep up with things in the meantime by following us on social media. (See the sidebar.)
Shirley Chisholm, the first Black U.S. congresswoman, once said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” Since no cardinal invited us to the conclave table, let us be your folding chair!
Welcome Archbishop Shawn McKnight to the archdiocese with a congratulatory ad in The Leaven
The Leaven is preparing a special edition to commemorate the installation of Archbishop-designate Shawn McKnight. Those interested in placing a congratulatory advertisement in the May 30 issue of The Leaven to welcome the new shepherd of the Catholic Church in northeast Kansas should send an email to: todd.habiger@theleaven.org by May 9 to reserve your space. Deadline to submit finished ads (high resolution PDFs are preferred) is May 16. Space is limited.
FATHER MARK GOLDASICH
Father Mark is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989.
PHOTO BY STEFANO SPAZIANI
Father Mark Goldasich talks about how Pope Francis influenced him — as a priest and a person.
All eyes turn to Rome
By John Sorce john.sorce@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — As the Catholic Church continues to mourn the loss of Pope Francis, it also looks ahead to the upcoming conclave with anticipation.
The Leaven asked some archdiocesan Catholics for their thoughts on the conclave, their memories of past popes and their hopes for the future.
CONCLAVE
Q. Are you trying to keep up with the developments in Rome and in the days ahead, will you be following the preparations for the conclave?
“Yes, I’m following the developments with interest. I attended a packed Mass that our parish priest, Father Carter Zielinski, held for the Holy Father. I receive a daily message from a reliable Catholic news source.”
– Cindy Durbin parishioner of Sacred Heart, Emporia, and retired educator
“Yes, I have been following along on EWTN and I’m familiar with the process of the conclave. As a child growing up in the church, I have experienced the different processes that go along with the conclave.”
– Gary Washington parishioner of Our Lady & St. Rose, Kansas City, Kansas, Knight of Peter Claver, and a police sergeant
Q. Have you watched the coverage of past conclaves on TV and do you expect to do so this time?
“I remember when Pope Francis’ papacy was announced. I was an eighth grader at Sacred Heart in Shawnee. During class time, we had televisions running, awaiting the announcement of our next Holy Father. It was something I never thought I would experience at such a young age, as I did not anticipate the retirement of Pope Benedict XVI. Experiencing the election of Pope Francis and seeing the excitement in the crowd in Vatican City was something I will never forget.”
— Molly McKeithan parishioner of Sacred Heart, Tonganoxie, and advancement director at the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center, Lawrence
“I remember being shocked with the rest of the Catholic world when Pope John Paul I passed away after only a 33-day papacy in the late 1970s. When Pope John Paul II was elected, I remember the white smoke and all the celebrations. When Pope John Paul II passed away, I was teaching in an Emporia public school. All classrooms had televisions, and I watched his funeral Mass most of the day.”
– Durbin
Q. Can you remember the first time you heard a pope had been elected? Which pope was it and what was that moment like for you?
“Pope Benedict XVI was the first pope election I remember in my lifetime. I was a baby when John Paul II was elected in October of 1978.”
– Michaela Comstock parishioner and communications coordinator at St. Ann, Prairie Village
“The first time I heard about a new pope was with St. John Paul II and even [though] I was little, I remember my parents being so excited and talking to us about the white smoke, which made more sense to me when I saw it with Pope Francis. I remember that I was so excited and amazed to experience that.”
— Veronica Olivarez parishioner of St. Paul, Olathe, and director of religious education at Good Shepherd, Shawnee
Q. What qualities do you hope to see in the next pope?
“In today’s world of constant distraction and instant gratification, many young people have lost their sense of wonder and don’t realize the beauty and necessity of our faith. I want the next pope to have a love of the beauty and wonder of the Catholic faith and show the world that this isn’t just a set of rules to follow, but rather an exciting, intricate and wonderful love story between the soul and Christ.”
– Charles Rziha parishioner of St. Benedict Church in Atchison and senior at Maur Hill-Mount Academy, Atchison
“I hope that the new pope would never allow political and nonspiritual points of view interfere with any decisions he would have to make.”
—Winder McConnell parishioner of Sacred Heart, Tonganoxie, and former professor of German at the University of California-Davis
Atchison monk will watch for white smoke
By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
ROME — Father Daniel McCarthy, OSB, remembers the moment Pope Benedict XVI was elected on April 19, 2005.
