People gather along the road as the coffin of Pope Francis is transported from Saint Peter’s Basilica to Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, after the pontiff’s funeral ceremony in St. Peter’s Square, at The Vatican (Marco Ravagli/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
(ROME) — Pope Francis was laid to rest Saturday at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome after dying at 88 years old on April 21.
More than 250,000 people turned out to bid farewell to the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. The crowd at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican included many young people and world leaders, giving us some important snapshots of our political moment.
Here are some key moments from the historic event:
Francis remembered as ‘pope among the people’
At his funeral, Pope Francis was remembered and venerated as a pontiff with “strength and serenity” who modeled his pontificate on St. Francis of Assisi. The dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, delivered the homily in front of mourners in St. Peter’s Square.
“He established direct contact with individuals and peoples, eager to be close to everyone, with a marked attention to those in difficulty, giving himself without measure, especially to the marginalized, the least among us,” Re said.
“He was a Pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone. He was also a Pope attentive to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the Church.”
Young people play a prominent role in Pope Francis’ funeral
Pope Francis’ outreach resonated with the younger generations, thousands of whom were present in St. Peter’s Square to mourn the late pontiff during his funeral on Saturday morning.
About 80,000 teenagers had registered for the Jubilee of Teenagers, a special event for worshippers between the ages of 12 and 17 during the Catholic Church’s Jubilee year of 2025, according to the Dicastery for Evangelization, a department of the Roman Curia — the central governing body of the Catholic Church.
Some changes were made to the event, scheduled for Friday and Sunday, due to Francis’ death. The canonization of Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006 at the age of 15 from leukemia, was postponed. Acutis, an Italian teen known for his devotion to the Eucharist, is set to become the first “millennial” saint upon his canonization, which was formally approved by Francis in July 2024.
Crowd applauds as Pope Francis’ coffin is brought out of basilica
The mourners assembled in St. Peter’s Square broke into applause as pallbearers carried the pope’s coffin outside. It was the site of Pope Francis’ last official act, when he celebrated Easter Sunday a day before he died on April 21.
American reporter delivers 1st reading
Some young adults even played a prominent role in the funeral proceedings. American Kielce Gussie, 28, did the first reading in English — several verses from the Acts of the Apostles.
Gussie works as a journalist at Vatican News and completed her undergraduate degree in theology at Mount St. Mary’s University. She also has a licentiate degree in church communication from Rome’s Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.
Crowd applauds Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in attendance with his wife Olena Zelenska, earned applause from the crowd in St. Peter’s Square appeared on the screens around the area.
Zelenskyy has led Ukraine during the country’s war with Russia, which escalated in 2022 after the Russian invasion of the Eastern European country.
President Donald Trump met privately with Zelenskyy prior to the funeral and had a “very productive session,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told the press pool traveling with Trump.
It was the first meeting between the two men since their contentious February meeting in the Oval Office, in which Trump and Vice President JD Vance rebuked Zelenskyy for his handling of the war.
First lady Melania Trump joined the president at the funeral. Former President Joe Biden and former first lady Jill Biden attended the funeral as well, sitting about four rows behind the Trumps.
Pages of the Book of Gospels blow in the wind
It is one of the most poignant and iconic moments in papal funerals: the simple yet profound image of the breeze blowing the pages of the Book of the Gospels resting on top of the pope’s coffin in St. Peter’s Square.
The book was opened to the reading, “In the Passion and death of the Lord.”
Bells toll as coffin is brought back into basilica
The coffin carrying Pope Francis was brought through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica for a final time as bells tolled for the pope throughout the Vatican.
The funeral, which lasted more than two hours, concluded with bells ringing for the pontiff. His coffin was taken to Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major where he was laid to rest.
Thousands line streets of Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral procession
The four-mile route between St. Peter’s Basilica and the final resting place of Pope Francis — the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome — was lined with tens of thousands of mourners following his funeral on Saturday morning.
People could be seen crying and applauding as Francis’ coffin drove by.
Francis’ coffin was placed in the bed of a white pickup truck, where it was visible to the thousands lining the streets. The procession took the pope’s body past some of Rome’s historical landmarks, such as the Roman Forum and the Colosseum.
When Pope Francis arrived at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, it was the last time he was seen in public before his burial. The basilica will reopen to visitors again on Sunday.
ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler, Kevin Shalvey, Jon Haworth, Hannah Demissie, Molly Nagle, Alex Ederson, Phoebe Natanson and Thomas Dunlavey.
(ROME) — At his funeral, Pope Francis was remembered and venerated as a pontiff with “strength and serenity” who modeled his pontificate on St. Francis of Assisi. The dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, delivered the homily in front of some 200,000 mourners in St. Peter’s Square.
Here are the remarks translated into English:
In this majestic Saint Peter’s Square, where Pope Francis celebrated the Eucharist so many times and presided over great gatherings over the past twelve years, we are gathered with sad hearts in prayer around his mortal remains.
