Pope Francis

Editor's note: we ask our readers to pray for our Holy Father and his health. It is the duty of every Catholic to love and pray for the Roman Pontiff. Let us ...

Based on the pattern of leaks that seem to precede his dumpster fires, we can safely deduce that Pope Francis is fond of optics – and a resignation would certainly permit for a host of optics. Whether or not Pope Francis is at the helm, a clearly lavender biased College of Cardinals indicates that the Synod on Synodality will carry on. The battle cry to “resist Francis to his face” is proper. I fear that neither resignation nor repose will result in the retirement of papal resistance. It’s safe to say that whether he resigns or passes away, the deck is sufficiently stacked in favor of the infiltration movement. First, it is true that the Pope’s health has suffered a severe blow and that Pope Francis himself has begun to speed up some decisions in case something happens. Photos have suggested that one side of his torso seems to be more protruding than the other, leading me to believe that since July 2021, he has been wearing a colostomy bag. Beginning on Christmas Eve in 1999, and concluding on New Year’s Day in 2000, Pope John Paul II opened the Holy Door at all four Roman Basilicas for the Great Jubilee of 2000. Whether fast-paced decisions are the result of failing health, or a looming resignation remains to be seen. Often, their coverage of Pope Francis consists of nothing more than biased, sugar-coated fawning by Courtney Mares, or as I like to call her, George Weigel, Jr. However, the analysis by Gagliarducci was a well-rounded commentary worth revisiting. “It’s like a little vague feeling, but I have the feeling that the Lord puts me [here] for a brief thing and no more.” The article noted that the “rumors gained steam last week when Francis announced a consistory to create 21 new cardinals scheduled for August 27th.

Italian and Catholic media have been rife with unsourced speculation that the 85-year-old Francis might be planning to follow in his predecessor's footsteps ...

But four years later, the 85-year-old Benedict would follow in Celestine's footsteps and resign, saying he no longer had the strength of body and mind to carry on the rigors of the papacy. But Francis has been hobbled by the strained ligaments in his right knee that have made walking painful and difficult. The Vatican announced Saturday Francis would visit L'Aquila to celebrate Mass on Aug. 28 and open the "Holy Door" at the basilica hosting Celestine's tomb. In 2009, Benedict visited L'Aquila, which had been devastated by a recent earthquake and prayed at Celestine's tomb, leaving his pallium stole on it. Calling a major consistory in late August to create new cardinals, gathering churchmen for two days of talks on implementing his reform and making a symbolically significant pastoral visit suggests Francis might have out-of-the-ordinary business in mind. That document, which goes into effect Sunday, allows women to head Vatican offices, imposes term limits on priestly Vatican employees and positions the Holy See as an institution at the service of local churches, rather than vice versa.

Pope Celestine V resigned more than 700 years ago. Why is he relevant today? When Benedict XVI became the first pope to resign in almost 600 years in 2013, ...

In a 2014 interview, he said, “Benedict is the first and maybe there will be others. Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi of L’Aquila said that Francis will be the first pope to open the holy door for 728 years. After his election in 2013, Pope Francis praised Benedict XVI’s decision to resign. The visit’s official schedule does not mention the tomb of Celestine V or — unsurprisingly — anything to do with a papal resignation. When Benedict XVI became the first pope to resign in almost 600 years in 2013, Vatican watchers recalled that he had visited the tomb of Celestine V years earlier. Following the trip, he will meet with members of the College of Cardinals to discuss the new Vatican constitution that came into effect on June 5.

Rumors that Pope Francis may be retiring soon are circulating after he announced changes to his August plans.

Rumours of Pope Francis retiring have been doing rounds on the internet since earlier May. Now his announcement to attend a feast has fuelled rumours.

Meanwhile, his visit to Celestine V’s tomb further fuelled the rumours of retirement as his predecessor Pope Benedict also visited pace in 2019, leaving behind his pallium stole in what observers said was a symbolic gesture ahead of his own resignation in 2013, according to the Guardian. Notably, speculations of Pope Francis stepping down first gained traction in early May after he made a public appearance in a wheelchair. Rumours of Pope Francis retiring from his post have been doing rounds on the internet since earlier May. But, now his announcement to attend a special feast initiated by another pope who himself resigned previously, has fuelled all the hearsay.

Pope Celestine V resigned over 700 years ago. Why he is relevant today? When Benedict XVI became the first pope to resign in almost 600 years in 2013, Vatican- ...

In a 2014 interview, he said that “Benedict is the first and maybe there will be others. After his election in 2013, Pope Francis praised Benedict XVI’s decision to resign. Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi of L’Aquila said that Francis will be the first pope to open the holy door for 728 years.