“I ran upriver and across to be in the piazza when Benedict was announced,” said Father Daniel.
“It was pretty exciting,” he continued. “You’re there as [the church is] making history. There was this whole crowd and everyone’s listening. Everyone wants to know who it is.
“And all the bells all over town are ringing because they mark a change of pontificate.”
Father Daniel is a monk of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison. He’s lived in Rome for all but five years since 1999, where he works on the liturgy faculty at The Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant’Anselmo.
He was in London for the Easter holiday when Pope Francis died on April 21 and expected the city to be bustling when he returned before the conclave.
“The excitement is having all the cardinals come,” he said. “They’ll be in town, and they’ll be at dinners out at restaurants.
“I don’t know if we’ll have any guests at Sant’Anselmo in our guest quarters. We normally don’t host cardinals, but [at] the [Pontifical] North American College in Rome, where our seminarians live, they have quarters just for the American cardinals.”
The atmosphere around the Vatican had already been full of energy before the pope passed away, said Father Daniel.
“This is a Holy Year, and Rome has been expecting 35 million pilgrims just for the Holy Year on top of tourists,” he said. “The city’s becoming very full.”
Father Daniel arrived in London on Holy Saturday and didn’t expect the pope to pass away since he was out
prayer was a consolation to my brother, his wife Eleanor and myself.”
Where there’s white smoke there’s a pope. When to watch
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The cardinals who enter the Sistine Chapel May 7 to elect a new pope use smoke signals to communicate with the outside world.
Black smoke indicates they have cast their votes without anyone garnering the necessary two-thirds majority, while white smoke confirms that the Catholic Church has a new pope.
The best time to be in St. Peter’s Square to see the smoke is just after 7 p.m. on May 7, the first day of the conclave; and on the following days at 10:30 a.m. and noon, and again at 5:30 p.m. and just after 7 p.m.
Predicting when the smoke will rise from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel is not an exact science. The time needed for the cardinals’ prayers, discussions and vote counting can vary.
The rules for a conclave are contained in the apostolic constitution, “Universi Dominici Gregis” (“Shepherd of the Lord’s Whole Flock”), which was issued by St. John Paul II in 1996 and amended by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 and again in 2013.
After the cardinals process into the Sistine Chapel to start the conclave and take their oaths of secrecy, the papal master of liturgical ceremonies proclaims “extra omnes” (“everyone out”), and the cardinals listen to 90-year-old Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, who they chose to offer a meditation “concerning the grave duty incumbent on them and thus on the need to act with right intention for the good of the Universal Church.”
After that, there are prayers and an explanation of the rules for the election of a pope.
Then, the cardinals decide whether they want to cast their first ballots that same evening. The cardinals chose to have a first ballot in the evening during the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict and the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis.
The cardinals’ ballots, mixed with a chemical coloring, are burned in a stove in the Sistine Chapel.
In 2005, the black smoke from the first ballot was seen at 8:05 p.m. In 2013, black smoke from the first ballot was spotted at 7:41 p.m.
I RAN UPRIVER AND ACROSS TO BE IN THE PIAZZA WHEN BENEDICT WAS ANNOUNCED. IT WAS PRETTY EXCITING. YOU’RE THERE AS [THE CHURCH IS] MAKING HISTORY.
FATHER DANIEL MCCARTHY, OSB
and about the day before.
“He insisted on greeting people, and it’s so lovely that he did,” said Father Daniel. “He came to greet all the faithful and pilgrims at Easter Sunday liturgy.”
Father Daniel met Pope Francis during an anniversary celebration for Sant’Anselmo on May 7, 2022.
“I asked him to pray for my brother Mike who underwent open heart surgery the next day,” he said. “His
It wasn’t the first time Father Daniel had come close to a pope.
Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI both visited Sant’Anselmo for special Ash Wednesday liturgies.
“The tradition is that the pope comes to Sant’Anselmo where I live and says a prayer,” he said, “and then, we all walk with him in procession to Santa Sabina, where he presides at the Eucharist with the distribution of ashes.”
“One of the reasons they do the liturgy like this in different places around town is because the pope is pastor, in a sense, of the whole city,” he said.
Father Daniel hoped the next pope would have a pastoral care for the people and looked forward to how the conclave would play out.