Yet, we are sustained by the certainty of faith, which assures us that human existence does not end in the tomb, but in the Father’s house, in a life of happiness that will know no end.
On behalf of the College of Cardinals, I cordially thank all of you for your presence. With deep emotion, I extend respectful greetings and heartfelt thanks to the Heads of State, Heads of Government and Official Delegations who have come from many countries to express their affection, veneration and esteem for our late Holy Father.
The outpouring of affection that we have witnessed in recent days following his passing from this earth into eternity tells us how much the profound pontificate of Pope Francis touched minds and hearts.
The final image we have of him, which will remain etched in our memory, is that of last Sunday, Easter Sunday, when Pope Francis, despite his serious health problems, wanted to give us his blessing from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica. He then came down to this Square to greet the large crowd gathered for the Easter Mass while riding in the open-top Popemobile.
With our prayers, we now entrust the soul of our beloved Pontiff to God, that he may grant him eternal happiness in the bright and glorious gaze of his immense love.
We are enlightened and guided by the passage of the Gospel, in which the very voice of Christ resounded, asking the first of the Apostles: “Peter, do you love me more than these?” Peter’s answer was prompt and sincere: “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!” Jesus then entrusted him with the great mission: “Feed my sheep.”
This will be the constant task of Peter and his successors, a service of love in the footsteps of Christ, our Master and Lord, who “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45).
Despite his frailty and suffering towards the end, Pope Francis chose to follow this path of self-giving until the last day of his earthly life. He followed in the footsteps of his Lord, the Good Shepherd, who loved his sheep to the point of giving his life for them.
And he did so with strength and serenity, close to his flock, the Church of God, mindful of the words of Jesus quoted by the Apostle Paul: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
When Cardinal Bergoglio was elected by the Conclave on 13 March 2013 to succeed Pope Benedict XVI, he already had many years of experience in religious life in the Society of Jesus and, above all, was enriched by twenty-one years of pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, first as Auxiliary, then as Coadjutor and, above all, as Archbishop.
The decision to take the name Francis immediately appeared to indicate the pastoral plan and style on which he wanted to base his pontificate, seeking inspiration from the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi.He maintained his temperament and form of pastoral leadership, and through his resolute personality, immediately made his mark on the governance of the Church. He established direct contact with individuals and peoples, eager to be close to everyone, with a marked attention to those in difficulty, giving himself without measure, especially to the marginalized, the least among us.
He was a Pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone. He was also a Pope attentive to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the Church.
With his characteristic vocabulary and language, rich in images and metaphors, he always sought to shed light on the problems of our time with the wisdom of the Gospel. He did so by offering a response guided by the light of faith and encouraging us to live as Christians amid the challenges and contradictions in recent years, which he loved to describe as an “epochal change.”
He had great spontaneity and an informal way of addressing everyone, even those far from the Church.
Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today’s challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings and hopes of this time of globalization. He gave of himself by comforting and encouraging us with a message capable of reaching people’s hearts in a direct and immediate way.
His charisma of welcome and listening, combined with a manner of behavior in keeping with today’s sensitivities, touched hearts and sought to reawaken moral and spiritual sensibilities.
Evangelization was the guiding principle of his pontificate. With a clear missionary vision, he spread the joy of the Gospel, which was the title of his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii gaudium. It is a joy that fills the hearts of all those who entrust themselves to God with confidence and hope.
The guiding thread of his mission was also the conviction that the Church is a home for all, a home with its doors always open. He often used the image of the Church as a “field hospital” after a battle in which many were wounded; a Church determined to take care of the problems of people and the great anxieties that tear the contemporary world apart; a Church capable of bending down to every person, regardless of their beliefs or condition, and healing their wounds.
His gestures and exhortations in favor of refugees and displaced persons are countless. His insistence on working on behalf of the poor was constant.
It is significant that Pope Francis’ first journey was to Lampedusa, an island that symbolizes the tragedy of emigration, with thousands of people drowning at sea. In the same vein was his trip to Lesbos, together with the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Archbishop of Athens, as well as the celebration of a Mass on the border between Mexico and the United States during his journey to Mexico.
Of his 47 arduous Apostolic Journeys, the one to Iraq in 2021, defying every risk, will remain particularly memorable. That difficult Apostolic Journey was a balm on the open wounds of the Iraqi people, who had suffered so much from the inhuman actions of ISIS. It was also an important trip for interreligious dialogue, another significant dimension of his pastoral work.
With his 2024 Apostolic Journey to four countries in Asia-Oceania, the Pope reached “the most peripheral periphery of the world.”
Pope Francis always placed the Gospel of mercy at the centre, repeatedly emphasizing that God never tires of forgiving us. He always forgives, whatever the situation might be of the person who asks for forgiveness and returns to the right path.
He called for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in order to highlight that mercy is “the heart of the Gospel.”
