World Religions News

(RNS) — As more than a billion Catholics mourn the death of Pope Francis, cardinals around the world are preparing to travel to Rome to begin the solemn tradition of choosing a new pontiff.

And when the prelates gather at the Vatican in the coming weeks to elect a new Bishop of Rome, Francis, who died at age 88 on April 21, stands to have an outsize impact on the vote.

That’s because, unlike some of his predecessors, Francis has appointed the overwhelming majority of clerics who can cast a ballot in the conclave — namely, members of the College of Cardinals who are under age 80. He crossed a crucial threshold in September 2023, when he finally appointed enough voting-eligible cardinals over the course of his papacy to constitute more than two-thirds of voting members in a conclave, the margin required to elect a pope under the current rules.

And according to an analysis by Religion News Service, as of April 21, of the 135 members of the College of Cardinals eligible to vote, 109 — more than 80% — were appointed by Francis. An additional 15.6% were appointed by Pope Benedict, and only 3.7% were tapped by Pope John Paul II.

By comparison, when Francis was elected pope in 2013, 57.9% had been appointed by his recently retired processor, Pope Benedict. An additional 42.1% were appointed by Pope John Paul II.

The current electorate is also more geographically diverse than in years past. In 2013, for instance, Italian cardinals alone made up nearly a quarter of voting members at the conclave, but they only constitute 12.6% of those eligible in the coming conclave. Meanwhile, prelates hailing from Asia expanded from 8.8% in 2013 to 17% today, and representatives from Africa have also increased their numbers from 8.8% to 12.6%.

Outside of Italy, Europe has roughly maintained its influence, representing around 28% of the conclave in 2013, compared to around 27% today. North America has lost ground, dropping in representation from 17.5% to 14.10%, while South American prelates have slightly increased their numbers under Francis, the first Argentinian pope, rising from 11.4% to 13.3%.

How these changes will impact the vote remains to be seen. Francis’ 12-year papacy was marked by a focus on the poor, immigrants and the effects of climate change, and he has tended to select like-minded cardinals. But cardinals aren’t the same as members of Congress with specific party loyalties, and voting outcomes can sometimes be difficult to predict.

It’s also possible some of the numbers could shift in small ways before voting begins, as past conclaves have seen some surprise last-minute changes. Even so, whoever becomes the next pope will be chosen by a group largely hand-selected by Pope Francis himself.

(RNS) — As more than a billion Catholics mourn the death of Pope Francis, cardinals around the world are preparing to travel to Rome to begin the solemn tradition of choosing a new pontiff.

And when the prelates gather at the Vatican in the coming weeks to elect a new Bishop of Rome, Francis, who died at age 88 on April 21, stands to have an outsize impact on the vote.

That’s because, unlike some of his predecessors, Francis has appointed the overwhelming majority of clerics who can cast a ballot in the conclave — namely, members of the College of Cardinals who are under age 80. He crossed a crucial threshold in September 2023, when he finally appointed enough voting-eligible cardinals over the course of his papacy to constitute more than two-thirds of voting members in a conclave, the margin required to elect a pope under the current rules.

And according to an analysis by Religion News Service, as of April 21, of the 135 members of the College of Cardinals eligible to vote, more than 80% were appointed by Francis. An additional 15.6% were appointed by Pope Benedict, and only 3.7% were tapped by Pope John Paul II.

By comparison, when Francis was elected pope in 2013, 57.9% had been appointed by his recently retired processor, Pope Benedict. An additional 42.1% were appointed by Pope John Paul II.

The current electorate is also more geographically diverse than in years past. In 2013, for instance, Italian cardinals alone made up nearly a quarter of voting members at the conclave, but they only constitute 12.6% of those eligible in the coming conclave. Meanwhile, prelates hailing from Asia expanded from 8.8% in 2013 to 17% today, and representatives from Africa have also increased their numbers from 8.8% to 12.6%.

