A debrief of the day Pope Francis died and the papal transition

“POPE IS DEAD.” That was the starling text on the breaking-news Slack channel at 4 a.m. sharp on Easter Monday from Christopher White, the Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter in Rome. While we were ready, we did not expect this. Francis, who had survived a 34-day hospital stay and nearly died twice while battling double pneumonia, appeared to be getting better. We thought he had dodged a bullet. And in fact he had recovered from the bronchitis-driven respiratory bug. Then he died of a stroke on April 21. Within minutes, White posted a news story — pre-written just in case — about the death of Pope Francis, and a prepared, comprehensive obituary more than 4,500 words in length. NCR journalists had covered the health crisis of Francis in great detail, from daily updates to hospital reports to pilgrims joining the nightly rosaries in St. Peter’s Square. We followed the pope’s unstoppable participation in Holy Week appearances and his Easter Sunday blessing and final jaunt around the square in the popemobile. Suddenly, NCR was facing the journalistic challenge of a generation: covering the death of a pope beloved by our readers, his burial and the election of a new pontiff. A wave of emotion crashed over me. I began to shake, felt nauseous, trying not to panic. One of my journalism friends, Robin Turner, an ordained Christian minister, who knew I had been preoccupied with this moment from the day I took the executive editor’s position last fall, texted me. “Much grace. You’ve got this.” I called an emergency meeting. This would be no ordinary moment. We needed help, specifically from the Holy Spirit. Before the meeting, I asked John Grosso to say a prayer. Here are his remarks and prayer, edited for brevity. Many of us have been up and working for hours. Take a deep breath and let's just pause. This is going to be a busy day. A busy week. A busy month. But the same God who called Francis to his ministry 12 years ago has called you to be here, this day, for this purpose, to do this work. Remember that. Peace be with you. These are the words Christ prayed to his disciples when he rose from the dead … We pray for peace. God, We pray for the peaceful rest of Pope Francis - a kind and loving servant of deep faith. … We also gather here in joy. It is not lost on us, oh God, that you saw fit to call Pope Francis home the day after Easter. … Finally, we gather here in thanksgiving..for the pontificate of Francis. Thanksgiving to the Holy Spirit for sending him to us. For a time, we were graced to share in his mission to reform, rebuild, and reorient the Church towards, mercy, hope, and inclusivity. Let us pray for one another as we embark now on the journey of authentically representing his pontificate, triumphs, tribulations and everything in between. … Well done, good and faithful servant, Pope Francis. Now, go in peace. Amen. The work on a papal transition actually had been under way for months. Led by news editor Carol Zimmermann and White, NCR had built from scratch a database of every elector in the College of Cardinals. (Cardinal electors are cardinals under the age 80.) We had researched the age, birthplace, country of assignment, biography and views on 10 key issues, including promoting women in church leadership, gay blessings and the Latin Mass. We hired a world-class data visualization specialist who created an interactive database that could be sorted by point of view on the 10 topics, country of assignment, pope who appointed them, religious order, among other ways. To cover the funeral, transition and conclave, tiny NCR deployed seven journalists in Rome including me — more than some of the world’s leading news organizations. They were NCR’s White, Camillo Barone, Michael Sean Winters, and NCR’s Global Sisters Report writer Rhina Guidos, social media reporter Olivia Bardo and GSR editor Soli Salgado, who had already planned to be in Rome for the worldwide meeting of women religious superiors general. Plus, everyone on staff pitched in. And you. You contributed too. You are part of our team. Your support made all of this coverage possible. Now, the bill has come due. We were committed to the kind of coverage you could count on. We need your help. Rome is an expensive world capital. Airlines don’t give discounts to nonprofits. Hotels in the Eternal City were at a premium Easter Week of a Jubilee year. Programming an interactive database takes time and expense. Won’t you please help pay for our in-depth coverage of the legacy of Pope Francis and the election of the first pontiff from the United States? Please click on this link, send us a check or call in a credit card number today at (816) 968-2233. Donors like you made this happen. Thanks for your contributions. Gratefully, James Grimaldi NCR Executive Editor P.S. Thanks to everyone who has supported NCR throughout the Spring Fund Drive and the papal transition. It’s not too late to make your gift! Explore all the ways to support NCR. Copyright (C) 2025 National Catholic Reporter Publishing Co.. All rights reserved.

WCC news: WCC mourns loss of Pope Francis, “extraordinary shepherd of the people of God”

In a pastoral letter on the death of Pope Francis, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay and WCC central committee moderator Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm expressed both deep sorrow and unwavering hope upon the passing of Pope Francis on 21 April.  Pope Francis during his visit to the WCC on June 2018. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 22 April 2025 “On this holiest of days, when we celebrate the triumph of life over death through our Risen Lord, the earthly journey of a faithful servant of God came to its close and his eternal rest began – in the peace of Christ, in the love of the Father, and in the communion of the Holy Spirit,” wrote Pillay and Bedford-Strohm.  “Together with the entire Roman Catholic Church, we at the World Council of Churches mourn the loss of an extraordinary shepherd of the people of God.”  Pillay and Bedford-Strohm reflected that Pope Francis will be remembered with gratitude and love by Christians and all people of good will around the world.  “Throughout his ministry, Pope Francis offered a prophetic voice for our times,” the letter reads. "His witness to the Gospel, his heartfelt call for Christian unity, and his tireless advocacy for the marginalized have left an indelible mark on the global Christian community.” Pope Francis lived his life in full devotion to God and the church, Pillay and Bedford-Strohm noted.  “We recall with gratitude Pope Francis’s historic visit to the World Council of Churches and the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey in 2018, a moment that symbolized his deep commitment to Christian unity,” wrote Pillay and Bedford-Strohm. “The WCC leadership appreciated special private meetings with Pope Francis to discuss matters of mutual ecumenical interest and concerns.” Notably, Pope Francis was also a committed advocate for a common date of Easter for all Christians, continued Pillay and Bedford-Strohm. “It is therefore deeply symbolic that he passed away in the very year when all Christians celebrates the Feast of the Resurrection on the same day – an occasion he longed and prayed for,” the letter reads. “On behalf of the World Council of Churches, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his friends, collaborators in the Vatican, to the entire Roman Catholic Church, and to the whole ecumenical family.” Read the full letter Pope Francis, ecumenical prophet of mercy, dies at age 88 (WCC obituary, 21 April 2025) See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

Breaking: Pope Francis, charismatic reformer and disruptor, dies at 88

Breaking: Pope Francis has died Pope Francis, a reformer who sought to provoke dialogue on the future of the Catholic Church, passed away at the age of 88. For in-depth coverage of Pope Francis’ life and legacy, including photos and reflections from RNS columnists and contributors, visit the links below. Pope Francis, charismatic reformer and disruptor, dies at 88 Read more Here’s what happens after a pope dies Read more Pope Francis: An appreciation Read more Pope Francis, in pictures View the full gallery