The world paid tribute to Pope Francis
Mourners, some in tears, gathered yesterday in St. Peter’s Square after the Vatican announced the death of Pope Francis at age 88. The leadership of the Roman Catholic Church now faces a critical decision: Choose a new pope who will follow his welcoming and global approach, or restore the more doctrinaire path of his predecessors. Here’s the latest.
Tributes poured in from global leaders. President José Ramos-Horta of East Timor said that Francis’ death was the “greatest loss for humanity at a time when the world is in turmoil for lack of wise and compassionate leadership.”
Here is an account of Francis’ final days, as well as his full obituary.
A report released by the Vatican listed the causes of death as a cerebral stroke, followed by a coma and “irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.” He kept a busy schedule until the day before his death, defying doctors’ orders to rest. Here’s what else to know.
A funeral date has not been set, but the Vatican said a public viewing might take place as early as tomorrow.
A reporter’s view: Jason Horowitz, our Rome bureau chief, described Francis as “a pope of surprises.”
“He defied expectations for the church he led, and the world he cared so much about, but he was also deeply consistent on the issues he cared most about: migrants, the environment and inequality,” Jason said. “He made important changes within the church, but, on the global stage, I think his voice on those priorities may be most missed.”
What’s next: Within hours of the announcement of the pope’s death, cardinals around the world began heading to the Vatican to arrange his burial and prepare for the task of choosing his successor. They are expected to hold their first meeting today at the synod hall. Here are the possible contenders to be the next pontiff.
Scenes of mourning: Our photographers captured these images of the reaction to his death.
India warmly welcomed Vance
Vice President JD Vance began a four-day visit to India yesterday and met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a time when the country hopes to dodge steep U.S. tariffs.
Senior Indian officials and some analysts took Vance’s visit as a sign that the U.S. intended to continue working toward a trade deal. Before President Trump paused his reciprocal tariffs this month, Indian exports were facing levies of 27 percent.
Related: Beijing warned that if countries curbed trade with China to curry favor with the U.S., they would face retaliation.
Israel’s security chief accused Netanyahu of impropriety
Ronen Bar, the chief of Israel’s domestic security agency, said in an affidavit published yesterday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had repeatedly pressed him to spy on Israelis who had led and funded anti-government protests. He also said that Netanyahu had demanded personal loyalty above the rulings of the Supreme Court in the event of a constitutional crisis.
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Cook: This skillet gnocchi recipe takes just 10 minutes.