Outside of Italy, Europe has roughly maintained its influence, representing around 28% of the conclave in 2013, compared to around 27% today. North America has lost ground, dropping in representation from 17.5% to 14.10%, while South American prelates have slightly increased their numbers under Francis, the first Argentinian pope, rising from 11.4% to 13.3%.

How these changes will impact the vote remains to be seen. Francis’ 12-year papacy was marked by a focus on the poor, immigrants and the effects of climate change, and he has tended to select like-minded cardinals. But cardinals aren’t the same as members of Congress with specific party loyalties, and voting outcomes can sometimes be difficult to predict.

It’s also possible some of the numbers could shift in small ways before voting begins, as past conclaves have seen some surprise last-minute changes. Even so, whoever becomes the next pope will be chosen by a group largely hand-selected by Pope Francis himself.

Pope Francis at the Jubilee of the Sick in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, April 6, 2025, wearing nasal cannulas for supplemental oxygen as he continues recovering from bilateral pneumonia. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/ EWTN News

CNA Newsroom, Apr 21, 2025 / 15:08 pm (CNA).

The Vatican has released the testament of Pope Francis. The 88-year-old pontiff died on Easter Monday morning, April 21, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, as confirmed by the Holy See Press Office. He led the Catholic Church for just over 12 years. 

Here is the full text of Pope Francis’ testament:

Miserando atque Eligendo (“With having mercy and choosing him”)

In the name of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

As I sense the approaching twilight of my earthly life, and with firm hope in eternal life, I wish to set out my final wishes solely regarding the place of my burial.

Throughout my life, and during my ministry as a priest and bishop, I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary. For this reason, I ask that my mortal remains rest — awaiting the day of the Resurrection — in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

I wish my final earthly journey to end precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary, where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey, confidently entrusting my intentions to the Immaculate Mother, and giving thanks for her gentle and maternal care.

I ask that my tomb be prepared in the burial niche in the side aisle between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the Basilica, as shown in the attached plan.

The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.

The cost of preparing the burial will be covered by a sum provided by a benefactor, which I have arranged to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. I have given the necessary instructions regarding this to Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Liberian Basilica.

May the Lord grant a fitting reward to all those who have loved me and who continue to pray for me. The suffering that has marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and for fraternity among peoples.

Santa Marta, 29 June 2022
FRANCIS

(RNS) — When she’s not singing in a concert or at her husband’s church, Erica Campbell is often thinking of where, when and what she’ll be singing next.

The gospel singer, one member of the duo Mary Mary, stepped back from her music for a few days in March when she joined the Christian humanitarian organization World Vision on a trip to Ethiopia. There, accompanied by two of her three kids, she met the two children she sponsors with a monthly donation and discovered the beauty and challenges faced by their community.

“It was a life-changing trip,” she said in a recent interview, describing it as “heartbreaking and wonderful.”

“Unfortunately, in our world today we’re really, really selfish. And I get it, everybody has their problems, but there’s somebody with way different problems,” Campbell said, recalling the difficulty of accessing clean water in Ethiopia. The smallest contribution, she added, “can change their life and their family and their community, and so that stays with you forever.”

Campbell participates in World Vision’s “Chosen” program — through which the 75-year-old nonprofit flipped the model of child sponsorship and has children choose their sponsors instead of the other way around. World Vision, which operates in 40 countries and offers humanitarian relief programs ranging from clean water to prenatal services, has some 710,000 children sponsored globally.

Campbell, who grew up singing in the choir of a Church of God in Christ congregation in Inglewood, California, hosts “Get Up Mornings with Erica Campbell,” a talk show on urban radio stations that recently expanded from just weekdays to include weekends and is heard in more than 40 cities. She also is first lady of a nondenominational California Worship Center in San Fernando, where record producer Warryn S. Campbell II is the pastor.

Erica Campbell, 52, talked with Religion News Service about her trip to Ethiopia, her next musical plans as Mary Mary marks 25 years of playing together, and her decision to sing a song made popular by Whitney Houston.

RELATED: World Vision tinkers with child sponsorship model that brought in millions

The interview was edited for length and clarity.

Why did you decide to be involved specifically in World Vision’s child sponsorship?

