A Melkite-Catholic priest in Sweida, Syria, issued a desperate plea for help from the outside world as Syrian Islamists have been murdering Druze and Christians in Syria.
Father Tony Boutros, a representative of the Melkite-Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Holy See in Rome, was<a href="https://hcef.org/790796443-syria-kidnapped-melkite-priest-freed/"> kidnapped</a> in 2015 while driving to a church for Mass. He was then serving as the pastor of the Church of St. Philip the Apostle in Shahba.
Speaking from Sweida, where Islamic forces loyal to Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), are attacking and reportedly slaughtering members of that country’s Druze community, Boutros posted an urgent cry for help to prevent Islamists from wiping out the Druze and Christian communities.
“We are not ‘minorities,” he began. “We are components of this Syrian country, and we have been living together for hundreds of years. We are the people of this land. We and our Druze brothers here, and we live with them. We ask the U.S., Europe, the Vatican, and the whole world for international protection for this region of Sweida, all of it, for us and for our Druze brothers, my dear ones, and we condemn every criminal act.”
“We are advocates of peace, my dear ones, we reject excommunication and we reject killing,” he continued. “All of this is condemned for us. And we want international protection from you. We want to stay in our homes. We want to stay with our Druze brothers, with our people, us and them. Not just neighbors; we are brothers and we coexist. Not just coexist; we are one, living together for hundreds of years, and we will not leave our homes and our land.  We demand international protection from the whole world. Look at us. Look at Sweida. Look at the massacres that happened to us in Sweida.”
He then tacitly thanked the government of Israel, among others, who have come to the rescue of the Druze and Christians, concluding, “And I thank all the people who want to help us and stand with us.”
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Heartbreaking, Father Tony Boutros, representative of the Greek Catholic Church in Sweida, Syria, makes an appeal to the international community to save Christians and Druze from an Islamist genocide.
“We Christians and Druze are one. Look at the massacre they are committing… <a href="https://t.co/DiBZLMBuze">pic.twitter.com/DiBZLMBuze</a>
— Dr. Maalouf ‏ (@realMaalouf) <a href="https://twitter.com/realMaalouf/status/1946161112908714112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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SYRIA-RELIGION-CHRISTIANITY-PALM SUNDAY

‘Look At The Massacres’: Syrian Priest Posts Desperate Plea As Islamist Attacks Intensify

Catholic

Global Politics

Islamists

Syria

World

The Biden State Department accused a high-ranking Vatican official of denying the “full humanity” of people who identify as LGBT, internal communications first viewed by The Daily Wire reveal.
Jessica Stern, the Biden State Department’s Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Persons, made the remarks in advance of a trip to the Vatican, heavily redacted emails obtained by The Daily Wire through the Center to Advance Security in America (CASA) indicate.
Stern, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-department-lgbt-racial-equity-envoy-profiles-scrubbed-after-trump-takes-office">vacated her position</a> after President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meet-the-biden-official-making-six-figures-to-travel-the-globe-pushing-transgenderism">traveled to all six habitable continents</a> to attend pride parades, march alongside a self-proclaimed “transvestite sl*t,” and collaborate with leftist activists as she attempted to influence the policies of foreign governments.
One of those trips took the LGBT activist-turned-State Department official to the seat of the Catholic Church.
Biden State Department officials admonished the Catholic official for his stance on LGBT-related issues in an August 1, 2023, email, the subject line of which read “Special Envoy Stern at the Vatican.”
The email came after Stern was connected with Deputy Chief of Mission at Embassy Vatican, Laura Hochla, to discuss her future engagements with Catholic officials.
“Great news! We had a very productive conversation with [REDACTED] … and we wanted to keep you abreast of the latest,” an unnamed senior advisor to Stern wrote in a heavily redacted email to Stern, Hochla, and two other officials.
The email from Stern’s senior advisor went on to detail the Biden State Department’s posture towards the Vatican, particularly as it concerned LGBT ideology.
“Something to be mindful of though: [REDACTED] made it clear that he has not seen eye-to-eye with Cardinal Parolin and believes that the Cardinal has yet to see the ‘full humanity’ of LGBTQI+ persons,” the email goes on to say, referencing <a href="https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_parolin_p.html">Cardinal Pietro Parolin</a>, the Vatican’s Secretary of State.
&#8220;CASA has uncovered documents shedding light on far left activist Jessica Stern&#8217;s history of attacking the Catholic Church and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-lgbt-emissary-berated-staff-about-vegetarian-meals-while-globetrotting-on-the-taxpayers-dime">improper use</a> of taxpayer resources during her time as the Biden State Department LGBT Special Envoy,&#8221; CASA Director James Fitzpatrick told The Daily Wire. &#8220;This is just another attempt by Biden administration officials advocating to impose their radical LGBT ideology on the teachings of the Catholic Church.”
The internal Biden State Department email went on to highlight comments made by Cardinal Parolin in an apparent attempt to bolster the case that the Catholic official does not recognize the “full humanity” of those who identify as LGBT.
“(See the Cardinal&#8217;s comments on the 2015 marriage referendum in Ireland … and a 2023 vote by German bishops to bless same-sex unions),” the email’s author adds.
<div id="attachment_948447" style="width: 741px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-948447" class=" wp-image-948447" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screen-Shot-2025-07-17-at-10.54.29-AM-298x300.png" alt="" width="731" height="735" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screen-Shot-2025-07-17-at-10.54.29-AM-298x300.png 298w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screen-Shot-2025-07-17-at-10.54.29-AM-573x576.png 573w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screen-Shot-2025-07-17-at-10.54.29-AM-150x150.png 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screen-Shot-2025-07-17-at-10.54.29-AM-768x772.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screen-Shot-2025-07-17-at-10.54.29-AM.png 1044w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 731px) 100vw, 731px" />Obtained by CASA/Daily Wire</div>
Parolin expressed his disapproval of Ireland’s 2015 referendum, in which 62% of voters cast a ballot in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage.
“I was deeply saddened by the result,” Parolin <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/26/vatican-ireland-gay-marriage-referendum-vote-defeat-for-humanity#:~:text=The%20referendum%20that%20overwhelmingly%20backed,in%20Rome%20on%20Tuesday%20night.">said in comments</a> reflecting Catholic teaching on the issue. “The church must take account of this reality, but in the sense that it must strengthen its commitment to evangelisation. I think that you cannot just talk of a defeat for Christian principles, but of a defeat for humanity.”
He also <a href="https://www.ewtnvatican.com/articles/vatican-responds-to-the-decision-of-the-german-church-to-bless-homosexual-unions-675">spoke out against</a> a decision by the Catholic Church in Germany to bless same-sex couples in a statement that Biden State Department officials similarly appeared to cite in the redacted email.
“We are working around the birthday party to ensure government interlocuters in Vatican City and Rome know that the USG is of &#8216;one mind on LGBTQI+ human rights,'&#8221; the senior advisor went on to note.