Mercy and the joy of the Gospel are two key words for Pope Francis.
In contrast to what he called “the culture of waste,” he spoke of the culture of encounter and solidarity. The theme of fraternity ran through his entire pontificate with vibrant tones.
In his Encyclical Letter Fratelli tutti, he wanted to revive a worldwide aspiration to fraternity, because we are all children of the same Father who is in heaven. He often forcefully reminded us that we all belong to the same human family.
In 2019, during his trip to the United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis signed A Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, recalling the common fatherhood of God.
Addressing men and women throughout the world, in his Encyclical Letter Laudato si’ he drew attention to our duties and shared responsibility for our common home, stating, “No one is saved alone.”
Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason and honest negotiation to find possible solutions. War, he said, results in the death of people and the destruction of homes, hospitals and schools. War always leaves the world worse than it was before: it is always a painful and tragic defeat for everyone. “Build bridges, not walls” was an exhortation he repeated many times, and his service of faith as Successor of the Apostle Peter always was linked to the service of humanity in all its dimensions.
Spiritually united with all of Christianity, we are here in large numbers to pray for Pope Francis, that God may welcome him into the immensity of his love. Pope Francis used to conclude his speeches and meetings by saying, “Do not forget to pray for me.”
Dear Pope Francis, we now ask you to pray for us. May you bless the Church, bless Rome, and bless the whole world from heaven as you did last Sunday from the balcony of this Basilica in a final embrace with all the people of God, but also embrace humanity that seeks the truth with a sincere heart and holds high the torch of hope.
(ROME) — At his funeral, Pope Francis was remembered and venerated as a pontiff with “strength and serenity” who modeled his pontificate on St. Francis of Assisi. The dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, delivered the homily in front of some 200,000 mourners in St. Peter’s Square.
Here are the remarks translated into English:
In this majestic Saint Peter’s Square, where Pope Francis celebrated the Eucharist so many times and presided over great gatherings over the past twelve years, we are gathered with sad hearts in prayer around his mortal remains.
Yet, we are sustained by the certainty of faith, which assures us that human existence does not end in the tomb, but in the Father’s house, in a life of happiness that will know no end.
On behalf of the College of Cardinals, I cordially thank all of you for your presence. With deep emotion, I extend respectful greetings and heartfelt thanks to the Heads of State, Heads of Government and Official Delegations who have come from many countries to express their affection, veneration and esteem for our late Holy Father.
The outpouring of affection that we have witnessed in recent days following his passing from this earth into eternity tells us how much the profound pontificate of Pope Francis touched minds and hearts.
The final image we have of him, which will remain etched in our memory, is that of last Sunday, Easter Sunday, when Pope Francis, despite his serious health problems, wanted to give us his blessing from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica. He then came down to this Square to greet the large crowd gathered for the Easter Mass while riding in the open-top Popemobile.
With our prayers, we now entrust the soul of our beloved Pontiff to God, that he may grant him eternal happiness in the bright and glorious gaze of his immense love.
We are enlightened and guided by the passage of the Gospel, in which the very voice of Christ resounded, asking the first of the Apostles: “Peter, do you love me more than these?” Peter’s answer was prompt and sincere: “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!” Jesus then entrusted him with the great mission: “Feed my sheep.”
This will be the constant task of Peter and his successors, a service of love in the footsteps of Christ, our Master and Lord, who “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45).
Despite his frailty and suffering towards the end, Pope Francis chose to follow this path of self-giving until the last day of his earthly life. He followed in the footsteps of his Lord, the Good Shepherd, who loved his sheep to the point of giving his life for them.
And he did so with strength and serenity, close to his flock, the Church of God, mindful of the words of Jesus quoted by the Apostle Paul: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
When Cardinal Bergoglio was elected by the Conclave on 13 March 2013 to succeed Pope Benedict XVI, he already had many years of experience in religious life in the Society of Jesus and, above all, was enriched by twenty-one years of pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, first as Auxiliary, then as Coadjutor and, above all, as Archbishop.
The decision to take the name Francis immediately appeared to indicate the pastoral plan and style on which he wanted to base his pontificate, seeking inspiration from the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi.He maintained his temperament and form of pastoral leadership, and through his resolute personality, immediately made his mark on the governance of the Church. He established direct contact with individuals and peoples, eager to be close to everyone, with a marked attention to those in difficulty, giving himself without measure, especially to the marginalized, the least among us.
He was a Pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone. He was also a Pope attentive to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the Church.
With his characteristic vocabulary and language, rich in images and metaphors, he always sought to shed light on the problems of our time with the wisdom of the Gospel. He did so by offering a response guided by the light of faith and encouraging us to live as Christians amid the challenges and contradictions in recent years, which he loved to describe as an “epochal change.”
He had great spontaneity and an informal way of addressing everyone, even those far from the Church.
Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today’s challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings and hopes of this time of globalization. He gave of himself by comforting and encouraging us with a message capable of reaching people’s hearts in a direct and immediate way.