“Each pope made a contribution to the ongoing life of the church,” he said. “I look forward to the gift the next pope will bring.”
On the second day of the conclave and moving forward, there can be four rounds of voting each day, but only two smoke signals. That is because if the first ballot of the morning or of the afternoon session does not result in an election, a second vote begins immediately, and the two ballots are burned together.
During the conclave that elected Pope Francis, the set schedule called for the cardinals to celebrate Mass each morning at 8:15 a.m. in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace and then go into the Sistine Chapel at 9:30 a.m. After a brief prayer, the first ballot of the day was to be cast, meaning that if a pope were elected, the smoke would be seen at about 10:30 a.m. If no candidate received the required twothirds of the votes, the cardinals would vote again and the two ballots would be burned at about noon, before the cardinals were to return to the Domus Sanctae Marthae for lunch and an afternoon break. If this conclave follows the schedule set in 2013, the cardinals would return to the Sistine Chapel at 4 p.m. and continue voting. If someone were to be elected on the first afternoon ballot, the smoke would be visible at about 5:30 p.m. If no one were elected, the smoke from evening ballots would come shortly before the cardinals were to return to the Domus Sanctae Marthae at about 7:30 p.m. for dinner and to sleep.
PHOTO COURTESY OF FATHER DANIEL MCCARTHY, OSB
Father Daniel McCarthy, OSB, met Pope Francis on May 7, 2022. Father Daniel is a monk of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison. He’s lived in Rome for all but five years since 1999, where he works on the liturgy faculty at The Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant’Anselmo.
CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING
Pope Francis leads a service at the Basilica of Sant’Anselmo before celebrating Ash Wednesday Mass at the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome March 6, 2019.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
The front-runner among papal candidates currently serving in the Roman Curia would be Italian native Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, who has served as the Holy See’s secretary of state since 2013. Since age 31, he has spent his ministry as priest and bishop in the service of the Vatican’s diplomatic corps. His tenure as secretary of state was seen widely as a moderating force during the Francis pontificate. His close ties to some of the more contentious hallmarks of Pope Francis’ pontificate, particularly his role in a London real estate scandal and the Holy See’s agreement with China, seen as a controversial chapter of Pope Francis’ pontificate, could weigh against his potential candidacy.
Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline
Currently the lone residential cardinal-archbishop in mainland France, Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, 66, was reportedly very close to Pope Francis. While Francis has made it a priority to visit smaller, marginalized European countries during his pontificate, Cardinal Aveline was instrumental in securing a papal trip to his Marseille see city in 2023. An impressive scholar and academic, Cardinal Aveline has degrees from two of Paris’ most prestigious universities, the historic Sorbonne and the pontifical Institut Catholique de Paris.
Ordained a priest for Marseille in 1984 and named an auxiliary bishop there in 2014, Cardinal Aveline was appointed archbishop of his own diocese in 2019. While Cardinal Aveline’s priorities match up with many of Pope Francis’ own — especially concerning migration, synodality and decentralization of the church — Cardinal Aveline is regarded as one who puts a major emphasis on building up communion and fostering unity. This can be seen in his work facilitating interreligious dialogue or even sympathetic accompaniment of traditional Latin Mass adherents after the restrictions levied by Pope Francis in 2021.
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi
President of the Italian Episcopal Conference since 2022 and archbishop of Bologna since 2015, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, 69, has been regarded as particularly close to Pope Francis. A protege of Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Cardinal Zuppi has a longtime affiliation with the Community of Sant’Egidio, an ecclesial movement dedicated to promoting peace and ecumenism. Cardinal Zuppi has been known to celebrate the Tridentine Mass and also contributed to working on relations with LGBTQ+ Catholics. Since 2023, Cardinal Zuppi has been Pope Francis’ personal delegate to promote peace amid the Russia-Ukraine war. “It is primarily about looking for the best ways to promote peace, and first of all, it has a humanitarian dimension. We are particularly mindful of children, especially those uprooted from their family environment,” Cardinal Zuppi told OSV News Feb. 5, 2024.