Stern, Catholic Cardinal

EXCLUSIVE: Biden State Dept. Accused Vatican Official Of Denying ‘Full Humanity’ Of LGBT People

Biden

LGBT

State Department

Transgender

Vatican

Daily Wire host Michael Knowles exposed a Catholic college for teaching psychiatric nurse practitioner students &#8220;how to greenlight the castration, sterilization, and mutilation of gender-confused kids and adults&#8221; in an exclusive thread on X.
Steph Williams, a lecturer who uses he/him and she/her pronouns, taught students at Mount Saint Mary College in New York how to halt puberty in children as young as nine, even if they did not experience gender dysphoria, Knowles revealed, based on a tip from advocacy group Do No Harm.
&#8220;Per Williams: If a 12-year-old girl menstruates and feels ‘stress,’ she might grow up to be a depressed alcoholic—unless we drug her,&#8221; Knowles said. &#8220;That’s the rationale for chemically halting puberty in gender-confused kids.&#8221;
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2/ Psychiatric nurse practitioner students at Mount Saint Mary’s College in New York were taught how to greenlight the castration, sterilization, and mutilation of gender-confused kids and adults. 
Their lecturer? A he/him/she/her with no medical degree named “Steph” Williams. <a href="https://t.co/lVBAYENTk5">pic.twitter.com/lVBAYENTk5</a>
&mdash; Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/1932846868880576880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Mount Saint Mary College was <a href="https://www.msmc.edu/about/">founded</a> by the Sisters of St. Dominic in 1959, according to its about page, and says its &#8220;roots in education&#8221; go back to Saint Dominic in the 13th century. The school&#8217;s website <a href="https://www.msmc.edu/life-at-the-mount/faith-service/">says</a> it is &#8220;a college in the Catholic and Dominican tradition.&#8221;
Williams is &#8220;a Director of LGBTQIA+ Relations and AmeriCorps Programming at Sun River Health&#8221; and &#8220;a certified organizational culture facilitator,&#8221; according to LinkedIn — but is not a licensed doctor, Knowles pointed out.
Using puberty blockers &#8220;buys the adolescent some time … to ensure that the person is indeed trans,&#8221; Williams said in a video obtained by The Daily Wire. If the child is not &#8220;trans&#8221; — which Williams said is very rare — she can discontinue puberty blockers and resume puberty as normal.
&#8220;Williams leaves out the significant potential harm of puberty blockers on bone density, fertility, and overall health,&#8221; Knowles said.
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4/ And if they’re not “trans”? Don’t worry: “You just take yourself off the puberty blockers, and you start with your native puberty right off right where you left it.” 
Williams leaves out the potential harm of puberty blockers on bone density, fertility, and overall health. <a href="https://t.co/GuClqPyEoX">pic.twitter.com/GuClqPyEoX</a>
&mdash; Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/1932846959007551950?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Williams claimed adolescents under 18 did not take hormones, saying, &#8220;&#8216;The only adolescents who take hormone[s]&#8230; are folks who have other conditions.'&#8221; Those “other conditions” include precocious puberty and “really high hormones,” but “trans people do not take — unless there is something else going on — hormones before 18.”
Except, Williams said almost immediately, &#8220;It does happen, but it’s extremely, extremely rare.”
How rare? Between 2019 and 2023, “8,579 minors received hormones and puberty blockers,” according to <a href="https://stoptheharmdatabase.com/about/">Stop the Harm Database</a>. Stop the Harm also found that “62,682 sex change prescriptions were written for minors.”
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6/ According to Williams, children as young as nine can begin pubertal suppression without even experiencing &quot;dysphoria.&quot; 
“And just like in adults, they don’t necessarily have to experience dysphoria.” 
They just need a history of gender confusion. <a href="https://t.co/vIZtnCgWVK">pic.twitter.com/vIZtnCgWVK</a>
&mdash; Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/1932847158685753750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Williams also told students they did not need to understand all the material covered in class because the patient &#8220;is the expert&#8221; and &#8220;knows more&#8221; than the nurse practitioner.
Trans-identifying patients are defined by &#8220;self-declaration,&#8221; according to Williams&#8217; slideshow obtained by The Daily Wire.
&#8220;This is &#8216;gender-affirming care&#8217;: Children diagnosed by ideology. Puberty treated like a disease,&#8221; Knowles said. &#8220;And future nurse practitioners taught that their ignorance is a beneficial feature rather than a bug.&#8221;
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8/ This is “gender-affirming care”: 
Children diagnosed by ideology, puberty treated like a disease.
And future nurse practitioners taught that their ignorance is a beneficial feature rather than a bug.
&mdash; Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/1932847285265707181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Knowles slammed the medical standards of the trans agenda as &#8220;incoherent&#8221; and &#8220;rubber-stamping child abuse.&#8221;
&#8220;With &#8216;Catholic&#8217; institutions like Mount Saint Mary’s College, who needs paganism?&#8221; Knowles said.
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10/ With “Catholic” institutions like Mount Saint Mary’s College, who needs paganism?
&mdash; Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/1932847289766228287?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Transgender hormone therapy

Michael Knowles Slams Catholic College For Teaching Students ‘How To Greenlight’ Child ‘Mutilation’

catholic university

Children

College

Michael Knowles

Nursing

Vice President JD Vance will attend Pope Leo XIV&#8217;s inaugural Mass on Sunday at the Vatican, his office announced.
&#8220;Vice President JD Vance will lead a U.S. Delegation to Vatican City to attend the inaugural Mass of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV,&#8221; the vice president&#8217;s office said in a statement Thursday.
Second Lady Usha Vance will accompany her husband, and so will Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his wife Jeanette Rubio. Rubio is also a Catholic.
Vance is the first Catholic convert to serve as vice president, his office noted. He met with the late Pope Francis on Easter Sunday, the day before the pontiff died at age 88.
Back in 2013, Joe Biden, then vice president and also a Catholic, led the delegation to Pope Francis&#8217; inaugural mass.
Pope Leo XIV, who is 69, was elected the first American pope by the conclave of cardinals on May 8.
Leo, who was previously Cardinal Robert Prevost, was born in Chicago and spent much of his priesthood in Peru until 2023, when he was made a cardinal by Pope Francis.
Francis made Prevost the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, the Vatican official responsible for recommending priests to be made bishops around the world.
Prevost has been strong on Church doctrine, but he is seen as a centrist on political issues.
In February, before becoming pope, Leo <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-leo-twitter-x-trump-vance-criticism-9c311123985ebce282877071f75b6d80" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appears</a> to have shared an article on X from a Catholic outlet with the headline, &#8220;Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn&#8217;t ask us to rank our love for others.&#8221;
The new pope has also previously <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/15/vp-jd-vance-rubio-to-attend-inaugural-mass-of-pope-leo-xiv/83644101007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> several posts critical of the Trump administration&#8217;s immigration policy.
Despite any political differences, President Trump offered a congratulatory message after Leo was announced as the new pope.
“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114473380014194441" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on Truth Social.
Trump also attended Francis’ funeral in Rome last month.
Vance congratulated the new pope the day he was elected.
&#8220;Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election! I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!&#8221; Vance <a href="https://x.com/JDVance/status/1920550545061810261" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X.
During his last visit, Vance and his wife and children attended the Passion of Christ Mass celebrated by a cardinal marking Good Friday at St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica.