His charisma of welcome and listening, combined with a manner of behavior in keeping with today’s sensitivities, touched hearts and sought to reawaken moral and spiritual sensibilities.
Evangelization was the guiding principle of his pontificate. With a clear missionary vision, he spread the joy of the Gospel, which was the title of his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii gaudium. It is a joy that fills the hearts of all those who entrust themselves to God with confidence and hope.
The guiding thread of his mission was also the conviction that the Church is a home for all, a home with its doors always open. He often used the image of the Church as a “field hospital” after a battle in which many were wounded; a Church determined to take care of the problems of people and the great anxieties that tear the contemporary world apart; a Church capable of bending down to every person, regardless of their beliefs or condition, and healing their wounds.
His gestures and exhortations in favor of refugees and displaced persons are countless. His insistence on working on behalf of the poor was constant.
It is significant that Pope Francis’ first journey was to Lampedusa, an island that symbolizes the tragedy of emigration, with thousands of people drowning at sea. In the same vein was his trip to Lesbos, together with the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Archbishop of Athens, as well as the celebration of a Mass on the border between Mexico and the United States during his journey to Mexico.
Of his 47 arduous Apostolic Journeys, the one to Iraq in 2021, defying every risk, will remain particularly memorable. That difficult Apostolic Journey was a balm on the open wounds of the Iraqi people, who had suffered so much from the inhuman actions of ISIS. It was also an important trip for interreligious dialogue, another significant dimension of his pastoral work.
With his 2024 Apostolic Journey to four countries in Asia-Oceania, the Pope reached “the most peripheral periphery of the world.”
Pope Francis always placed the Gospel of mercy at the centre, repeatedly emphasizing that God never tires of forgiving us. He always forgives, whatever the situation might be of the person who asks for forgiveness and returns to the right path.
He called for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in order to highlight that mercy is “the heart of the Gospel.”
Mercy and the joy of the Gospel are two key words for Pope Francis.
In contrast to what he called “the culture of waste,” he spoke of the culture of encounter and solidarity. The theme of fraternity ran through his entire pontificate with vibrant tones.
In his Encyclical Letter Fratelli tutti, he wanted to revive a worldwide aspiration to fraternity, because we are all children of the same Father who is in heaven. He often forcefully reminded us that we all belong to the same human family.
In 2019, during his trip to the United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis signed A Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, recalling the common fatherhood of God.
Addressing men and women throughout the world, in his Encyclical Letter Laudato si’ he drew attention to our duties and shared responsibility for our common home, stating, “No one is saved alone.”
Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason and honest negotiation to find possible solutions. War, he said, results in the death of people and the destruction of homes, hospitals and schools. War always leaves the world worse than it was before: it is always a painful and tragic defeat for everyone. “Build bridges, not walls” was an exhortation he repeated many times, and his service of faith as Successor of the Apostle Peter always was linked to the service of humanity in all its dimensions.
Spiritually united with all of Christianity, we are here in large numbers to pray for Pope Francis, that God may welcome him into the immensity of his love. Pope Francis used to conclude his speeches and meetings by saying, “Do not forget to pray for me.”
Dear Pope Francis, we now ask you to pray for us. May you bless the Church, bless Rome, and bless the whole world from heaven as you did last Sunday from the balcony of this Basilica in a final embrace with all the people of God, but also embrace humanity that seeks the truth with a sincere heart and holds high the torch of hope.
American Kielce Gussie, who works as a journalist at Vatican News, did the first reading in English — several verses from the Acts of the Apostles — at the funeral of Pope Francis. Image via ABC News.
(ROME) — American Kielce Gussie, who works as a journalist at Vatican News, did the first reading in English — several verses from the Acts of the Apostles — at the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday.
Gussie, originally from Florida, completed her undergraduate degree in theology at Mount St. Mary’s University.
The university featured her in an article in March 2019, saying that she planned on incorporating her faith with media.
“While in Rome, Gussie will pursue an internship with either EWTN or Catholic Bytes,” Mount St. Mary’s University said in 2019. “After completing her Licentiate, she hopes to continue working in Rome with a Catholic media company. Her goal is to incorporate her Catholic faith with media directed toward youth evangelization. Assistant Professor of Communication Mary Catherine Kennedy, Ph.D., is confident that Gussie will succeed. ‘Kielce is a go-getter. She came to the Mount with an idea of what she wanted to pursue after graduation,’ Kennedy said. She has paired her communication classes with her theology classes to pursue work in the Church. Her ambition and desire to serve others is spectacular, and I expect her to do well in her graduate studies in Rome.'”
American Kielce Gussie, who works as a journalist at Vatican News, did the first reading in English — several verses from the Acts of the Apostles — at the funeral of Pope Francis. Image via ABC News.
(ROME) — American Kielce Gussie, who works as a journalist at Vatican News, did the first reading in English — several verses from the Acts of the Apostles — at the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday.
