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☆ Opinion: Trump might have dozed off in court. Here’s how that could come back to bite him
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Opinion Elliot Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Still, the question remains: Can Trump consistently stay awake through the long slog of a criminal trial? Still, it was a striking image that simulcast three individuals in one: a criminal defendant; one of the most powerful people on the planet; and a napping old man. Not everyone is so lucky when those around them fall asleep in court. A defendant whose liberty is on the line would be well advised to find out a way to stay awake. (Some judges might frown upon a defendant chewing gum in court, but sleep specialists have identified plenty of other ways to stay awake, some of them courthouse-friendly.)

Persons: Elliot Williams, Donald Trump, Trump, Maggie Haberman, Thursday’s, Pope Benedict XVI, Silvio Berlusconi dozed, George W, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, snoozing, “, it’s, ” Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Twitter, Trump, The New York Times, “, Italian, Bush Presidential, Supreme, Union Locations: Raben, Manhattan, United States, Malta

☆ Barcelona’s famous Sagrada Familia will finally be completed in 2026
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona will finally be finished in 2026, more than 140 years after construction started, officials have confirmed. “The Chapel of the Assumption is expected to be finished in 2025 and the tower of Jesus Christ, in 2026,” the Sagrada Familia said in a statement announcing the publication of its 2023 annual report. When complete, the Sagrada Familia will become the world’s tallest church, overtaking Ulm Minster in Germany. The Sagrada Familia pictured in 1940 Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesWhen Gaudí died in 1926, only an estimated 10%-15% of the project had been built, including one transept, a crypt and some of the apse wall. The construction of the church was carried out illegally for 137 years, until 2019, when a building permit was finally issued by Barcelona’s city council.

Persons: Jesus Christ, Christophe Simon, Antoni Gaudí, Virgin Mary, Jesus, Gaudí, Pope Benedict XVI Organizations: CNN, Assumption, Getty, Ulm Minster, Construction, Spanish, UNESCO, Authorities Locations: Barcelona, AFP, Ulm, Germany, Catalan, Barcelona’s

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Argentina’s faith and politics came together Sunday as Pope Francis canonized the country’s first female saint with Argentina's libertarian president, Javier Milei, sitting in the front row of St. Peter’s Basilica. The Mass to declare Mama Antula a saint marked the first meeting between the Argentine pope and Milei, who once called Francis an “imbecile” for defending social justice. Milei is to meet privately with Francis on Monday, before also having private talks with Italy’s far-right Premier Giorgia Meloni and the president. “It’s a gift of God that Pope Francis — an Argentine pope, a Jesuit pope — can canonize her,” he said. “But Mama Antula is a saint independent of Francis.”

Persons: Pope Francis, Javier Milei, Mama Antula, Milei, Francis, ”, Francis ’, —, Italy’s, Giorgia Meloni, ” Francis, Moses, “, María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, Silvia Correale, Mama, Mama Antula's, ” Correale, Ignatius, Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva, Antula, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis — Organizations: VATICAN CITY, Argentine, Associated Press, St, Catholic Church Locations: Peter’s, Argentina, Rome, Israel, Argentine, Jerusalem, Buenos Aires, Uruguay

☆ Pope Francis takes on vested interests to speak out on humanitarian crises
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Analysis Christopher Lamb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

Pope Francis received an emotional welcome on the island during a visit showing solidarity with migrants fleeing war and poverty. ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images Pope Francis confesses in St. Peter's Basilica during the Vatican's Penitential Celebration on Friday, March 4, 2016. Alessandro Di Meo/AP Pope Francis arrives for his visit with prisoners in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on Friday, July 10, 2015. Franco Origlia/Getty Images Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I address the faithful in Istanbul on Sunday, November 30, 2014. Gokhan Tan/Getty Images Pope Francis speaks during the feast-day Mass while on a one-day trip to Italy's Calabria region in June 2014.