U.S. Vice President James David Vance, along with his wife

JD Vance To Attend Pope Leo XIV’s Inaugural Mass In Rome

JD Vance To Attend Pope Leo XIV's Inaugural Mass In Rome

Catholic Church

JD Vance

Pope Leo

Religion

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of lawmakers is introducing a resolution to congratulate Pope Leo XIV on his &#8220;historic&#8221; election as the &#8220;first American pontiff,&#8221; The Daily Wire can first report.
The cardinals&#8217; decision to choose Pope Leo as the leader of the Catholic Church surprised many, given that there has never before been an American pope. But his selection has also proved surprisingly unitive as American leaders and lawmakers come together to celebrate the honor done to their country by an American sitting on the Chair of Peter.
Led by Republican Riley Moore of West Virginia, the lawmakers will introduce the resolution Wednesday to honor and congratulate the pope. The resolution&#8217;s language will specifically celebrate Pope Leo as &#8220;the 267th pontiff of the Holy Roman Catholic Church&#8221; as well as &#8220;the first American pontiff,&#8221; recognizing the significance of his election for the many American Catholics and Christians.
“I was thrilled to hear of Pope Leo XIV’s election to the Chair of St. Peter, and have felt a tremendous sense of national pride that an American now leads the Catholic Church,” Moore told The Daily Wire. “I pray the Lord blesses the Holy Father with the great wisdom and unyielding courage necessary to preach the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
The bipartisan group includes Democrat Thomas Suozzi of New York, who is the Democrat co-lead on the resolution, and Republicans Tom Barrett of Michigan, Ryan Zinke of Montana, Ann Wagner of Missouri, Michael McCaul of Texas, Rob Bresnahan, Jr. of Pennsylvania, Michael Rulli of Ohio, Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, Lisa McClain of Michigan, John Rose of Tennessee, Brian Steil of Wisconsin, Mark Messmer of Indiana, Carolos Gimenez of Florida, Chris Smith of new Jersey, and French Hill of Arkansas.
&#8220;Pope Leo XIV is the first American-born pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church, marking a historic milestone for American Catholics and faithful Catholics around the world,&#8221; the resolution states, describing Pope Leo&#8217;s family as &#8220;a patriotic American family&#8221; who raised the pope in the Catholic tradition in Dolton, Illinois, &#8220;a working-class suburb where faith, family, and service formed the foundation of his life.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_920191" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-lawmakers-join-to-congratulate-pope-leo-on-historic-election-as-first-american-pontiff/conclave-elects-pope-leo-xiv-2" rel="attachment wp-att-920191"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-920191" class="wp-image-920191 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214106815-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214106815-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214106815-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214106815-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214106815.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost, addresses the crowd on the main central loggia balcony overlooking St Peter&#8217;s Square on May 08, 2025, in Vatican City, Vatican.  (Photo by Francesco Sforza &#8211; Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)</div>
The resolution praises the pope as embodying &#8220;a life committed to both intellectual and spiritual rigor&#8221; and a man who has lived out the Order of St. Augustine&#8217;s mission to be ‘‘of one mind and one heart on the way to God.&#8221; It also praises his work as a missionary and church leader in Peru, for his academic background and fluency in five languages, and his taking of the name Leo in honor of Pope Leo XIII (historically known as Leo the Great), &#8220;who championed Catholic social teaching and the dignity of work.&#8221;
&#8220;Pope Leo XIV has exemplified the humility and courage of a true servant of Christ,&#8221; the resolution states, &#8220;not seeking worldly acclaim but bearing witness to the Gospel in places where it is often ridiculed or rejected, reminding the faithful that a lack of belief often coincides with ‘the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family, and so many other wounds that afflict our society.'&#8221;
And finally, the resolution emphasizes the new pope&#8217;s declaration that ‘‘the credibility of the Church does not come from popularity, but from fidelity’,&#8221; stating that this was the pope calling on &#8220;clergy and laity alike not to shape the Church in the image of the world, but to be conformed to Christ through truth, chastity, self-sacrifice, and Eucharistic love.&#8221;
&#8220;His first public words as pope from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica were &#8216;Peace be with all of you,&#8217; setting the tone for a pontificate grounded in the unity, humility, and love of Christ, The Good Shepherd,&#8221; the resolution concludes.

VATICAN-RELIGION-POPE-CONCLAVE

EXCLUSIVE: Lawmakers Join To Congratulate Pope Leo On Historic Election As ‘First American Pontiff’