Well, they reached out to me. It was an easy call to be a part of this program. The Chosen program was so wonderful to me because I sing, I’m in a big family, I’m a first lady of a church, so I’m chosen often. I have lots of followers on social media, so people choose me often. But this, to choose me to be a sponsor, which is so wonderful, it made me emotional. I saw the video of the children seeing my picture and then choosing me for simple reasons. They didn’t choose me because of music. They didn’t choose me because of Grammys. They said: “It was your smile.” I believe the Chosen program allows the kids some level of ownership in this whole process.

You made the decision to take your children with you on the trip. Why did you do that and what difference has it made for them?

It was absolutely an intentional decision. I have three very blessed children. My daughter (Krista) my oldest, didn’t go ’cause she’s in college at Spelman in Atlanta. But my two youngest went, and I think that it was life-changing for them as well. I think the most overwhelming part is knowing that young girls have to walk three or four miles, sometimes twice a day, just for water for their family. My younger daughter said, “I’ll never look at taking a bath the same.” She’s like, “I’ll be more respectful to water.” Do we ever look at water as respecting water? But that’s what she said.

In addition to your work as a solo artist, do you expect to join your sister Tina Campbell from your Mary Mary duo in any kind of future appearance or concert or recording?

Me and Tina performed at my church (April 6). We’re doing (former morning talk show host) Tom Joyner Foundation’s cruise in October, and this is our 25th-year celebration of our first album coming out. So yes, there’s much more to come from Mary Mary. I wouldn’t be here without that wonderful music that I was able to do with my sister. So they kind of intertwine, which makes my life very busy, so be in prayer for me.

You have many hats. Do you have a secret to that?

Oh, yes. I always tell people I wear a lot of hats. I just don’t wear them on the same day at the same time.

I’m not holding a microphone when I’m cooking, and while I’m cooking, I’m not folding clothes. So I have a good team and a great family that helps me strategize and plan family time and work time and learning when to say no, not feeling guilty for saying no. All those things help me do the things that God places on my heart.

On your morning gospel program, you recently highlighted the 50th anniversary of the parents of your husband, Warryn Campbell II — whom you called your parents.

Yep. That’s my mom and dad, too.

Even as you sing so much about love, what have they taught you and your husband, Warryn, on that subject?

They taught us patience and consistency. They taught us laughter and prayer. They taught us: Just keep coming home to one another, keep fighting for one another, keep loving one another through the difficult days — because there will be — have a great community of people around you. And you can also get to 50 years.

Even when we got married, we didn’t have his side, my side. Both of our families sat on one side and the friends sat on the other side. We were becoming family.

You recently won a Grammy for best gospel performance/song for “One Hallelujah,” and you are continuing the “Live Breathe Fight Tour” with other gospel artists. Do you have another musical project or other plans ahead?

My husband literally asked me this morning: “Should, we start working on new music?” And I said yes. We are planning to release some Mary Mary music this year. I don’t know if it’ll be a full album — which is what I want — but yes, there’s always music on the horizon.

You sang “I Love the Lord” on your new “I Love You” gospel album. Did you have any hesitation at all to sing a song that Whitney Houston made popular on “The Preacher’s Wife” soundtrack album?

A little bit, but not that much. It’s Richard Smallwood’s song. I mean, she made it famous for sure. But I think the message is sometimes more powerful than the minstrel. So my agenda was to make sure that people hear what loving the Lord sounds like from me.

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Flowers are laid in memory of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Monday, April 21, 2025. / Credit: Kristina Millare/CNA

Vatican City, Apr 21, 2025 / 13:48 pm (CNA).

The Catholic Church has many historical customs and traditions related to the handling of a pope’s mortal remains between the time of his death and his burial. 

Some of these customs have fallen out of use — such as hitting the pope three times with a hammer to confirm his death — or been removed over time through various papal reforms. 

Most recently, Pope Francis made several changes to the funeral process in a second edition of the 1998 Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the Church’s liturgical book for the funeral rites of popes. 