Gussie, originally from Florida, completed her undergraduate degree in theology at Mount St. Mary’s University.
The university featured her in an article in March 2019, saying that she planned on incorporating her faith with media.
“While in Rome, Gussie will pursue an internship with either EWTN or Catholic Bytes,” Mount St. Mary’s University said in 2019. “After completing her Licentiate, she hopes to continue working in Rome with a Catholic media company. Her goal is to incorporate her Catholic faith with media directed toward youth evangelization. Assistant Professor of Communication Mary Catherine Kennedy, Ph.D., is confident that Gussie will succeed. ‘Kielce is a go-getter. She came to the Mount with an idea of what she wanted to pursue after graduation,’ Kennedy said. She has paired her communication classes with her theology classes to pursue work in the Church. Her ambition and desire to serve others is spectacular, and I expect her to do well in her graduate studies in Rome.'”
(NEW YORK) — With Pope Francis’s funeral drawing more than 200,000 expected attendees on Saturday, interest in the papal succession process has intensified. It’s driving viewers to the film “Conclave” — based on the Robert Harris novel of the same name.
The Oscar-winning 2024 movie, which explores the secretive process of selecting a new pope, has seen a surge in viewership following the pontiff’s death. Speaking to ABC News on Friday, Harris compared himself to “one of those people who writes a Christmas hit and then it just keeps coming round and round again.”
Harris described the papal conclave as “the most extraordinary event, centuries old, steeped in mystique and secrecy… a psychological contest that produces the leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.”
Drawing from historical precedent, Harris noted the unpredictable nature of papal selection.
“Anyone who thinks they can predict the outcome of a conclave is a fool,” he said, explaining that frontrunners often face challenges.
He cited the 2005 conclave that saw Cardinal Ratzinger become Pope Benedict as an example, where there was “an attempt to block him.” During that conclave, the liberal candidate who was expected to challenge Ratzinger “failed in the early ballots. This led that candidate’s supporters to back Cardinal Bergoglio, who lost on that occasion but was elected as Pope Francis in 2013.
“The moment I came across that story, I realized here are three characters now: the conservative, the liberal whose time has passed, and the outsider who people are ready to rally behind,” Harris explained.
The voting process requires a two-thirds majority, with two votes in the morning and two in the afternoon.
“It’s in those times [between votes] that almost inevitably, they talk about what is happening,” Harris said, offering rare insight into the deliberation process.
He noted that these breaks for lunch and evening provide crucial opportunities for “wheeling and dealing.”
Harris, who conducted extensive research, including conversations with cardinals who participated in previous conclaves. “Conclave” follows the dean of the College of Cardinals, played by Ralph Fiennes in the movie.
“A decent man but who is having doubts, and he has to struggle with his own spiritual doubts as he has to organize this huge election,” Harris said.
The author believes the current speculation about the next pope’s identity will likely miss the mark, noting that Pope Francis was “completely off the radar at the last conclave, and nobody tipped him as the likely winner, even though he’d been the runner up the previous conclave.”
Harris observed that the media often lags behind actual developments behind the closed doors of the conclave, saying reporters outside are “always predicting the man who’s just been knocked out.”
“I hope they get a better sense of how a conclave operates,” Harris said of viewers discovering his work. He emphasized that his portrayal aimed to be “more sympathetic than a lot of media portrayals of the Catholic Church.”
(LONDON) — A car bomb in Moscow has killed a senior Russian military officer, Russian officials said.
A statement from the Russian Investigative Committee said that “Lt. General Yaroslav Moskalik, the deputy head of Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, was killed in an explosion,” after an IED that was allegedly planted in a parked car detonated.
A team of investigators are now at the site of the explosion, Russian officials confirmed.
ABC News has seen video of the moment the parked vehicle explodes as a person can be seen walking toward the vehicle.
The footage is seemingly from a CCTV camera overlooking the parking lot of what appears to be an apartment complex.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(ROME) — Pope Francis, who led the Roman Catholic Church for 12 years, died on Monday morning at the age of 88.
Francis’ life and time as pope, which was noted for humility and outreach efforts to people of disparate backgrounds and faiths, will be remembered during a funeral service taking place on Saturday, the Vatican said.
Here’s what to know about Francis’ funeral and how to tune in.
Where and when is Pope Francis’ funeral?
Pope Francis’ funeral will take place on Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. Eastern) and will be held in St. Peter’s Square or in the Basilica, depending on the weather, in Vatican City.
The pope’s body will be placed in a cypress-wood coffin before the funeral and then placed in two other coffins that fit inside one another, each made of different types of wood, at his burial site.
Where to watch the pope’s funeral There are several ways to watch Pope Francis’ funeral. ABC News Live coverage of the funeral will begin on Saturday at 3:30 a.m. ET and will air on ABC stations as well as streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
Additionally, ABC News Digital will live blog the latest from the funeral as it happens and provide analysis and coverage of the biggest takeaways from the event.
