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Bishop Melchisedec Sikuli Paluku of the Catholic Diocese of Butembo-Beni in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has remembered the 2023 visit of Pope Francis to the troubled African country, during which the Holy Father lauded the vitality of the Church in the country.
April 23, the patron saint’s day of Pope Francis, is a holiday at the Vatican and the pope usually celebrated it with acts of charity toward people in need.
The late Pope Francis was a humble, missionary-minded shepherd close to all and whose vision for a synodal and merciful Church remains alive, Ignace Cardinal Bessi Dogbo of the Ivory Coast’s Catholic Archdiocese of Abidjan has said.
Various factors are at play when it comes to the decision of a burial place for a pope. Pope Francis has chosen the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore.
Bishops across Africa have issued directives in their respective Dioceses, encouraging special prayers for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis who passed on Easter Monday, April 21 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.
At the first general congregation of cardinals in Rome on Tuesday, the estimated 60 cardinals in attendance chose the date of Pope Francis’ funeral.
The late Pope Francis address moral and ethical issues authoritatively and his Easter Monday passing on signifies “a colossal loss”, Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of Nigeria’s Archdiocese of Abuja has said.
Pope Francis greeted the faithful around the world for the last time from St. Peter’s Basilica on the most important day for Christians: Easter.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Ndola in Zambia has declared a period of mourning following the passing on of Pope Francis, and suspended major activities it had lined up before the Easter Monday news was made public.
Rooted in ancient Christian and Roman customs, the Novendiales is a period of nine consecutive days dedicated to mourning the death of a pope.
Father Gabriel Romanelli, the pastor of Holy Family Parish in Gaza, summed up Pope Francis’ last call on Saturday night, April 19, moments before the Easter Vigil.
“We must not be afraid of old age, we must not fear embracing becoming old,” wrote Francis in the preface to a book in Italian by Cardinal Angelo Scola.
During his papacy, Pope Francis shared advice and bits of practical wisdom on how to get along with one another, including within the family.
Here are some of the key words and phrases that will be used throughout the interregnum, especially the conclave to elect the new pope.
His words often focused on the dignity of the poor, migrants, refugees, and the elderly as well as the importance of marriage, family life, and care for the environment.
The Vatican on Tuesday released the first photos of Pope Francis after his death, showing him dressed in red vestments and lying in a simple, wooden coffin inside the chapel of the Santa Marta guesthouse.
In accordance with his personal wishes, Francis will not be buried in the Vatican grottoes but instead at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
The Holy See on Monday evening released the death certificate detailing the cause of death of Pope Francis, who died in his Vatican apartment at 7:35 a.m. in Rome on April 21, the day after Easter.
Catholic Bishops in Africa have expressed sorrow at the passing on of Pope Francis, remembering him as an inspirational leader, whose pontificate of peace and inclusivity was felt by many across the continent, resulting in a positive and memorable impression.
The Church in Africa has been thrown into deep mourning following the passing on of Pope Francis, with Church leaders on the continent describing the late Holy Father as a voice for the voiceless, a tireless advocate for peace and human dignity, and most especially, “a friend of Africa”.