According to the master of papal ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the new edition of the liturgical book, issued in 2024, was requested by Pope Francis from a desire “to simplify and adapt some rites so that the celebration of the funeral of the bishop of Rome better expresses the Church’s faith in the risen Christ, eternal Shepherd.”

In the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the process is divided into three steps, called “stations.”

Here is what has happened and will happen to Pope Francis’ mortal remains prior to his burial.

First station 

After the death of the pope, the director of the Vatican’s health services — currently Dr. Andrea Arcangeli — examines the body and prepares the certificate of death. He also arranges for the proper preservation of the corpse so that its public exposition can be carried out “with the greatest decorum and respect.”

The remains of the deceased pope are then dressed in the white cassock and moved to the private papal chapel for the “rite of the ascertainment of death and deposition in the coffin,” presided over by the camerlengo, currently Cardinal Kevin Farrell.

Following the prayers, the pope’s body — dressed in red liturgical vestments with the miter and pallium — are placed in a simple wooden coffin with a zinc lining, rather than an elevated bier, the so called cataletto (death bed), as was used for Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.  

The paschal, or Easter, candle is placed nearby and lit for the next part of the rite, which includes sprinkling holy water on the body. The casket with the pope’s remains is placed in a suitable place within the Vatican for visitation and prayer until it is moved for public viewing. 

Second station

The second step is the translation or transporting of the coffin in solemn procession to St. Peter’s Basilica, where it is placed close to the basilica’s main altar, the Altar of the Confession, with the paschal candle nearby, in order that the public may view the body, pray, and say goodbye. 

The evening or another time before the funeral, the coffin is closed in a special rite. Prior to closing the casket, a white silk veil is placed over the deceased pope’s face. A bag of the coins minted during his pontificate and one of two copies of a “rogito,” a document summarizing the life and works of the pope, are also placed in the coffin. 

The interior coffin of zinc is closed and sealed first and then the outer wooden coffin is also closed and sealed. 

The funeral, called the “Missa poenitentialis,” is celebrated in St. Peter’s Square and marks the first of the “novendiales,” nine consecutive days of mourning for the pope.

Third station

The casket with funeral pall is next brought to the place of burial, most commonly the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica, where it has been the custom for popes to be buried for over a century. 

Pope Francis, however, will be interred in the Basilica of St. Mary Major at his request, because of his strong devotion to Mary.  

The last pope to be buried outside of the Vatican was Pope Leo XIII, who was buried in the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in 1903.  

Seven popes in history have been buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the last in 1669, Pope Clement IX.

Father Pablo Gefaell is seen in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Monday, April 21, 2025. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

Vatican City, Apr 21, 2025 / 12:07 pm (CNA).

Priests from around the world mourned the passing of Pope Francis at the Vatican on Monday while reflecting on the late pontiff’s life and historic papacy.

The pope passed away at 7:35 a.m. local time on Easter Monday, April 21, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. The 88-year-old pontiff led the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years.

News of the pontiff’s death brought a worldwide response of mourning and remembrance of Francis, who had suffered a double bout of pneumonia and a lengthy hospital stay prior to his death.

‘His name is Francis’

Following the pope’s passing, countless Catholics in Rome on Monday made their way to the Vatican to pray and share memories and reflections of the pontiff.

Father Hans Kreuwels, a priest from the Netherlands visiting Rome with his brother, told CNA at St. Peter’s Square that the late pope’s papal name of Francis “[reminded] us of Francis of Assisi and what he did — he was looking to help the poor.”

“We are sad on one side because this very important pope died,” Kreuwels. “He passed away, but it’s on the day of Easter Monday. It’s the day of the Resurrection. And as we remember this pope, he’s a pope of mercy.”

The priest pointed to the “Angels Unaware” statue in St. Peter’s Square. Crafted by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz, it depicts 140 migrants of different ethnicities and nationalities standing on a boat. Kreuwels noted that Pope Francis’ first papal visit was to the island of Lampedusa, ”where many, many refugees from north of Africa tried to go over the sea, and many thousands of them died.”