Who will attend Pope Francis’ funeral?
As of Thursday, 130 foreign delegations have confirmed they are attending Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday morning, the Vatican press office said.
That number includes “approximately” 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns.
President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prince William are among those expected to attend.
The funeral, known as Missa poenitentialis, is also attended by cardinals, clergy, representatives of world organizations and diplomats, along with huge crowds of the faithful.
Where will Pope Francis be buried?
After the funeral mass on Saturday, Francis will be buried outside the Vatican in St. Mary Major, a basilica in Rome. Francis will be the first pope in more than five centuries to be buried there.
Displaced Palestinians crowd with outstretched hands and containers to receive hot meals distributed by aid organizations at the Jabalia Refugee Camp in northern Gaza City, Gaza on April 24, 2025. The ongoing blockade and military assaults by Israel have deepened the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, leaving thousands in urgent need of food assistance. (Photo by Mahmoud Issa/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(GAZA) — Israeli authorities have blocked supplies — including food, medicine and fuel — from entering the Gaza Strip for more than 50 days.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the main UN agency operating in Gaza, said they have run out of flour supplies in the region as of April 24 in a situational update. UNRWA has described the current state on the ground as the worst humanitarian crisis since the war began on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after a Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel left more than 1,200 Israelis dead.
With the blockade of supplies in place, Gaza’s population of approximately 2.1 million people faces a crisis of starvation, disease and despair.
“Food, safe water, shelter, and medical care have become increasingly scarce,” UNRWA said in the update, stating prices for basic goods are soaring while bakeries shut down, and hospitals run out of critical medicine and generator fuel.
Children are bearing the brunt of this man-made disaster, aid agencies said.
“My son suffers from malnutrition,” Mona Al-Raqab, mother to 5-year-old Osama Al-Raqab, told ABC News. “There’s nothing available. No eggs, no milk, no food supplies. Meat, poultry — the things that give us strength and energy to keep going.”
Roseline Bolline, a spokesperson for UNICEF, said Osama’s story is becoming common in Gaza given the current state on the ground.
“He is not the only case. There are thousands of children in his situation suffering very badly,” Bolline told ABC News. “This is a horrible, horrific and unbearable — to watch a child suffer like that.”
Hospital admissions for acute malnutrition have surged in recent months, Bolline said.
“In February, there were 2,027 children admitted for acute malnutrition. In March, that number jumped to 3,669. This is an incredible increase,” she said. “Families are going hungry, suffering to provide food for their children. The prices of products have doubled, and many key types of food have disappeared from markets. We are extremely concerned,” Bolline added.
“Food prices have increased by between 29% to as much as 1,400% above pre-ceasefire levels, with many essential items like dairy, eggs, fruits and meat no longer available on the market,” the UN secretary general spokesperson said at a press briefing Thursday in New York.
The situation inside Gaza’s hospitals is also dire, according to humanitarian agencies.
The blockade has prevented critical medical supplies and fuel to power hospital generators from entering Gaza while the Israel Defense Forces have continued bombing areas across the strip since the collapse of the ceasefire in mid-March.
Fifty people were killed, and 152 people were injured over a 24-hour period from April 23 to April 24 in Gaza, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health said in a release Thursday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised “pressure on Hamas will continue” in remarks at a Holocaust Remembrance Day rally in Jerusalem on Wednesday evening.
Dr. Ahmed Al Farra, head of the pediatric and obstetrics department at Nasser Hospital in Gaza, said the blockade is hurting civilians the most.
“We are talking about pregnant women and children,” he said. “We are facing a lot of suffering from malnutrition in both categories. According to the World Health Organization, Gaza is currently at the fifth degree of starvation — the worst on the global scale.”
Al Farra described a cascade of medical crises stemming from the lack of access to nutrition and healthcare.
“We are talking about the shortage of milk — normal formula and special formula. Pregnant women are delivering premature, underweight babies. This is catastrophic,” Al Farra said. “People are surviving on expired canned goods that often cause food poisoning. You can’t live on that for a year and a half.”
Despite the conditions, UNRWA staff — numbering around 12,000 local Palestinian workers in Gaza — continue to provide essential services.
They deliver 2,600 cubic meters of water and collect 220 tons of waste daily, according to an UNRWA situational update on April 24.
Six out of 22 UNRWA health centers are operational in Gaza as of April 20, the update from the organization said.
Medical teams are also working in 39 medical points across the strip, the organization added.
UNRWA insists that “nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people” and calls for a renewed ceasefire, the dignified release of the remaining hostages, and unimpeded access for humanitarian and commercial supplies.
Netanyahu and his government say the blockade is part of a strategy to put pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages being held in Gaza.
Fifty-eight hostages remain in Gaza, with 24 of them believed to still be alive. The other 34 are confirmed dead, but their bodies remain in Gaza.
The UN has called for the end of the blockade.