Congress

Politics

The papal conclave begins today, with dozens of cardinals arriving from around the globe to lock themselves away in the Sistine Chapel and cast ballots in secret for Pope Francis&#8217; successor.
Amid the excitement, conservative Catholics in the United States are reflecting on Pope Francis, trying to make sense of a complicated papacy and wondering where the Catholic Church may be headed next.
The late pope was known for his love of the poor and his humble habits, but he also attracted controversy.
&#8220;Without a doubt he was inspirational to many people,&#8221; Austin Ruse, president of the Center for Family and Human Rights told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;There&#8217;s an outpouring of love toward him upon his passing and even conservatives can rejoice that he is now in the presence of his Maker. Even conservatives can recognize that he loved the Lord deeply,&#8221; Ruse said. &#8220;Having said that, I will also say that for many people, his pontificate was confusing.&#8221;
Both Francis&#8217; official statements and offhand remarks frequently caused confusion among the faithful and sparked vehement criticism, even from his own cardinals.
&#8220;I think it was a very conflictual legacy,&#8221; Fr. Robert Sirico, founder of the conservative Acton Institute told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;I think you had almost opposites in the same person because he would affirm clearly and sometimes in very blunt language the Church&#8217;s teaching on the controversial issues, but on the other hand he was sending messages that endeared him to the most progressive elements of the Church, and it&#8217;s not clear to me what his strategy was,&#8221; Sirico said.
The litany of Francis&#8217; controversial moves is long.
In 2023, Francis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pope-says-blessings-for-individuals-in-same-sex-relationships-cannot-resemble-marriage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Catholic priests can give &#8220;spontaneous blessings&#8221; to same-sex couples, but cautioned that such a blessing does not sanction the union and cannot resemble a marriage ceremony. Nevertheless, media outlets and commentators <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesMartinSJ/status/1736752055362936938" target="_blank" rel="noopener">presented</a> that Vatican document as a major shift for the Catholic Church.
This came a decade after Francis famously responded, “who am I to judge?” when asked about gay clergy at a press conference shortly after he became pope in 2013.
Francis caused controversy again in 2015 when he <a href="https://wherepeteris.com/communion-for-the-divorced-and-remarried-a-defense-of-amoris-laetitia/#:~:text=In%20chapter%20eight%20of%20Amoris,in%20certain%20cases%2C%20receive%20Communion." target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> guidelines saying divorced and remarried Catholics may be able to receive communion in certain cases where there are mitigating factors, <a href="https://www.catholic.com/video/what-did-pope-francis-change-about-communion-for-divorced-catholics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">such</a> as duress, that make them not culpable for the mortal sin of adultery. Afterward, some cardinals <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/12/pope-francis-divorce-remarriage-communion-guidelines-letter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> on the pope to clarify his position.
Francis sparked questions in 2018 when he <a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-08/pope-francis-cdf-ccc-death-penalty-revision-ladaria.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changed</a> the Catechism of the Catholic Church to state that the death penalty is now &#8220;inadmissible.&#8221; Previously, the Church had said the death penalty was permissible in &#8220;very rare&#8221; cases if it was the only way to defend people from the aggressor.
Francis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vatican-clarifies-opposition-to-radical-gender-theory-says-it-threatens-a-persons-unique-dignity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">condemned</a> gender ideology in strong terms, saying sex change procedures threaten the “unique dignity” of a person. Meanwhile though, the Vatican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/people-who-got-transgender-surgery-can-be-baptized-and-be-godparents-under-certain-conditions-vatican-clarifies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a document in 2023 that, while it ultimately reiterated Catholic doctrine on baptism and godparents, caused confusion around same-sex couples and people who currently identify as transgender.
On abortion, Francis was not vague, <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/cna/belgium-to-rome-in-flight-papal-presser" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> abortions are homicides and calling doctors who perform them &#8220;hitmen.&#8221;
Francis <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dntdUwbIaIA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave</a> a humorously blunt answer — &#8220;no&#8221; — when 60 Minutes asked him last year whether the Church would ever allow women to become priests.
Several offhand comments, like the pope&#8217;s reference to large Catholic families having children “<a class="css-yywogo" title="" href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2015/january/documents/papa-francesco_20150119_srilanka-filippine-conferenza-stampa.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">like rabbits,</a>” and telling priests to stop wearing “grandma’s lace” during Mass, ruffled feathers among more traditional Catholics.
However, Francis then stunned those who saw him as a beacon of inclusivity when he <a href="https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/what-should-pope-francis-have-said" target="_blank" rel="noopener">used</a> the Italian word frociaggine, often translated as “faggotry” twice within the span of a few weeks — with a Vatican apology in <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/pope-francis-apologises-after-homophobic-slur-vatican-2024-05-28/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">between</a> — in the context of homosexual seminarians.
&#8220;There was this old kind of homophobic Argentinian operative inside this man who wanted to reach out to transgender and gay people and all that. This is part of the whole thing that needs to be sorted out,&#8221; Sirico said.
&#8220;It&#8217;s almost what you would call in an informal way, a kind of schizophrenia,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I mean, if I was dealing with this person in my real life, I&#8217;d sit him down and say, well, what is it? Is it A or B? And nobody did that with him.&#8221;
Sirico said he was &#8220;unsatisfied&#8221; with the theological accusations against Francis, but he was concerned with the pope&#8217;s disregard for Canon law, such as ignoring the procedure for replacing bishops.
&#8220;If he wanted to change it, he could have, but he didn&#8217;t. He just violated it,&#8221; Sirico said.
He gave the example of Fr. Marko Rupnik, a Jesuit priest who was excommunicated after allegations surfaced of decades of sexual and psychological abuse from dozens of nuns, including that he had sex with nuns and then absolved them in confession. Later, Rupnik <a href="https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/is-the-tide-turning-on-the-rupnik" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ended</a> up in a diocese in his native Slovenia.
&#8220;So the excommunication had been lifted, but by whom? The only one who could have done it was the pope, but nobody owned that. This is the stuff I&#8217;m saying that I hope will come out,&#8221; Sirico said.
Some critics, such as Fr. Gerald Murray, pastor of Saint Joseph’s Church in New York City, level weightier charges against Francis.
&#8220;Pope Francis’ principal legacy will be that of a Pope who sought to change Catholic doctrine and practice regarding divorce and remarriage, by allowing Holy Communion to be given to Catholics in invalid second marriages, and regarding homosexuality, by authorizing priests to bless same-sex couples,&#8221; Murray told The Daily Wire.
Murray also said that Francis&#8217; &#8220;secret agreement with the Chinese Communist government, giving the regime a major role in the naming of Catholic bishops in China, is something unimaginable during the reigns of the two previous popes.&#8221;
The Vatican renewed that agreement last year <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/259997/vatican-renews-china-bishop-appointment-deal-for-four-more-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">despite</a> reports of China abusing it, detaining bishops and naming new bishops for new dioceses not recognized by the Vatican. The details of the agreement have not been made public.
Ruse said that another &#8220;unfortunate move&#8221; was Francis &#8220;going to great lengths to stamp out the Traditional Latin Mass, which has been extremely painful to many people in the Church.&#8221;
In 2021, Francis <a href="https://www.ewtnvatican.com/articles/vatican-publishes-new-guidelines-on-the-traditional-latin-mass-552" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imposed</a> severe restrictions on the Latin Mass, requiring priests to get permission from their local bishop if they wanted to say it. In 2023, he clarified that bishops must obtain approval from the Vatican itself if they wanted the Latin Mass in their diocese, and newly ordained priests would need special permission.
Pope Benedict XVI had <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20070707_summorum-pontificum.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">given</a> priests broad permission to say the Latin Mass in 2007.
&#8220;It speaks to divisions that we have had in the Church for quite a long time. Even before the Second Vatican Council these types of divisions existed in the Church,&#8221; Ruse said. &#8220;I think in some ways they were exacerbated in recent years.&#8221;
However, Ruse added that one of the &#8220;very good things&#8221; about Francis&#8217; papacy was that he cured the &#8220;papolatry,&#8221; or idolizing of the pope by some right-of-center Catholics.
During his papacy, Francis <a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/issue/financial-markets-first-do-no-harm#:~:text=%22It%20is%20increasingly%20intolerable%20that,food%20prices%20%22a%20scandal%20which" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> capitalism and was known for calling on countries to care for migrants, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/10/04/920053203/pope-francis-laments-failures-of-market-capitalism-in-blueprint-for-post-covid-w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> &#8220;racism is a virus.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think he was a Marxist,&#8221; Sirico said. &#8220;He certainly wasn&#8217;t a free market kind of guy the way [Pope John Paul II] was, but on the other hand, I think he profoundly misunderstood the United States on a very visceral level, and I think that is owing to his Argentinian background and what happened in his lifetime in Argentina.&#8221;
During Francis&#8217; youth, Argentina&#8217;s government had powerful socialist elements, and the country saw several government overthrows.
Ruse agreed: &#8220;I don&#8217;t believe that he had a real understanding of the dynamics of the Church in the United States, and I think he was relying on partisans who were advising him,&#8221; he said.
Early on in his pontificate, Francis <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/27720/pope-to-youth-shake-things-up-bring-church-to-the-streets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> a group of young people from Argentina to &#8220;make a mess&#8221; in the Church.
&#8220;And he did,&#8221; Sirico said. &#8220;He&#8217;s made a mess, and I think the next Pope is going to have to do something about that &#8230; I think he&#8217;s left the church divided.&#8221;
Sirico spent a month in Rome before Pope Francis died, and was set to be in Rome during the conclave as well.
At the Vatican, there was a sense of &#8220;people staying in the foxhole, looking out very cautiously to see what was going to happen,&#8221; Sirico said of his conversations with numerous bishops, cardinals, and members of the Vatican bureaucracy around the time of the pope&#8217;s death.
The atmosphere of the Vatican during this last papacy was &#8220;very personal, at times very petty,&#8221; he said.
Sirico said he doesn&#8217;t view the search for the next pope through the lens of &#8220;liberal or conservative.&#8221;
&#8220;I think people across the spectrum are going to just want a little more clarity and calm,&#8221; he said, adding that the next pope will likely want to &#8220;let the dust settle on this pontificate.&#8221;
&#8220;This pope is going to be a hard act to follow if they want to follow in those footsteps. I don&#8217;t think there&#8217;s going to be a Francis 2.0,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think it will be a much more traditional pontificate than that of Francis, but that&#8217;s a low bar. He&#8217;s a revolutionary in a lot of ways, stylistically, not doctrinally. At the end of the day, the Church&#8217;s doctrine remains the same.&#8221;
On that note, Ruse cautioned the faithful not to get too deeply involved in the &#8220;sturm und drang and controversies in the Church.&#8221;
&#8220;What I have done in recent years is to try to view myself as a 13th-century peasant, who may know the name of the pope, probably knows the name of his bishop, doesn&#8217;t know the names of any other bishops, says his rosary and goes to Mass,&#8221; he said.
As for the future of the Catholic Church, Ruse has a simple prayer.
&#8220;Where do we go from here? Well there&#8217;s going to be a new pope in a handful of weeks, and we&#8217;re all praying that it will be a good and holy man,&#8221; he said.