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu
Statistics show that the growth and future of Catholicism resides in Africa. And, if the cardinal-electors are looking for a papal candidate who embodies the gifts of African Catholicism, Capuchin Franciscan Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, 65, is a likely choice. Appointed archbishop of Democratic Republic of Congo’s archdiocese of Kinshasa in 2018, Cardinal Ambongo Besungu has served on the papal advisory Council of Cardinals since 2020. The cardinal also brokered an agreement with the Holy See on behalf of Africa’s bishops, in his capacity as president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, after the public disagreements following release of the Dicastery for the Doctrine on the Faith’s 2023 decree “Fiducia Supplicans,” (“Supplicating Trust”) regarding blessings for same-sex couples.
Cardinal Willem Eijk
Amedical doctor before entering the seminary, Cardinal Willem Eijk, 71, has been archbishop of Utrecht, Netherlands, since 2007. Cardinal Eijk relied on his medical background as he obtained a doctorate in theology with a focus on medical ethics. And he also has been able to help diagnose what ails Western society amid increasing secularization, especially as seen in his native country. As the church’s institutional footprint continues to shrink in the West, Cardinal Eijk had provided commonsense pastoral solutions. Known for his defense of church teaching on various hot topics, Cardinal Eijk in 2022 requested that Pope Francis write an encyclical on gender theory.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is a popular speaker, comfortable in several languages, who has traveled extensively and is known for his focus on evangelization and care for the poor and for immigrants. While pundits now downplay the chances that the cardinal from the Philippines will become pope, he still is included in most lists of cardinals who can influence a conclave. Still, soon after Pope Francis died April 21, people in the Philippines began speculating on Cardinal Tagle’s chances and even starting prayer campaigns for his election. At 67, he is considered on the young side to become pope, but it was the upheaval in the general secretariat of Caritas Internationalis in 2022 that led many in the media to start doubting his chances of becoming pope. But when the U.S. bishops held their National Eucharistic Congress in the summer of 2024, Pope Francis chose Cardinal Tagle as his representative to the gathering. At the closing Mass, the cardinal focused on how “a eucharistic people is a missionary and evangelizing people,” grateful for the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist and committed to sharing the Lord with others.
Cardinal Marcello Semeraro
Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, 77, a one-time professor of ecclesiology, served as a diocesan bishop in Italy until his appointment to the Roman Curia in 2020. Cardinal Semeraro was appointed secretary of the Council of Cardinals in 2020, an advisory body that Pope Francis established very early in his pontificate. Since 2020, Cardinal Semeraro has been prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, taking the place of embattled, and now-convicted, Cardinal Angelo Becciu. A combination of Cardinal Semeraro’s age, his longtime pastoral experience and his inside knowledge of Vatican operations under Pope Francis could make him an appealing candidate as a “transitional” pope.
And don’t count out:
Cardinal Peter Turkson, Ghana, 76
Cardinal Mario Grech, Malta, 68
Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, France, 73,
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, U.S., 70
Cardinal Albert Ranjith, 77, Sri Lanka
Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, 61, Poland
THE MODERN POPES
Get to know the 11 popes before Francis
The following is a snapshot of the papacies of the 11 popes that preceded Pope Francis, from Pope Benedict XVI back to Blessed Pope Pius IX.
Pope Benedict XVI: Brilliant humility (2005-2013)
Pope Benedict XVI, who died Dec. 31, 2022, at 95, was far more than the pope who resigned, although he was the first to do so in nearly 600 years. A towering figure in the church for over half a century, Joseph Ratzinger shaped Catholic thought as an innovative theologian, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and ultimately as pope. A key architect of the church’s post-Vatican II path, he championed continuity over rupture, resisting secular trends like relativism. Ordained a priest in 1951, he rose to prominence during Vatican II and later helped draft the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Elected pope in 2005, Benedict emphasized the harmony of faith and reason and sought reform rooted in tradition. Though criticized over the church’s handling of clergy abuse scandals, he was among the first Vatican officials to take decisive action. After resigning in 2013, he lived in quiet prayer until his death.
Pope St. John Paul II: Witness to the world (1978-2005)
towering figure of faith, intellect and
global influence. A charismatic philosopher, athlete, poet and fierce opponent of communism, the Polishborn Karol Wojtyla brought vigor and vision to a world and church in need of hope. He championed orthodoxy, human dignity and moral truth, famously urging Catholics to “Be not afraid.” His 104 international trips, pivotal role in the fall of Soviet communism, and efforts to strengthen Catholic-Jewish relations marked his historic pontificate. His stances on sexuality, women’s ordination and centralized authority received both celebration and criticism, yet his leadership reshaped the modern church. He authored landmark encyclicals, advanced ecumenical dialogue and oversaw the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. After recovering from being shot in 1981, he resumed his strenuous schedule, but starting in the early 1990s, he suffered visibly from Parkinson’s. He died on April 2, 2005. Canonized in 2014, he remains a defining figure of the post-Vatican II era.