“Turning to the situation in Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that the total blockage of aid and any other supplies — now nearing two months — has led to the depletion of essentials such as fresh food and tents and to the near-exhaustion of other critical supplies for Palestinian civilians,” the UN secretary general spokesperson said at a press briefing on Thursday.
“Children are going hungry. Patients remain untreated. People are dying. It is time to lift those restrictions immediately,” the spokesperson added.
Black smoke streamed from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney to signal that cardinals failed to select a new Pope in their first round of voting in Rome, Italy on April 18, 2005. (Eric VANDEVILLE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
(ROME) — There have been 266 popes in the Catholic Church’s roughly 2,000-year history, which spans three millennia. With the death of Pope Francis, a series of formal events was immediately set into motion to elect the Church’s next Supreme Pontiff.
That storied process is a mix of tradition, pageantry and practical necessity, one that has undergone many changes over the centuries but that has remained largely the same in modern history.
It begins, and ends, with what’s known as the conclave.
With all eyes now on the Vatican, here’s a look at the conclave and its role in electing the next head of the Catholic Church.
What is the conclave?
Simply put, a conclave is the assembly of cardinals that elects a pope. The word itself comes from the Latin “com” and “clavis,” meaning “together” and “key,” respectively – highlighting the absolute, behind-closed-doors secrecy with which the cardinals conduct their discussions and balloting.
The conclave assembles during the interregnum, which is the time period that begins upon the pontiff’s passing and ends with the election of his successor, and generally convenes between 15 and 20 days after the pope’s death. The same period of time, during which the papacy is vacant, is also known as the sede vacante, Latin for “vacant seat.”
A pope’s body usually lies in state for three to five days to allow sufficient time for mourners to pay their respects. The funeral mass and burial must take place between the fourth and sixth day after the pope’s death. Out of respect for the late pope, formal decisions and conversations about the conclave do not begin until after the funeral, but it is safe to say that behind the scenes the cardinal electors and those who quietly would like to be pope have already started to discuss what type of pope the cardinals think best for the role.
What’s a cardinal?
Cardinals are the highest-ranking clergy of the Catholic Church, after the pope. Originally, cardinals were the princes of the papal court. They often came from the powerful families of the Papal States. They wear red as a sign of their willingness to shed their blood for the pope and the Church.
Only the pope can make a clergy member a cardinal and, once appointed, they typically hold that title and position for life. As cardinals, they serve as advisors to the pope regardless of where they reside and often hold elevated positions within the Vatican.
Any member of Catholic clergy can be a cardinal but the appointment is traditionally reserved for high-ranking clergy such as bishops and archbishops. The pope reserves the right to make any member of the church a cardinal, including laity. Francis expanded the College of Cardinals beyond the large dioceses and archdioceses to create geographic and cultural diversity and to better represent the makeup of the laity and where the church is growing.
Selecting a pope as part of the conclave is considered a cardinal’s highest duty. Those who do so are known as cardinal electors.
How many cardinals are in the conclave?
It varies. While all cardinals are summoned to the Vatican upon the pope’s death, only those under the age of 80 are eligible to participate in the conclave. Those aged 80 and older can decline the summons if they wish, since they aren’t allowed to be conclave members.
There are currently 252 cardinals worldwide. The preparatory meetings they have daily during the interregnum are collectively known as the General Congregation. Of the total number of cardinals, 135 are eligible to enter the conclave as cardinal electors. This will be the largest number of cardinals to participate in a conclave.
Who’s in charge of the Vatican during the sede vacante?
The camerlengo, or chamberlain, of the Church runs things during the conclave, including overseeing the conclave itself.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, 77, the senior Vatican official who announced Pope Francis’ death on Monday, April 21, will serve as the interim manager of the Vatican until a new pope is elected, according to Church officials. Pope Francis appointed Farrell as camerlengo in 2019.
Who’s eligible to be elected pope?
Canon law says any unmarried, baptized male Catholic, clergy or not, is eligible to be pope. That said, only cardinals have been elected for the last 600-plus years, so being considered for the position in this case is very much the result of whom you know.
All likely or potential papal candidates are collectively known as “papabile.” Politics and personalities aside, one of the paramount considerations when determining papabile is a candidate’s age.
The ideal papal candidate is between 60 and 70 years old, with the ideal time in office considered to be from 10 to 12 years. If too young a pope is elected, he could end up overseeing and influencing church doctrine for decades, since only death or resignation would end their time in the office. Conversely, if too old a candidate is elected they may have little time to make an impact.
John Paul II, at 58, was young when elected and Francis, at 76, was considered old.
How secret are the conclave’s discussions?
In a word? Very. Balloting takes place in the Sistine Chapel amid a level of security that wouldn’t be out of place in a government situation room. Recording technology of any kind is forbidden, with technicians checking to ensure there are no secretly installed bugs or other like devices inside the Sistine Chapel or adjacent areas. Any handwritten notes cardinals may take during the proceedings are burned after each morning and afternoon session, along with that session’s ballots.