Persons: Pope Francis, Cardinal Michael Czerny, Francis, “, ”, Regina Coeli, Vincenzo Pinto, Juan Manuel Santos, Santos, Alessandra Tarantino, L'Osservatore Romano, VINCENZO PINTO, Simon Bar Sabbae, Pope, FILIPPO MONTEFORTE, Karekin, TIZIANA FABI, Giuseppe Ciccia, MAX, Pope Francis tries, Pope Benedict XVI, Alessandro Di Meo, Evo Morales, OSSERVATORE ROMANO, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Federico Lombardi, Lombardi, Gregorio Borgia, Getty Pope Francis, Raul Castro, Castro, GABRIEL BOUYS, ANDREAS SOLARO, Kurukkal SivaSri, Mahadeva, Pope Francis in, Eranga, Franco Origlia, Bartholomew I, Gokhan Tan, San Gregorio Magno, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip , Duke of Edinburgh, Oli Scarff, Barack Obama, SAUL LOEB, Santa Sabina, Max ROSSI, Daniele De Sanctis, Pope Francis ', FABIO FRUSTACI, Benedict XVI, Benedict, L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO, Osservatore Romano Pope Francis, Vinicio Riva, Riva, CLAUDIO PERI, Rainbow Association Marco Iagulli Onlus, Fotografia, Father Don Renzo Zocca, Osservatore Romano, LUCA ZENNARO, Jorge Saenz, Dan Kitwood, Jesus, Internationalis Paulus VI, Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Roman Catholic Church's, Peter Macdiarmid, Pope Francis Prev, it’s, He’s, Filippo Monteforte, Donald Trump’s, Czerny, Trump, Donald Trump, Melania, Evan Vucci, Reuters “, ” Cardinal Czerny, Cardinal Czerny, doesn’t, Francis ’, “ Jesus Organizations: CNN, Getty Images, Colombian, Revolutionary Armed Forces, International Catholic Rural Association, Vatican, AFP, Getty, Catholic Chaldean, St, Mercy, ARIS MESSINIS, MAX ROSSI, Getty Images Bolivian, Cuban, Sunday, Queen, getty, Rainbow Association, Renault, Catholic, Roman Catholic, Intelligence, Warner Bros, Discovery, “, Republican, Reuters Locations: St, AFP, Colombia, Rome, Tbilisi , Georgia, Auschwitz, Birkenau, Poland, Etchmiadzin, Yerevan, Armenia, Vatican City, Moria, Lesbos, Peter's, Mexican, Havana, Cuba, Mexico, Santa Cruz , Bolivia, South America, Ecuador, Paraguay, La Paz, Bolivia, Italian, Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, Havana and Washington, Vatican, Pope Francis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Istanbul, Italy's Calabria, Jerusalem's Old City, Argentina, Roman Parish, San, Rome's, Santa, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Argentine, America, Gaza, Nove, Lampedusa, Italy, Ciampino, Czechoslovakia, Canada, United States, Africa

☆ Vatican Confirms Ban on Catholics Becoming Freemasons
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican has confirmed a ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons, a centuries-old secretive society that the Catholic Church has long viewed with hostility and has an estimated global membership of up to six million. "Active membership in Freemasonry by a member of the faithful is prohibited, because of the irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry," the Vatican's doctrinal office said in a letter published by Vatican media on Wednesday. The same office said last week that transgender people can be baptized, serve as godparents and act as witnesses at Catholic weddings. The letter on Freemasons cited a 1983 declaration, signed by the late Pope Benedict XVI, at the time the Vatican's doctrine chief, stating that Catholics "in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion". The group says it has 180,000 male members, with two parallel female lodges in England having another 5,000 members, and estimates global Freemasonry membership at around six million.

Persons: Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Elizabeth's, Prince Philip, Winston Churchill, Peter Sellers, Alf Ramsey, Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle, Alvise Armellini, Nick Macfie Organizations: VATICAN CITY, Vatican, Freemasons, Catholic Church, United, Lodge of Locations: Philippines, Lodge of England, England

☆ Vatican confirms ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pope Francis gestures as he leaves after the weekly general audience, in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli Acquire Licensing RightsVATICAN CITY, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The Vatican has confirmed a ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons, a centuries-old secretive society that the Catholic Church has long viewed with hostility and has an estimated global membership of up to six million. "Active membership in Freemasonry by a member of the faithful is prohibited, because of the irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry," the Vatican's doctrinal office said in a letter published by Vatican media on Wednesday. The letter on Freemasons cited a 1983 declaration, signed by the late Pope Benedict XVI, at the time the Vatican's doctrine chief, stating that Catholics "in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion". The group says it has 180,000 male members, with two parallel female lodges in England having another 5,000 members, and estimates global Freemasonry membership at around six million.