Pope Francis Visits Portugal For World Youth Day

As Conclave Begins, Conservative Catholics Try To Make Sense Of Pope Francis

As Conclave Begins, Conservative Catholics Make Sense Of Pope Francis

Catholicism

Catholics

Pope Francis

The Vatican

President Donald Trump has arrived in Rome, where he will attend Pope Francis&#8217; funeral Saturday morning in Vatican City, marking the first foreign trip of his second term.
The funeral comes six days after Francis passed away, the day after Easter, dying at age 88 of a stroke and heart failure after a battle with pneumonia. Since then, tens of thousands of people have come to pay their respects to the late pope as he lay in state at St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica.
The president and First Lady Melania Trump arrived in Rome late Friday night. They will depart early Saturday afternoon after attending the funeral.
Previous Papal Funerals
Trump is only the second sitting president to attend a papal funeral. The first was George W. Bush, who attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005. President Joe Biden did not attend the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in 2023, despite <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/photos-and-video/photo/2011/06/vice-president-biden-pope" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meeting</a> the former pope as vice president years earlier. Benedict died nine years after resigning as pope in 2013, an unusual move for a modern pope. He was succeeded by Francis.
Photos from that visit show three presidents, Bush, his father, President George H.W. Bush, and President Bill Clinton kneeling in the first pew behind Pope John Paul II&#8217;s body lying in state. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and First Lady Laura Bush kneel near them.
<div id="attachment_912385" style="width: 446px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-912385" class=" wp-image-912385" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-52596002-300x181.jpg" alt="" width="436" height="263" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-52596002-300x181.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-52596002-953x576.jpg 953w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-52596002-768x464.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-52596002.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 436px) 100vw, 436px" />(TIM SLOAN/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Who Else Will Be There?
Trump met with Pope Francis at the Vatican during his first term in 2017.
Biden met Francis twice: first as vice president in 2016, and during his presidency in 2021. Biden and former first lady Jill Biden will also travel to the Vatican to <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/3389950/trump-biden-pope-francis-funeral/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attend</a> Francis&#8217; funeral.
<div id="attachment_912389" style="width: 408px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-912389" class=" wp-image-912389" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2156863278-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="398" height="265" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2156863278-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2156863278-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2156863278-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2156863278.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 398px) 100vw, 398px" />(TIZIANA FABI/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
<div id="attachment_912391" style="width: 406px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-912391" class=" wp-image-912391" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-480808665-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="396" height="264" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-480808665-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-480808665-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-480808665-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-480808665.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px" />(Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Neither former President Barack Obama nor former President George W. Bush will attend Pope Francis&#8217; funeral. Obama hosted Francis at the White House in 2015, marking the first papal visit to the United States since Pope Benedict in 2008. Francis was only the third pope ever to visit the White House.
Other world leaders who will attend the pope&#8217;s funeral include Javier Milei, president of Francis&#8217; birthplace, Argentina; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prince William; French President Emmanuel Macron; and Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
As many as 200,000 people are expected to attend the funeral, the Italian government said.
How The Funeral Will Go
The funeral will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday morning local time, which is 4 a.m. Eastern time in the United States.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will preside over the funeral Mass and deliver the homily, the Vatican said. He is the dean of the College of Cardinals, which will form a conclave next month to install the next pope.
On Friday night, Francis&#8217; coffin was <a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-04/pope-francis-coffin-rite-sealing-funeral-mass-novemdiales.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set</a> to be sealed in a ceremony and closed to the public.
On Saturday morning, the funeral will begin with a procession in St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica, where the coffin will then be brought and set down. The funeral Mass will follow.
The cardinals who attend will be recognizable by their purple liturgical garments, the Vatican <a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-04/the-funeral-celebration-of-pope-francis-on-saturday.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
After Mass, the funeral procession will slowly make its way to the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, a little over two miles away, where Francis frequently went to pray before an icon of Mary. Francis is the first pope to be buried outside the Vatican in over a century. Many popes are buried in the underground crypt beneath St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica.
&#8220;The coffin will be welcomed by &#8216;the last ones,&#8217; a group of poor and marginalized people who always had a special place in Pope Francis&#8217; heart,&#8221; the Vatican said. &#8220;They will be the ones to give the final tribute before the coffin is carried to the altar of Saint Mary Major.&#8221;
The burial will be private and is expected to end around 2:00 p.m. local time or 8:00 a.m. Eastern time.
The last funeral for a sitting pope, John Paul II, was three hours long. Francis&#8217; funeral looks like it will be even longer, around four hours.
The faithful may begin visiting Francis&#8217; tomb on Sunday, the day after the funeral, the Vatican said.
The funeral kicks off nine days of mourning for the late pope, with Mass each day before the cardinals begin their work to select a new occupant of the Chair of Peter.
How Is Francis&#8217; Funeral Different?
Francis&#8217; funeral will look different from his predecessors. That&#8217;s because he himself changed the rules for papal funerals.
Francis will be buried in just one wooden coffin lined with zinc rather than the three coffins some other popes were buried in, which were made of cypress, lead, and oak.
The late pontiff will also be <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/04/25/nx-s1-5374984/pope-francis-funeral-how-to-watch">buried</a> at the Basilica of St. Mary Major instead of St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica, the first pope in more than 350 years to be buried there since Clement IX.
Francis said in his autobiography published last year that a pope should be buried &#8220;with dignity, but like any Christian, because the bishop of Rome is a pastor and a disciple, not a powerful man of this world.&#8221; He also asked that his tomb be &#8220;in the ground; simple, without particular decoration, and with the sole inscription: Franciscus.&#8221;
Where To Watch
The Vatican News&#8217; YouTube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@VaticanNews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">channel</a> will livestream the funeral and procession to the burial place.
A number of other news outlets and streaming services also plan to livestream the funeral.