Blessed Pope John Paul I: The September pope (Aug. 26-Sept. 28, 1978)
Cardinal Albino Luciani took the name John Paul I to honor his two predecessors. Known for his humility, simplicity and radiant smile, he was seen as a pastoral figure who could lift the church’s spirits after Pope St. Paul VI’s difficult final years. Born in northern Italy in 1912, Luciani served as bishop of Vittorio Veneto, participated in Vatican II and became patriarch of Venice. A strong advocate for catechesis and social justice, he supported “Humanae Vitae” while emphasizing patience and compassion. Though his papacy lasted only 33 days before his sudden death, he had outlined a six-point vision centered on renewal, unity and peace. His unassuming style and rejection of papal pomp won admiration, though confusion around his death fueled conspiracy theories. Despite his short tenure, Pope John Paul I left a legacy of gentleness and humility. His cause for sainthood was opened in 1990. He was beatified in 2002.
Pope St. Paul VI: Prophet for the modern world (1963–1978)
St. Pope Paul VI, born Giovanni Battista Montini in 1897, was a complex and dutiful leader whose papacy helped shape the modern church amid turbulent times. A former Vatican diplomat and close
aide to Pope Pius XII, Pope Paul VI brought deep institutional knowledge and pastoral experience to the role. He guided the Second Vatican Council to its conclusion, championed global outreach through historic papal travels and sought unity with the Orthodox Church. His 1968 encyclical “Humanae Vitae,” reaffirming the church’s stance against artificial birth control, sparked widespread dissent. Despite suffering from comparison with his charismatic predecessor, Pope St. John XXIII, Pope Paul VI remained faithful to his mission, often torn between progressive and conservative impulses. He decried the spiritual confusion of the era, famously warning of the “smoke of Satan” entering the church. Beatified in 2014 and canonized in 2018, his legacy is now viewed as prophetic, pastoral and foundational to the post-conciliar church.
Pope St. John XXIII: Joyful prophet of renewal (1958-1963)
Pope John XXIII, born Angelo Roncalli in 1881, was elected pope at age 77, widely expected to be a transitional figure. Instead, his humility, warmth and vision reshaped the church through the Second Vatican Council, which he convened in 1962 to engage the modern world with renewed faith and clarity. A peasant’s son and experienced diplomat, Roncalli had served in war zones and helped Jews during World War II. As pope, he broke with formality, welcomed diverse voices, and promoted unity and peace. His landmark encyclicals “Mater et Magistra” and “Pacem in Terris” advanced Catholic social teaching, emphasizing workers’ rights, human dignity and global cooperation. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, he played a quiet but crucial mediating role. He died of cancer in 1963, having set the church on a bold path of “aggiornamento” (“updating”) and “ressourcement” (“return to sources”). Canonized in 2014, he is remembered as a joyful, pastoral pope with a heart for justice and reform.
Pope St. John Paul II, who led the church from 1978 to 2005, was a
Pope Pius XII: An age in arms (1939-1958)
Pope Pius XII, born Eugenio Pacelli in 1876, was elected pope on the eve of World War II. A skilled diplomat with deep experience in Vatican foreign affairs, he had helped shape church policy in response to Nazism and communism. Though maintaining wartime neutrality, Pope Pius XII condemned totalitarian ideologies, aided Jews and refugees, and acted as a diplomatic channel between the Allies and anti-Hitler Germans. After the war, he resisted communist expansion in Eastern Europe and intervened in Italian elections to prevent a communist victory. Doctrinally, he advanced biblical scholarship and liturgical reform, and in 1950, infallibly defined the assumption of Mary. His critics question whether he spoke out forcefully enough against the Holocaust, though many contemporaries — including Jewish leaders — praised his efforts to save lives. Despite controversy, Pope Pius XII is recognized for his moral leadership during a time of global crisis. He was declared “venerable” by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.