The refugee statue “[reminds] us of this visit of the pope and also calling us up to open our hearts for those who are suffering, the refugees, [and] poor people.”

“This jubilee is the year of hope,” the priest observed. “It’s the hope of eternal life. And we greatly believe that on this day of Easter, [Francis] went back to his father, and we hope that he will be happy forever and we see him in heaven again.”

Also in St. Peter’s Square on Monday, two sisters from the Missionaries of Charity order silently offered a rosary in memory of the Holy Father. Pope Francis had in the past praised the order’s “beautiful” ministry at the Vatican.

‘He died with his boots on’

Father Pablo Gefaell, a priest from Spain who teaches canon law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, came to the square to pray in silence with a rosary in his hands in front of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Spanish priest reflected on how Pope Francis had been in St. Peter’s Square just one day before.

“He wanted to be near the people till the last day of his life. In my country we would say, ‘He died with his boots on.’ We are thankful to him for that.”

“I want to pray for his soul. I have no doubt that he’s already in heaven,” the priest said. “But we need a new pope and we are praying for the new pope and for the Holy Spirit to illuminate the cardinals.”

Gefaell had the chance to meet the pope a few times while living in Rome. He said he remembers in particular his sense of humor.

‘What do you do now?’

A priest from the Diocese of Cleveland was in St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday morning when he learned that Pope Francis had died just a few hours before at the age of 88. 

Father Eric Garris was praying at the tomb of St. John Paul II — a personal hero of his — when he got the notification on his phone that the Holy Father had died.

“So, I just stood up and looked around, and I’m like, ‘Does anyone know this? What do you do now?’” Garris told CNA. “I wanted to pray for the repose of his soul. … I ran down to the tombs of the popes [underground St. Peter’s Basilica] and I knelt at the tomb of Peter, and I prayed for the repose of the soul of the successor of Peter.”

The 34-year-old Garris, who has been vocations director for the Diocese of Cleveland for three years, was visiting Rome to celebrate the Triduum, Easter octave, and the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, originally planned for April 27 and now postponed due to the pope’s death.

After praying in the grottoes of the Vatican basilica, Garris was joined in St. Peter’s Square by three other American priests staying in Rome. The four of them prayed the Office of the Dead and chanted the “In Paradisum” (traditional prayers for the dead) for Pope Francis’ eternal repose. 

The Cleveland priest said it was and is still shocking to lose the man who had been pope throughout his own eight years of priesthood — especially after just seeing him alive, up close, on Easter Sunday. 

Garris was one of hundreds of priests to concelebrate the Vatican’s Easter Sunday Mass on April 20, where he was three rows away from the altar in St. Peter’s Square. Afterward, he received Pope Francis’ blessing with the rest of the world, when the pontiff appeared on the central balcony of the basilica to wish everyone a happy Easter during the traditional “urbi et orbi” blessing.

Not long after, the priest was in the large thoroughfare leading to the basilica, Via della Conciliazione, when the still frail and ailing pope greeted the crowds gathered at the Vatican from his popemobile — for the first and only time since his 38-day hospitalization for double pneumonia less than one month ago.

“I think if Francis was one thing, he was a pastor, and he wanted to be with his people yesterday,” Garris reflected. “His pastor’s heart and pastoral theology that he not only wrote about but lived was an inspiration for me.”

A tall man, Garris was able to catch a good glimpse — and photo — of Francis despite the flock of cheering people. The priest thought the pope did not look well, but it also never crossed his mind that less than 24 hours later, he would be learning Francis had passed away.

“When Francis was elected, I was in seminary,” he said, “and I was actually in Church history class [at that moment], and I made our professor end class early because I said, ‘We’re living Church history!’” 

“I’ve been a priest for eight years. It’s been all under Francis’ papacy. And there’s something comforting knowing that there’s continuity in a father,” he reflected. “What happens now? It’s not in any way that there’s any sense of fear — I completely have trust in the Holy Spirit — but I just got so used to him being here.” 