U.S. President Donald Trump in Vatican

Trump Lands In Rome For Pope Francis’ Funeral. Here’s What To Expect.

Here's What To Expect As Trump Attends Pope Francis' Funeral Today

Donald Trump

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he will attend the funeral of Pope Francis, which will likely take place in Rome this month.
&#8220;Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome,&#8221; the president shared in a Truth Social post on Monday afternoon. &#8220;We look forward to being there!&#8221;
It&#8217;s not immediately clear when the funeral will be: a pope is typically <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pope-francis-dies-at-the-age-of-88?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Pope+Francis+Is+Dead+At+88">mourned for nine days</a> while the College of Cardinals comes together to pray. After the pope&#8217;s funeral takes place, the conclave of cardinals will elect a new pope.
His announcement came after he ordered federal and state flags to fly at half-staff in memory of Pope Francis.
<div id="attachment_910531" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/president-trump-to-attend-funeral-of-pope-francis-in-rome/trump-orders-flags-to-fly-at-half-staff-to-honor-pope-francis" rel="attachment wp-att-910531"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-910531" class="wp-image-910531 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211326600-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211326600-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211326600-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211326600-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2211326600.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>The U.S. flag flies at half staff near the Washington Monument on the National Mall in honor of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.  (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)</div>
“As a mark of respect for the memory of His Holiness Pope Francis, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114376655236734018">wrote in a separate post</a>.
He added: “I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.”
The president spoke of the pope at the White House Easter Egg roll, where he told attendees of Pope Francis: &#8220;He was a good man, worked hard. He loved the world.”
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, announced on Monday that the pope had died at 7:35 that morning, stating: &#8220;His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized.”
The pope&#8217;s body will be transferred to St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica on Wednesday morning, the Vatican said Monday, so that &#8220;the faithful may pray before his mortal remains.&#8221;
&#8220;The translation of the Holy Father&#8217;s mortal remains to the Vatican Basilica, for the veneration of all the faithful, may take place on the morning of Wednesday, April 23, 2025, according to the arrangements that shall be determined and communicated tomorrow, following the first Congregation of the Cardinals,&#8221; <a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-04/pope-francis-ascertainment-death-cardinal-kevin-farrell.html">said the director of the Holy See Press Office</a>, Matteo Bruni.

VATICAN-POPE-AUDIENCE-US-DIPLOMACY

President Trump To Attend Funeral Of Pope Francis In Rome

Melania Trump

Rome

With the passing of Pope Francis on Monday, people are once again asking about the centuries-old process that determines who will become the next pope. 
The method for selecting the Bishop of Rome is cloaked in ritual, secrecy, and symbolism, and this process was explored in detail by Daily Wire host Michael Knowles in a recent video, “How To Become The Pope.”
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The death of Pope Francis has triggered what is known as the sede vacante, Latin for “the seat being vacant.” 
As tradition dictates, the Catholic Church will now observe a period of nine days of mourning, which includes flying Vatican flags at half-staff and closing the bronze doors of St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica. The cardinals will decide on the date for Pope Francis&#8217;s funeral, usually within four to six days after a pope&#8217;s death.
Pope Francis recently <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/pope-francis-funeral-details-jorge-mario-bergoglio-vatican-2034684">changed protocol</a> for his funeral and burial. Instead of being interred in the crypt beneath St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica, Francis requested to be laid to rest with minimal pageantry at Rome&#8217;s Basilica of St. Mary Major in a simple wooden casket.
After the funeral, the College of Cardinals, made up of senior church leaders under the age of 80, is summoned to Rome to elect Francis’ successor. As Knowles states in his video, there are currently 138 cardinals eligible to elect the next pope.  
This process is done in a conclave, or a highly secretive gathering held within the Sistine Chapel, as Knowles explained. All participating cardinals are locked inside without access to the outside world until they can come to a decision. Voting takes place up to four times a day, and a two-thirds majority is required to elect a new pontiff.
Ballots are burned after each round of voting. Special chemicals are added to produce black smoke for an undecided vote or white smoke for an agreement, meaning a new Pope has been chosen. The watch for white smoke to emerge from a special stove in the Sistine Chapel is followed by millions of faithful Catholics and interested bystanders around the world. 
Historically, political and regional factors have influenced who was chosen as pope. Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is from Argentina. That made him the first pope from Latin America and the first pope from the Western Hemisphere after more than 1,200 years of popes of European descent. He was also the first Jesuit pope and has been criticized in recent years for his stance on social issues such as immigration.  
Any baptized male Catholic is technically eligible to become pope, but in the past, only cardinals have been seriously considered for the position.
The election of a new pope is more than just a religious event. It is a process that sets the direction of the growing Catholic Church, which currently has 1.4 billion members, and the beginning of a new chapter for Catholicism on the global stage.