Pope Pius XI: Stalwart witness to true order (1922-1939)
Pope Pius XI led the church through turbulent years marked by global depression, rising totalitarian regimes and fierce anti-Catholic persecution. Born Ambrogio Ratti in 1857 near Milan, he was a scholar and Vatican diplomat before becoming pope. A strong, no-nonsense leader, he promoted Catholic Action, defended marriage and education, and issued key encyclicals: “Casti Connubii” on family life, “Quadragesimo Anno” on social justice, and “Mit Brennender Sorge” condemning Nazi doctrines and Catholic persecution. He also protested fascist repression in Italy and communism’s dehumanizing effects.
Pope Pius XI helped resolve the “Roman question” with the Lateran Treaty, making Vatican City a sovereign state. He established the solemnity of Christ the King, emphasizing Christ’s universal kingship, and canonized saints such as St. Thérèse of Lisieux and St. Thomas More. As war loomed, he used diplomacy, moral authority and media to confront evil. He died in 1939 after years of resisting regimes addicted to violence and oppression.
Pope Benedict XV: Forgotten pope of peace (1914-1922)
Pope Benedict XV, elected as World War I erupted, is often overlooked but was a compassionate and prescient leader during one of history’s darkest chapters. A seasoned diplomat, he remained neutral during the war, calling it a “useless massacre” and urging peace through proposals emphasizing reconciliation over punishment. Though ignored by world powers, his appeals laid moral groundwork for future diplomacy. Pope Benedict’s humanitarian efforts included help for prisoners of war, wounded soldiers and civilians, straining Vatican resources. He also reformed church law by promulgating the first Code of Canon Law and issued the encyclical “Maximum Illud,” calling for indigenous clergy in missionary work. His 1919 meeting with U.S. President Woodrow Wilson highlighted his commitment to peace, even as Versailles’ punitive treaty ignored his warnings. Pope Benedict died in 1922, largely forgotten until Pope Benedict XVI hailed him as a “courageous and authentic prophet of peace.” His legacy endures as a voice of compassion amid global conflict.
Pope St. Pius X: Fighting a changing culture (1903-1914)
Pope St. Pius X is best remembered for his pastoral heart and resolute defense of the church against rising secularism and modernist theology. His motto, “Instaurare omnia in Christo” (“To restore all things in Christ”), guided a pontificate marked by courage and reform. He battled France’s aggressive secularism, resisting laws that stripped the church of property and influence, while also taking a firm stand against modernism, which he condemned in the encyclical “Pascendi Dominici Gregis” and the decree “Lamentabili Sane Exitu.” Though criticized for his harshness, his efforts were aimed at preserving orthodoxy in a rapidly changing world. Beyond controversy, Pope Pius X promoted catechesis, restored sacred music and encouraged frequent Communion, lowering the age for first Communion to the age of reason. He died shortly after World War I began and was canonized in 1954. His legacy is one of spiritual renewal and steadfast fidelity.
Pope Leo XIII: Father of social doctrine (1878-1903)
Pope Leo XIII laid the foundation for modern Catholic social teaching with his landmark 1891 encyclical “Rerum Novarum,” addressing the rights and dignity of workers in the face of industrialization. Defending private property while affirming workers’ rights to fair wages, unions and humane conditions, Pope Leo positioned the church as a moral voice in economic matters. Born Gioacchino Pecci in 1810, Pope Leo had a long ecclesiastical career before becoming pope. Though elected as a transitional pope due to his age and health, he served for 25 years, the third-longest papacy in history. He encouraged a revival of Thomistic philosophy and warned against excessive nationalism and secularism, especially in his letter “Testem Benevolentiae,” which addressed concerns about “Americanism.” While conservative in piety, Pope Leo’s leadership marked a shift toward engaging modern society with reasoned faith. His teaching legacy, especially “Rerum Novarum,” continues to shape Catholic social thought today.
Blessed Pope Pius IX: Transforming the papacy (1846-1878)
Blessed Pope Pius IX was a transformative yet controversial figure who shaped the modern papacy. Initially a liberal reformer, he became a staunch defender of tradition as Italy’s nationalist movements stripped the papacy of its temporal power. Despite political losses, Pope Pius IX expanded the pope’s spiritual and moral authority, defining the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 and overseeing the First Vatican Council (1869–1870), which proclaimed papal infallibility and primacy. His 1864 Syllabus of Errors condemned modern ideologies like rationalism, naturalism and socialism, drawing fierce criticism from the secular world. During his leadership, however, the papacy would come to draw deep loyalty from Catholics. Known as the “Prisoner of the Vatican” after losing Rome to Italian troops, Pope Pius IX nevertheless became a global Catholic symbol. His personal warmth and wit endeared him to many, contributing to his beatification by Pope St. John Paul II in 2000. His 31-year reign remains the longest in papal history.