During the conclave, the cardinals reside in private rooms in the Domus Marthae Sanctae, aka Saint Martha’s House – essentially a hotel in the Vatican with dining facilities that typically houses visiting clergy and laity. Conclave members are sworn to absolute secrecy and have minimal contact with the outside world: Televisions, radios, phones, cameras, computers, newspapers and magazines are banned, and no written or verbal correspondence with anyone outside the conclave is allowed. Likewise, the Sistine Chapel, Domus Marthae Sanctae and other areas are off limits during the conclave to everyone other than cardinals and those people who have specific business there, such as service staff, support personnel and physicians.
Also, don’t expect a cardinal to share any inside scoop after balloting is complete and the new pope is elected. That expectation of secrecy continues indefinitely, with only the pope himself possessing the authority to make exceptions.
What is the actual voting process like?
Though wreathed in centuries of elaborate ceremony and tradition, the balloting process itself is straightforward. Each conclave member writes his choice on a paper ballot slip, folds it once in half and carries it held aloft between two fingers as he walks to the altar and deposits it in an special urn placed there that is used only for that purpose. In order to make the balloting secret, conclave members are instructed to write their votes “as far as possible in handwriting that cannot be identified as his.”
Any conclave member who cannot make it in person to the Sistine Chapel due to illness or infirmity will cast their ballot from their room in the Domus Marthae Sanctae, where they’re collected, placed in a lockbox and carried to the Sistine Chapel.
The votes are then counted by three scrutineers who affirm what is written on each ballot and then announce it to the conclave, so the cardinals can record the votes themselves. If the number of ballots cast is different than the number of cardinal electors, those ballots are discarded and burned and a new vote taken.
The candidate who first secures two-thirds of the votes is elected pope.
How long does it take to elect a pope?
A pope could be elected as soon as the first ballot, or the process could continue indefinitely. That said, since 1831 no conclave has lasted more than four days.
Up to four rounds of voting can typically take place in a day. If no clear choice has emerged after three days, balloting is suspended for 24 hours to allow cardinal electors time to reflect. Another seven rounds of balloting then takes place, followed by another break, and so on.
If no pope is elected after 33 or 34 votes – generally about 13 days – then a new rule introduced by Pope Benedict XVI decrees that the two leading candidates as determined by previous ballots engage in a runoff vote. The candidates themselves, if members of the conclave, cannot vote in the runoff but are present for it. Whichever candidate receives the necessary two-thirds majority of the votes is the new pope.
How does the conclave signal that they’ve elected a new pope?
Of all the ceremonies associated with electing a new pope, the one most familiar to the general public is the smoke that emanates from a stovepipe chimney atop the Sistine Chapel after every round of balloting.
Black smoke – fumata nera in Italian – indicates an inconclusive vote, while white smoke – fumata bianca – will signify that a new pope has been elected. Along with the white smoke, the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica will ring to proclaim the event to the world.
However, that ceremonial smoke isn’t created by the burning of the ballots, as commonly believed – that’s done in a stove that dates back to the 1922 conclave and is set up for the occasion in the Sistine Chapel. The smoke that wafts from the chimney is created using chemical pellets that are burned in another stove that’s connected to the stovepipe chimney, which is temporarily erected atop the Sistine Chapel just for that purpose.
When is the pope’s identity publicly revealed?
Assuming the elected cardinal accepts the office, the new pope’s identity is revealed within an hour of the final ballot.
Before he’s presented to the public, the new pope is also asked by what name he will be known. While popes have the option of keeping their baptismal name, every pope for the last 470 years has chosen to change his name, usually to honor a predecessor and to signal their intention to emulate his example. Pope Francis was a notable exception, instead choosing his name to honor St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th century cleric now celebrated in the church as the patron saint of animals and the environment.
The new pope is then attired in temporary vestments prepared in various sizes for the occasion and awaits his formal introduction by the senior cardinal deacon, who stands on the balcony on the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica, overlooking St. Peter’s Square, and declares in Latin: “Nuntio vobis gaudium magnum: habemus papam” – “I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope.”
The new pope then emerges onto the balcony to present himself to the world and deliver his first blessing to the crowd gathered below in St. Peter’s Square.
Although the elected pope immediately has full authority and jurisdiction, a ceremonial mass to install the new pope is held about a week after his election, either in St. Peter’s Square or St. Peter’s Basilica, with cardinals, bishops and other international dignitaries present. Up until the middle of the last century the installation was a coronation with a three-tiered crown.
When does the conclave end?
As soon as the new pontiff has assented to his election, the conclave is over, though the assembled cardinals will remain at the Vatican until the attendant ceremonies are over. In 2013, Francis asked the cardinals to stay in the conclave for an extra day to pray with him.
ABC News’ Phoebe Natanson contributed to this report.