cardinal

How Will The Next Pope Be Chosen? Inside The Ancient Ritual Of The Catholic Church

Pope Francis has died at 88, and speculation is already swirling around who will become the next pontiff to lead the Catholic Church.
Francis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pope-francis-dies-at-the-age-of-88?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Pope+Francis+Dies+At+The+Age+Of+88">died in the early hours</a> of April 21, the day after Easter. He had been hospitalized in Rome recently and was diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs, but in recent days he had appeared in public. Francis was elected pope in March 2013 after Pope Benedict XVI made the unexpected decision to step down from the chair of Saint Peter, becoming the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years.
Francis&#8217; papacy often adopted a progressive tone, with the pope recently <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/cna/pope-francis-vance-clash-over-ordo-amoris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">making</a> headlines for criticizing Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, and the Trump administration&#8217;s “program of mass deportations.”
However, Francis also upheld Catholic doctrine on <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/pope-doubles-down-on-abortion-in-new-years-day-message-calls-for-commitment-to-protect-life#:~:text=ROME%20(AP)%20—%20Pope%20Francis,from%20conception%20to%20natural%20death." target="_blank" rel="noopener">abortion</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pope-says-blessings-for-individuals-in-same-sex-relationships-cannot-resemble-marriage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gay marriage</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vatican-clarifies-opposition-to-radical-gender-theory-says-it-threatens-a-persons-unique-dignity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gender ideology</a>, although critics have complained that his wording in statements on these issues is sometimes confusing. Last year, Francis <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dntdUwbIaIA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was</a> firm with an interviewer that women would not be ordained priests.
Several cardinals are considered potential successors to Francis — here are just a few.
Cardinal Raymond Burke, 76, is one of the few potential successors from the United States.
From Wisconsin, Burke has been outspoken in his criticism of the Church&#8217;s more liberal language under Francis, and he has strongly supported the Latin Mass, the older form of the Mass that is popular with many conservative Catholics. Burke has also said that Catholic politicians who support legal abortion, like former President Joe Biden, should not receive the Eucharist.
WATCH: MICHAEL KNOWLES EXPLAINS HOW THE NEXT POPE WILL BE CHOSEN
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Cardinal Pietro Parolin, 70, has served as the Vatican&#8217;s Secretary of State for nearly all of Francis&#8217; papacy. The Italian cardinal has been in the Holy See&#8217;s diplomatic service since 1986, when he was in his early 30s.
Considered a political moderate, Parolin has played a role in many political issues, including moderating 2014 talks between Cuban and American officials, asking the United States to find an &#8220;adequate humanitarian solution&#8221; for Guantanamo Bay prisoners, and urging countries to implement the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, 65, of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has made headlines for his conservative stances. His papacy would be considered a referendum on Francis&#8217; more progressive one.
However, Besungu also <a href="https://thecatholicherald.com/papabili-the-cardinals-who-have-seen-their-prospects-in-the-next-conclave-harmed-and-improved-by-recent-news-events/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brought</a> critics and supporters of Francis together when he led African bishops in rejecting Francis&#8217; document explaining that people in same-sex relationships can be blessed, but did so with Francis&#8217; explicit blessing, which he got during an emergency trip to Rome.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, has been <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20151124125431/http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/01/15/manila-cardinal-luis-tagle-the-asian-pope-francis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the &#8220;Asian Pope Francis&#8221; and would likely continue Francis&#8217; more left-leaning stances.
He has defended the Church&#8217;s teachings on abortion and contraception, but he has also criticized the Church for using &#8220;harsh words&#8221; for LGBT people and divorced and remarried Catholics.
Cardinal Wim Eijk, 71, is also considered a conservative potential successor.
The former medical doctor from the Netherlands has been a sharp critic of Francis. He is one of the authors of a 2015 document opposing the pope&#8217;s approval of civil remarriages among people who have not received an annulment, <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/02/18/world-news/who-are-the-frontrunners-to-be-elected-next-pontiff-after-pope-francis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calling</a> them “a form of structured and institutionalized adultery.”
Eijk also <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/blog/cardinal-eijk-pope-francis-needed-to-give-clarity-on-intercommunion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> Francis for giving what he called a “completely incomprehensible” response to a German Bishops&#8217; Conference proposal on allowing Protestants to receive the Eucharist.
Cardinal Peter Erdö, 72, is a Hungarian cardinal who is a devout Marian as well as a former president of the Council of Bishops Conferences of Europe.
He has expressed conservative views, including staunchly opposing allowing divorced and remarried Catholics to receive communion. In 2015 during the European migrant crisis, he said the Church would not <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/05/us-europe-migrants-hungary-divide-idUSKCN0R50F120150905/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">take</a> in refugees because it would be akin to human trafficking.

Pope Francis attends his weekly general audience

Who Could Become Pontiff After Pope Francis?