An estimated 200,000 people gather in St. Peter’s Square and the neighboring streets to attend the funeral
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis was “a pope among the people, with an open heart toward everyone,” said Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, as he presided over the funeral of the pope, who died April 21 at the age of 88.
And the people — an estimated 200,000 of them — were present as 14 pallbearers carried Pope Francis’ casket into St. Peter’s Square and set it on a carpet in front of the altar for the funeral Mass April 26.
His burial was scheduled for later the same day in Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major after being driven in a motorcade through the center of the city where he served as bishop from the day of his election to the papacy on March 13, 2013.
Security around the Vatican was tight, not only because of the number of mourners expected but especially because of the presence of kings, queens, presidents — including U.S. President Donald J. Trump — and prime ministers from more than 80 countries and official representatives from scores of other nations.
Also present were the residents of a Vatican palace Pope Francis had turned into a shelter for the homeless and the 12 Syrian refugees he brought to Rome with him from a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos in 2016.
The Gospel reading at the funeral was Jn 21:15-19 where the risen Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” And when Peter says yes, Jesus tells him, “Feed my sheep.”
Poor and powerful pray for eternal repose of a pope
‘with
an open heart’
“Despite his frailty and suffering toward the end, Pope Francis chose to follow this path of self-giving until the last day of his earthly life,” Cardinal Re said in his homily. “He followed in the footsteps of his Lord, the good shepherd who loved his sheep to the point of giving his life for them.”
The 91-year-old cardinal told the crowd that the image of Pope Francis that “will remain etched in our memory” was his appearance on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica the day before he died to give his Easter blessing “urbi et orbi” (“to the city and the world”) and then to ride in the popemobile among the people who had come to celebrate Christ’s victory over death.
“The outpouring of affection that we have witnessed in recent days following his passing from this earth into eternity tells us how much the profound pontificate of Pope Francis touched minds and hearts,” Cardinal Re said.
The Vatican estimated that 250,000 people — many of whom waited in line for three or four hours — filed past the late pope’s body in St. Peter’s Basilica
April 23-25.
Within the church, the cardinal said, “the guiding thread” of Pope Francis’ ministry was his “conviction that the church is a home for all, a home with its doors always open.”
For Pope Francis, he said, the church was a “field hospital,” one “capable of bending down to every person, regardless of their beliefs or condition, and healing their wounds.”
With President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Olga Lyubimova, Russian minister of culture, seated near the altar, Cardinal Re said that “faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason and honest negotiation to find possible solutions.”
“‘Build bridges, not walls’ was an exhortation he repeated many times, and his service of faith as successor of the Apostle Peter always was linked to the service of humanity in all its dimensions,” the cardinal said.
Cardinal Re also recalled Pope
Francis’ constant concern for migrants and refugees from his first papal trip outside of Rome to pray for migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, his visit to Lesbos and his celebration of Mass in 2016 on the U.S.-Mexican border.
At the end of the Mass, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, papal vicar of Rome, offered special prayers for the city’s deceased bishop, Pope Francis. Then Eastern Catholic patriarchs and major archbishops gathered around the casket and led funeral prayers from the Byzantine tradition in honor of the pastor of the universal Catholic Church.
Sister Norma Pimentel, a Missionary of Jesus and director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, had knelt in prayer before the body of Pope Francis April 25 and was present for the funeral.
“The funeral of Pope Francis is a very important part of who we are as people of faith,” she told Catholic News Service. “We walk together, we cry together, we work together . . . doing what we believe is important in our lives as people of faith, and we say farewell together at the end.”
The funeral, she said, is a time “to join him in this last farewell and say thank you: Thank you for being you, for being there with us, and we’ll see you.”
Sister Norma is known especially for her work with migrants and refugees, a ministry close to the heart of Pope Francis.
“He was all about making sure that we understood the importance” of welcoming newcomers, she said.
His message was: “Please open your hearts. Please care for them. That’s all they’re asking.”