“I look at Francis and I’m like, what a joyful disciple and shepherd,” the priest added. “I think at the end of the day, I prayed for him not out of obligation but because [of what the Gospel says]: ‘Lord, this is your servant, who faithfully served you. Well done, good and faithful servant. Come share in your master’s glory.’ And I pray that, and I hope that for him.” 

Courtney Mares, Hannah Brockhaus, and Kristina Millare contributed to this report.

(RNS) — In 2023, out of the blue, there was an eruption of protests from parents about public school curricula in Montgomery County, Maryland; in Glendale, California (a suburb of Los Angeles); and in Detroit. They were protesting the inclusive nature of the public school curricula, which depicted same-sex parents and a rainbow puppy — a curriculum that also included a hijab-wearing Muslim girl dancing. 

In the case of Detroit and Montgomery, the demonstrations were championed by conservative Muslim parents. In Montgomery, Muslim parents were bused in from local mosques by Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), protesting at the Montgomery County Public School headquarters over the district’s no-opt-out policy concerning LGBTQ+ inclusive storybooks.

In a few weeks, the Supreme Court will hear Tamer Mahmoud vs Thomas W. Taylor, a case first filed in the fall of 2023 , in which a group of parents claimed that the inclusive curriculum impinged on the parents’ religious right in how their children are raised and, to quote a parent, that they “go against the values we are instilling in my child at home.”

As an organization, Muslims for Progressive Values is an ardent advocate for respect and inclusion. The inclusive curriculum normalizes the diversity of our humanity — it was designed to help counter hate toward LGBTQ+ and Muslim children, who have experienced taunts and bullying.

The curriculum includes depictions of Muslims, too, like the hijab-wearing girl dancing joyfully. That, too, is a form of inclusion. To argue that inclusion should end with Muslims but not extend to other identities is not only hypocritical, but dangerous. If we say that depictions of LGBTQ+ people are harmful to children, why would we not then say the same of hijabis?

True inclusion means everyone, or it means nothing.

Arguing as a Muslim, the idea that these inclusive curricula impinge on one’s religious rights has no basis in Islam. The Quran encourages engagement with beliefs that differ from one’s own. It promotes dialogue between individuals with diverse perspectives, rooted in respect, reason and wisdom — as emphasized in Surah An-Nahl 16:125.

Discourse is, in fact, encouraged to strengthen faith and bolster critical thinking. Depicting Islam as inherently intolerant is not only inaccurate, but also dangerous in fueling more prejudice.

An amicus brief MPV is contributing to, along with Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, highlights that the curriculum used by Montgomery County Public Schools instructs teachers to affirm students’ religious beliefs when objections arise, while also emphasizing the importance of respecting differing views. This approach is consistent with Islamic values, which support respectful dialogue without coercion and uphold the dignity of individual belief.

As an immigrant from Malaysia, let me share about the educational system there, where teaching and curriculum are fragmented, broken down by racial lines and language. The government funds Chinese schools for the Chinese students, Tamil schools for Indian students and government schools where the medium of teaching is in Malay — the national language — which Malay students attend. Such a school system has failed to create a cohesive society without prejudice. 

If we allow one group’s belief to dictate public education, we open the door to every group demanding their own opt-outs, creating educational chaos. This is the danger of expanding the free exercise clause at the expense of the rights of all citizens in a secular society. The separation of religion and state is not only a founding principle, but a protective one, benefiting everyone.

On April 22, the Supreme Court will have the responsibility to chart the future of America. A decision in favor of Mahmoud will splinter our society into fragments of religious fiefdoms and lead to an abuse of opt-outs that will be unsustainable for a public school system that caters to diverse populations. A decision for Taylor will make us see the humanity of the other, even of those we disagree with.  

America is badly in need of such common humanity, the kind that teaches us empathy over hatred and sees difference not as a threat but as a strength. I truly hope the Supreme Court will decide in favor of our shared humanity.

Ani Zonneveld is founder and president of Muslims for Progressive Values and an author of an upcoming book, “The Unlikely Social Justice Warrior: Making my Life Count as a Muslim Feminist,” with Lived Places Publishing. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of RNS.)