Persons: Pope Francis, Remo Casilli, Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Elizabeth's, Prince Philip, Winston Churchill, Peter Sellers, Alf Ramsey, Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle, Alvise Armellini, Nick Macfie Organizations: Vatican, REUTERS, CITY, Freemasons, Catholic Church, United, Lodge of, Thomson Locations: Saint Peter's, Philippines, Lodge of England, England

☆ Sagrada Familia: Barcelona's famous cathedral nears completion as evangelist towers finished
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —After a wait of more than 140 years, five central towers of Barcelona’s famous Sagrada Familia basilica are at last finished. On Wednesday, the final sculptural piece was placed on the tower of Matthew the Evangelist, according to a news release from the Basílica de la Sagrada Família. From Basílica de la Sagrada Família/Facebook“The four towers of the Evangelists are finished! An inauguration mass will be held at the cathedral on November 12, when the four evangelist towers will be illuminated. Josep Lago/AFP/Getty ImagesThe four evangelist towers stand at 135 meters tall (around 443 feet).

Persons: Antoni Gaudí, Virgin Mary, Jesus, Matthew the, John the, we’ll, Luke, Josep Lago, Jesus Christ, Gaudí, Pope Benedict XVI Organizations: CNN, Facebook, Getty, Spanish, UNESCO, Authorities, Ulm Minster Locations: Catalan, AFP, Barcelona’s, Ulm, Germany

☆ Former Italian president Napolitano dies aged 98
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Former Italian President and senator Giorgio Napolitano speaks following a talk with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, Italy, April 13, 2018. REUTERS/Tony Gentile/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Former Italian president Giorgio Napolitano, a onetime communist who helped to steer his country through a debt crisis in 2011, died on Friday aged 98. Condolences poured in from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office, other politicians, the Vatican and beyond. Napolitano became president in 2006 and was elected for an unprecedented second seven-year term in 2013. Reporting by Angelo Amante; writing by Keith Weir and Angelo Amante Editing by Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Giorgio Napolitano, Sergio Mattarella, Tony Gentile, Giorgia, Pope Francis, Napolitano's, Clio Bittoni, Napolitano, Pope Benedict XVI, Francis, Mario Monti, Silvio Berlusconi, Enrico Letta, Angelo Amante, Keith Weir, Gareth Jones Organizations: Italian, REUTERS, Rights, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, Italian

☆ Sinéad O’Connor paid dearly for criticizing the Catholic church. History proved her right
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Following the announcement of Sinéad O’Connor’s death aged 56 Wednesday, her life and music with all their complexities and convulsions have been put back into the spotlight. At first, the act drew widespread condemnation, but in subsequent years this eventually gave way to admiration as the Catholic Church acknowledged and apologized for the sexual abuse perpetrated by members of the clergy, often toward children. Ripping up that photo of the pope defined her career in a “beautiful f**king way,” she told the Guardian in 2021. Joe Pesci hosted the show the following week and in his opening monologue said that O’Connor “was very lucky it wasn’t my show. As the years passed, however, the public’s stance toward O’Connor softened as sexual abuse by members of the clergy became a matter of record.

Persons: Sinéad, Pope John Paul II, Bob Marley’s, ” O’Connor, John Paul II, “, O’Connor, ”, O'Connor, Stringer, Bob Dylan, Joe Pesci, she’s, Joey Buttafuoco, Amy Fisher, Pope Benedict XVI, O’Connor’s, Aisling Bea, sayer, Morrisey Organizations: CNN, Catholic Church, Rolling Stone, SNL, Guardian, Defamation League, Smiths Locations: Irish, United States, London, Antigua, Australia, Ireland

Rome CNN —Pope Francis was recovering well in a Rome hospital on Thursday, the day after the 86-year-old had abdominal surgery that renewed health fears. “This wasn’t an urgent surgery,” Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the surgeon who operated on Pope Francis, said at a press conference. Pope Francis, seated in a wheelchair, attended a weekly general audience at the Vatican on June 7. Pope’s fragile healthThis operation is the latest in a series of health scares surrounding Pope Francis. Medical sources say that the intervention was likely related to the surgery Francis underwent in 2021, which removed half of his colon.