The leader of the Satanic Grotto was led away in handcuffs at the Kansas Statehouse Friday morning after he scuffled with a protester who objected to his &#8220;black mass&#8221; ceremony there.
Michael Stewart, president of the Satanic Grotto, was tackled to the ground by police officers in the rotunda of the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka as he attempted to hold the &#8220;black mass&#8221; ceremony.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨BREAKING: The leader of the Satanic Grotto gets arrested at Kansas State Capitol for assaulting a Catholic during a &quot;Black Mass&quot; attempt. <a href="https://t.co/oo55sxO0SN">pic.twitter.com/oo55sxO0SN</a>
&mdash; CatholicVote (@CatholicVote) <a href="https://twitter.com/CatholicVote/status/1905673783416934437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Just before his arrest, Stewart appeared to repeatedly punch a protester who came up to him and tried to grab something out of his hand that he was holding above his head as he called out to Satan.
He told officers he was not resisting arrest as he was handcuffed.
“Hail Satan! I dedicate this building to Satan!” Stewart could be heard shouting as he was led away.
Onlookers could be heard praying a &#8220;Hail Mary&#8221; as Stewart was led away.
The Satanic Grotto previously said Friday&#8217;s “black mass” event would “dedicate the grounds and our legislature to the glory of Satan.”
“God will fall and Kansas will be embraced by the black flame of Lucifer,” the group <a href="https://www.kwch.com/2025/03/12/gov-kelly-responds-plans-black-mass-event-kansas-statehouse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
“I will be performing that black mass in our State Capitol,” Satanic Grotto President Michael Stewart previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kansas-gov-not-doing-enough-to-stop-satanists-from-performing-black-mass-at-capitol-critics-say">told</a> The Daily Wire. “If they have to arrest me, then they have to arrest me.”
A “black mass” is an explicit parody of the Catholic Mass that may use consecrated hosts, which Catholics believe to be the physical body, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ.
“We have wafers,” Stewart said previously. “I don’t want to comment on whether they’re consecrated or not because that would ruin the mystery.”
Alarmed critics warned the controversial event is wildly offensive to Catholics and could be disruptive.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly had warned the Satanic Grotto president to move his event outside, saying “no protests will be allowed inside the Statehouse” on that day.
As Stewart entered the statehouse building, an officer <a href="https://www.ksnt.com/capitol-bureau/satanic-grotto-leader-take-away-in-handcuffs-at-the-kansas-statehouse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> him he was welcome to be inside, but that he would be arrested if he tried to hold an event or cause a disruption.
Earlier in the morning, police also apprehended a man who <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/government/2025/03/28/christians-and-satanists-hold-competing-rallies-at-kansas-statehouse/82704649007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tackled</a> Stewart and grabbed a communion wafer from him as he held the &#8220;black mass&#8221; on the steps of the Capitol building. Later, Stewart ventured inside.
The hundreds of Catholic and Christian protesters who showed up Friday morning to rally outside the Kansas Statehouse far <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/government/2025/03/28/christians-and-satanists-hold-competing-rallies-at-kansas-statehouse/82704649007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outnumbered</a> the few dozen Satanists who held their own rally. Many officers with the Kansas Highway Patrol and Capitol Police were present as well.
Catholics also held masses at two nearby churches, one across the street and another a few blocks away.
It is not yet clear what, if any, charges Stewart will face.
The Satanic Grotto president has previously shown up outside Planned Parenthood and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thesatanicgrotto/reel/ChNz3tYJNSL/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">performed</a> lewd gestures to pro-life protesters outside.

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Satanist Arrested After Punching Protester At Black Mass In Kansas Statehouse

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A prominent Catholic group is urging Kansas Governor Laura Kelly to stop a Satanist group from performing a &#8220;black mass&#8221; at the Statehouse.
The Satanic Grotto is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kansas-gov-not-doing-enough-to-stop-satanists-from-performing-black-mass-at-capitol-critics-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">planning</a> to hold a &#8220;black mass&#8221; on March 28 at the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka, causing alarm among critics who warned the controversial event is wildly offensive to Catholics and could be disruptive.
CatholicVote, one of the country’s largest Catholic advocacy groups, sent a letter to Kelly, a Democrat, on Wednesday urging her to prevent any religious desecration at the capitol building.
&#8220;While we recognize the constitutional protections for speech and expression, we also trust that your office understands the importance of maintaining law, order, and the integrity of government property against any attempts to disrupt its normal function,&#8221; wrote Logan Church, CatholicVote&#8217;s director of political operations in her letter to Kelly, which was provided to The Daily Wire.
The Satanic Grotto said the &#8220;black mass&#8221; event will &#8220;dedicate the grounds and our legislature to the glory of Satan.&#8221;
&#8220;God will fall and Kansas will be embraced by the black flame of Lucifer,&#8221; the group <a href="https://www.kwch.com/2025/03/12/gov-kelly-responds-plans-black-mass-event-kansas-statehouse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
“I will be performing that black mass in our State Capitol,” Satanic Grotto President Michael Stewart previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kansas-gov-not-doing-enough-to-stop-satanists-from-performing-black-mass-at-capitol-critics-say">told</a> The Daily Wire. “If they have to arrest me, then they have to arrest me.”
A &#8220;black mass&#8221; is an explicit parody of the Catholic Mass that may use consecrated hosts, which Catholics believe to be the physical body, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ.
“We have wafers,” Stewart said. “I don’t want to comment on whether they’re consecrated or not because that would ruin the mystery.”
CatholicVote said the &#8220;black mass&#8221; event &#8220;clearly violates building policies and established protocols&#8221; and is an &#8220;unauthorized use of the Statehouse.&#8221;
The group said it is &#8220;deeply concerned&#8221; about potential &#8220;illegal entry and disorder&#8221; at the capitol building and urged the governor to strictly enforce the policies governing the use of the capitol building
&#8220;The Statehouse belongs to the people, of all religious beliefs, and cannot be used for religious desecration,&#8221; the group wrote. &#8220;If Stewart or his group attempts to trespass or disrupt the Capitol’s function, law enforcement should be fully prepared to respond appropriately, including arrests if necessary,&#8221; CatholicVote wrote.
The group called on the governor to make sure security limits entry to those with official business and is prepared to prevent safety threats to members of the public, &#8220;including those peacefully praying outside.&#8221;
&#8220;The Kansas Capitol symbolizes law, order, and the values of the people it represents. Allowing a group that openly declares its intent to violate regulations and perform a blasphemous act inside a state building would set a dangerous precedent,&#8221; CatholicVote said.
Kelly has said that all events for March 28 will be moved outdoors, and &#8220;no protests will be allowed inside the Statehouse&#8221; on that day.
&#8220;Respect for constitutional rights must always be balanced with a commitment to preserving order, safety, and the integrity of public institutions,&#8221; Church said in a statement to The Daily Wire.
&#8220;When an individual or group openly challenges the laws that govern public spaces, it is not only a matter of policy enforcement, but of protecting the values that hold our community together,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Christians everywhere should unite, standing firm against such blasphemous actions from all angles — through peaceful protest, public dialogue, and unwavering support for the sanctity of our shared values.&#8221;
Stewart, the Satanic Grotto president has previously shown up outside Planned Parenthood and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thesatanicgrotto/reel/ChNz3tYJNSL/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">performed</a> lewd gestures to pro-life protesters outside.

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EXCLUSIVE: Catholic Group Urges Kansas Governor To Block Satanic Black Mass At Capitol

Catholic Group Urges Kansas Governor To Block Satanic Black Mass At Capitol

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