Pope Francis' health issues, new appointments to the College of Cardinals, and a planned visit to the tomb of Pope Celestine V have all fueled speculation ...

Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego, who is the only new cardinal from the United States and shares Francis' position of allowing pro-choice politicians to receive the Eucharist, provides a good example. This allows popes to shape and utilize the college "according to their own best judgement." On the other hand, the cardinals haven't gathered in Vatican City since 2020. Condon warns that the pope's appointments could turn the college into a "decidedly more political" institution. The next consistory is scheduled for August and will overlap with the pope's visit to Celestine's tomb. Colleen Dulle and Gerard O'Connell, who host America magazine's Inside the Vatican podcast, observed that, in selecting this latest flock of cardinals, Francis generally "passed over 'cardinalatial sees,' big cities where the bishop has often been named a cardinal, in favor of bishops from underrepresented communities." Only cardinals under the age of 80 can vote in papal elections. Their main duty is to elect a new pope when the incumbent dies or resigns. If Francis is signaling his intent to resign as well, it would go a long way toward setting a new precedent. First, to avoid another years-long deadlock, his successor decreed that the cardinals be locked up together until a new pope is chosen. Second, he established the precedent that popes are allowed to resign voluntarily. In Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, the poet places Celestine in hell and describes him as "the craven one, who made the great denial."

Italian and Catholic media have been “rife with unsourced speculation” that the 85-year-old Francis could be preparing to quit the role, from which pontiffs ...

Benedict also visited the tomb in 2009, leaving behind his pallium stole. Two days after the consistory Pope Francis has also invited all cardinals in Rome to discuss the new Vatican constitution, which has been “nine years in the works”, said the paper. The new cardinals will be officially appointed in Rome at a consistory on 27 August, by which time Francis will have named 83 of the 132 cardinal electors, thereby “raising the chances” they will pick a successor ready to push on with his papal agenda and “mercy before dogma” policies, said The Times.

Pope Francis expresses his closeness to the Bishop and faithful of the Diocese of Ondo where a deadly attack on Pentecost Sunday claimed the lives of ...

Reports put the death toll at about 50, but the number is expected to rise. Finally, the Holy Father prayed for the divine blessings of comfort and strength on the Bishop and faithful of the diocese as they “continue to live the Gospel message with fidelity and courage.” In the telegram, Pope Francis commended the souls of the dead to the loving mercy of God and implored “divine healing and consolation" upon those who are grieving.

Pope Francis on Monday, through his Twitter handle, said, “I was deeply saddened to learn of the horrific attack at Saint Francis church in Owo in #Nigeria.

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Bola Tinubu, an APC presidential aspirant, visited the state and donated N50 million to the families of the victims of the attack and N25 million to the Catholic Church. He invited the world to pray for those affected by the attack and to pray for perpetrators.

Pope Francis expressed his solidarity and closeness with Catholics in Nigeria after gunmen stormed a church and reportedly killed at least 50 people d...

"Let us continue to pray for them and the good people of Owo and the state at large," Father Ikwu said. I have urged the heads of security agencies to take all necessary steps." This will not happen again.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has expressed his “spiritual closeness” to Nigerian Catholics mourning the victims of a massacre at a church on Pentecost Sunday ...

“While the details of the incident are being clarified, Pope Francis prays for the victims and for the country, painfully affected in a moment of celebration, and entrusts both to the Lord, to send his Spirit to comfort them.” “Upon you and the faithful of the diocese, Pope Francis invokes the divine blessings of comfort and strength as you continue to live the Gospel message with fidelity and courage.” VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has expressed his “spiritual closeness” to Nigerian Catholics mourning the victims of a massacre at a church on Pentecost Sunday.

ROME (Crux) — Pope Francis expressed his concern Sunday for a deadly shooting at a Catholic church in Nigeria on the feast of Pentecost that left somewhere ...

Not even in the air are people safe; two months ago, the bandits attacked a plane on the tarmac, which means there were no flights into Kaduna, a hub for flights.” This [suspension] lasted almost seven weeks, with flights resuming only in recent days. Nigeria’s Christian communities have been in the crosshairs for years. For example, a recent attack on a train left eight dead and dozens gravely wounded. ROME (Crux) — Pope Francis expressed his concern Sunday for a deadly shooting at a Catholic church in Nigeria on the feast of Pentecost that left somewhere between 25 and 50 people dead. “We shall commit every available resource to hunt down these assailants and make them pay,” he added. Local media reported that some victims were transported to a nearby hospital in serious condition.