"pope-francis"

People filed past, many crossing themselves or snapping photos with their phones. Ushers urged them to keep moving to accommodate the thousands who flocked to the Rome basilica to see the tomb, forming a long line outside

Trump told reporters on Friday, as he flew to Rome, that he was going to the funeral “out of respect” for the pontiff, who died Monday after suffering a stroke at the age of 88

The funeral ceremony began at 10:00 a.m. local time (1:30 p.m. IST) in the historic Baroque square in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. Before the service, his body was placed in a cypress-wood coffin, which will later be enclosed within two additional coffins made of different types of wood, each nesting within the other, for his final burial.

Pope Francis was critical of Israel's war in Gaza, and exceptionally close to the Catholic church there, but had also called on Hamas to release the hostages and condemned the rise in antisemitism

Dr Sagili Prakash had felicitated Pope with a shawl and presented him with a photo of Karunagiri shrine

Pope Francis embodied humility, compassion and a quiet but persistent defiance of the Vatican’s ossified traditions

Francis recently returned to the Vatican after 38 days in a hospital for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy

Pope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died on Monday. He was 88

Any baptized Roman Catholic male is eligible to be pope, but since 1378, only cardinals have been selected

Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia

According to the Vatican, the 88-year-old pontiff had a brief bronchospasm episode which caused him to vomit. The scare came at a time when Pope Francis was being considered to be out of danger as his condition had been steadily improving

On Tuesday evening, the health update on Pope Francis stated, "The Holy Father's condition remains critical but stable, with no acute respiratory episodes, and his hemodynamic parameters remaining steady."

Doctors said the prognosis remained guarded. “In the morning, after receiving the Eucharist, he resumed work activities,” the Vatican says

Says the 88-year-old Francis, suffering from pneumonia in both lungs, hadn't had any more respiratory crises

While the Vatican has detailed laws and rituals to ensure the transfer of power when a pope dies or resigns, they do not apply if he is sick or even unconscious

But he remains alert and “well-oriented”, and attended Mass, says Vatican as 88-year-old pontiff battles pneumonia and a complex lung infection

The 88-year-old pope, who remains conscious, received “high flows” of oxygen to help him breathe

Polymicrobial diseases are caused by a mix of viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites and get worse if a person is already suffering from other lung infections

Test results indicate that he is suffering from a polymicrobial infection that requires a second change in his drug therapy, says Vatican spokesman

Born on June 18, 1954 in Ghanpur, Telangana, Bishop Bala served in various pastoral and administrative roles within the Diocese of Warangal