Persons: Rome, Rome CNN — Pope Francis, “, ”, Matteo Bruni, Francis, ” Dr, Sergio Alfieri, Pope Francis, ” Alfieri, Andreas Solaro, Alfieri, he’s “, –, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Bruni, Francis ’, Pope Francis now, Annatuli, Carina, State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Tarcisio Bertone, ’ ”, Pope Benedict XVI, Gregory XII, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: Rome CNN, Vatican, Gemelli, Reuters, Catholic, Papal, Getty, CNN, Spanish, ABC, State, Catholic Church Locations: Rome, AFP, The Prefecture, Mexico, Myanmar, Iraq, Ukraine

☆ Pope Francis to have abdominal surgery, in latest health concern
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( John Allen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Rome CNN —Pope Francis will have surgery on his abdomen and remain in a Rome hospital for several days, the Vatican said Wednesday, sparking renewed fears over the 86-year-old’s fragile health. The pope was forced to cancel several work commitments in late May after he was debilitated by a fever. According to medical sources, the intervention is likely related to the surgery Francis experienced in 2021 to remove half of his colon. Should Francis be incapacitated for any length of time, the Vatican could find itself facing something of a constitutional crisis. Francis said he wrote the letter several years ago and gave it to then-Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who resigned in 2013.

Persons: Rome, Rome CNN — Pope Francis, Francis, he’s “, Vatican, Matteo Bruni, ” Francis, Pius XI, ”, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Tarcisio Bertone, ’ ”, Francis ’, Pope Benedict XVI, “, Gregory XII Organizations: Rome CNN, Vatican, Rome’s Clinic, Catholic, Spanish, ABC, State Locations: Rome, St

Jeremy Selwyn/WPA Pool/Getty Images Camilla stands next to Queen Elizabeth II during a Diamond Jubilee pageant on the River Thames in June 2012. Chris Jackson/Getty Images From left, Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attend the state opening of Parliament in May 2013. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William. Frank Augstein/WPA Pool/Getty Images In pictures: Britain's Queen Camilla Prev NextShe reportedly met Prince Charles at a polo match in Windsor in 1970 and they became friends. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William.

☆ Pope Francis again turns screws on use of traditional Latin Mass
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Tuesday further tightened the screws on Catholic conservatives over the use of traditional Latin Mass, rebuking bishops who had allowed it to be said in parishes without previous permission from the Vatican. Francis issued a brief but unequivocal decree underscoring sections of a document he issued in 2021, when he overturned liberalising decisions by his two predecessors, who had been more lenient towards the traditional Latin Mass. Some also had closed an eye to the regulation that priests ordained after 2021 needed special permission from the Vatican to say the old-style Latin Mass. Some conservatives in the Church have used the Latin Mass as a battle cry in their general opposition to the reforms of the 1962-1965 Second Vatican Council, which included the introduction of Mass in vernacular languages. Many missed the Latin rites' sense of mystery and awe and the centuries-old sacred music that went with it.

☆ Vatican holds funeral for Cardinal George Pell who decried Pope Francis’ rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The Australian cardinal who decried the papacy of Pope Francis as a “catastrophe” was given a funeral Saturday in St. Peter’s Basilica, with the pontiff imparting a final blessing for the once high-ranking Vatican prelate. Cardinal George Pell, 81, died on Jan. 10, shortly after undergoing hip surgery in a Rome hospital. Pell later returned to his native Australia to be tried on child sex abuse charges over allegations that he molested two choirboys while he was archbishop of Melbourne. As is customary for funerals of cardinals, a final blessing, delivered in Latin, in the form a prayer for mercy and eternal rest, was recited by Pope Francis. Gaenswein unleashed a torrent of criticism of Francis in interviews hours after Benedict died in retirement at the Vatican on Dec. 31 and in a book published days later.

☆ Watch: Funeral of Pope Benedict XVI Led by Pope Francis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

All the Times the House Failed to Elect a New Speaker So Far The House of Representatives has yet to elect a new Speaker after eight rounds of voting so far this week. A candidate must win the majority of those present and voting. Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press

☆ Pope Benedict XVI Funeral: Pope Francis Presides Over Vatican Ceremony
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Francis X. Rocca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

VATICAN CITY— Pope Francis presided over the funeral of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, in a solemn and grand ceremony, but one that didn’t focus on the deceased’s life or accomplishments. Francis’ homily was mostly a meditation on the last words of Jesus, from the Gospel reading earlier in the Mass. The pope mentioned Benedict only in a few remarks, recalling “the wisdom, tenderness and devotion that he bestowed upon us over the years.”

☆ Pope Francis Presides Over Funeral for Pope Benedict XVI
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Francis X. Rocca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

VATICAN CITY— Pope Francis presided over the funeral of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, in a solemn and grand ceremony, but one that did not focus on the deceased’s life or accomplishments. Francis’s homily was mostly a meditation on the last words of Jesus, from the Gospel reading earlier in the Mass. The pope mentioned Benedict only in a few remarks, recalling “the wisdom, tenderness and devotion that he bestowed upon us over the years.”

☆ Pope Francis May Have a Freer Hand After Death of Benedict
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Francis X. Rocca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ROME— Pope Francis has been the leader of the Catholic Church for almost 10 years, but he has been the only pope in the Vatican just since Saturday. The death of Pope Benedict XVI after a decade in retirement has ended an extraordinary arrangement that helped define the current pontificate. While Pope Francis has already taken a markedly different tack than his predecessor, he may feel even freer to do so now.

☆ Pope Benedict Receives a Quiet Farewell From Mourners
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Francis X. Rocca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

VATICAN CITY—The body of Pope Benedict XVI lay before the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday, his head resting on a pair of velvet cushions, his face waxy and ashen, with rosary beads entwined through his folded hands. The twisting baroque columns of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s altar canopy towered behind. The late pope, who retired in 2013, wore a bishop’s miter but, unlike his predecessor, St. John Paul II , when he lay in state, not the woolen cloak around his neck signifying papal office.

☆ Mourners Bid a Quiet Farewell to Pope Benedict
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Francis X. Rocca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Pope Benedict’s Passing Means Conservative Catholics Lose Their Leading Light
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Francis X. Rocca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ROME—The death of Pope Benedict XVI has left conservative Catholics without their figurehead, amid deep divisions over how much the church should adapt to the times or reaffirm its traditional teachings against the challenge of secularism. The retired pope was for more than three decades a leader in the culture wars that have shaken the Catholic Church and wider society since the late 1960s. He was a living symbol, depending on one’s point of view, of an intolerant and punitive religiosity or of stalwart fidelity amid disorienting change.

☆ Ukraine Begins New Year With Air Raids, Explosions From Russian Attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Watch: Death of Retired Pope Benedict XVI Announced Pope Benedict XVI, who led the Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013, died on Saturday at the age of 95. His body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica from Monday, the Vatican said. Photo: Maurizio Brambatti/Shutterstock

☆ Watch: Pope Benedict XVI’s Body Lies in State as Mourners Line Up to Pay Respects
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

NFT Artist Beeple on the Future of Digital ArtThe artist Mike Winkelmann, better known as Beeple, is one of the most valuable living artists. But now that demand for non-fungible tokens has cooled and the crypto winter has set in, what does he see as the future of NFTs? Beeple spoke with WSJ art-market reporter Kelly Crow at this year’s WSJ Tech Live event. Zoe Thomas hosts.

☆ Faithful pay respects to former Pope Benedict in St. Peter's
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/8] Faithful pay homage to former Pope Benedict in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, January 2, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneVATICAN CITY, Jan 2 (Reuters) - A steady stream of people filed into St. Peter's Basilica on Monday to pay their respects to former Pope Benedict XVI, whose body will lie in state in front of the main altar until his funeral later this week. Benedict died on Saturday at the age of 95 in the secluded Vatican monastery where he had lived since his shock resignation in 2013. His funeral will be held on Thursday in St Peter's Square and be presided over by Pope Francis. There were no signs of the huge crowds who came to pay their respects to Benedict's predecessor, Pope John Paul II, following his death in 2005.

☆ Pope Francis to Preside Over Predecessor’s Funeral, in a Vatican First
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Francis X. Rocca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

VATICAN CITY— Pope Francis will preside over the funeral of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, bringing a historically unique situation—that of two popes residing practically side by side in the Vatican—to a similarly unusual close. The event will be in a much lower key than the last papal funeral, that of St. John Paul II in 2005, when heads of state and government flocked to Rome along with millions of mourners, some of whom waited a dozen hours or more to file past the Polish pope’s body lying in state in the basilica.

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