Cardinal Angelo Becciu. / Credit: Claude Truong Ngoc, CC BY SA 40 via Wikimedia CommonsVatican City, Apr 29, 2025 / 04:36 am (CNA).The College of Cardinals announced Monday, April 28, that the conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor will begin on May 7, as the Church enters the final preparatory phase for choosing its 267th pope.Follow here for live updates of the latest news and information on the papal transition:
Cardinal Angelo Becciu. / Credit: Claude Truong Ngoc, CC BY SA 40 via Wikimedia Commons
Vatican City, Apr 29, 2025 / 04:36 am (CNA).
The College of Cardinals announced Monday, April 28, that the conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor will begin on May 7, as the Church enters the final preparatory phase for choosing its 267th pope.
Follow here for live updates of the latest news and information on the papal transition:
A view of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel on Oct. 29, 2014. / Credit: Bohumil Petrik/CNACNA Staff, Apr 29, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).Pope Francis, who died April 21 at age 88, was laid to rest at the Basilica of St. Mary Major following his funeral on April 26. As the world continues to mourn the late pope during the nine-day period known as "Novendiales" (also rendered "Novemdiales"), preparations are underway for the highly-regulated conclave process, which is the means by which a new pope is elected for the Church. Here's what you need to know about what will happen next.Setting the stage: Who can take part in the conclave?The task of electing the new pope falls solely upon the members of the College of Cardinals who are younger than age 80 and otherwise eligible or able to participate, of which there are currently 134. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91, is the current dean of the College of Cardinals, i.e., the most senior member, elected from among the ranks of the...
A view of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel on Oct. 29, 2014. / Credit: Bohumil Petrik/CNA
CNA Staff, Apr 29, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Pope Francis, who died April 21 at age 88, was laid to rest at the Basilica of St. Mary Major following his funeral on April 26.
As the world continues to mourn the late pope during the nine-day period known as "Novendiales" (also rendered "Novemdiales"), preparations are underway for the highly-regulated conclave process, which is the means by which a new pope is elected for the Church.
Here's what you need to know about what will happen next.
The task of electing the new pope falls solely upon the members of the College of Cardinals who are younger than age 80 and otherwise eligible or able to participate, of which there are currently 134.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91, is the current dean of the College of Cardinals, i.e., the most senior member, elected from among the ranks of the cardinal bishops and confirmed by the pope. Normally, it would be Re's job to move the conclave process forward once it gets underway.
Re is too old to take part in the conclave, however, as is his vice dean, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri. So the upcoming conclave will be directed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the next eligible most senior cardinal bishop and the Vatican's secretary of state.
The conclave system was formalized in 1274, and its procedures are spelled out in great detail in the 1996 apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis of Pope John Paul II, which was amended slightly by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
Normally, the day on which the conclave begins is to be the 15th day after the death of a pope, the 16th day of the interregnum (which just means the period between popes). It can begin up to the 20th day "for serious reasons," or earlier than the 15th day if all the cardinals are present.
The Holy See Press Office announced Monday that the conclave will begin on the morning of May 7, with the Holy Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff in St. Peter's Basilica.
That afternoon, the cardinals — only the electors — will make their entrance into the Sistine Chapel, chanting the "Veni Creator Spiritus," invoking the Holy Spirit's guidance. Once inside, each cardinal will take an oath to observe the procedures, maintain secrecy, and vote freely for the candidate he believes most worthy.
When the last of the cardinal electors has taken the oath, the master of papal liturgical celebrations, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, will give the order "Extra omnes" ("Everyone out"), indicating that all those not taking part in the conclave must leave the Sistine Chapel.
Other than the cardinals, the only people allowed to remain in the chapel are the master of papal liturgical celebrations and a clergy member chosen to preach a meditation to the cardinals. After the meditation is given, he and the master of papal liturgical celebrations will leave the chapel (though the master of papal liturgical celebrations will need to be readmitted several times during the process, particularly when a vote is about to happen).
The chapel doors will then be closed to the outside world until a new pope is chosen.
The cardinals must swear to absolute secrecy both during and after the conclave process, and great care must be taken to ensure the Sistine Chapel has not been bugged. Whenever they leave the chapel — such as for meals and to sleep — the cardinals are not allowed to discuss anything about what took place in the chapel.
Inside the locked chapel, votes are taken among the cardinals once on the first afternoon session, and twice on each morning and afternoon session for each day of the conclave.
The ballot papers all bear the words "Eligo in summum pontificem" ("I elect as supreme pontiff"), above a space for the cardinals to write a name. During the vote, cardinals individually approach Michelangelo's painting of the Last Judgment, profess an oath in Latin, and drop their ballot into a large urn.
This is the oath that the cardinals pray as they vote:
"I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected."
Three randomly designated cardinals, known as scrutineers, then tabulate the results in front of the assembly. First, they count the ballots, and if the number of ballots doesn't match the number of electors, they are burned immediately and a new vote is taken.
If the number of ballots is correct, the three scrutineers read each ballot, the last of the three reading the name aloud and writing it down. Each elector also writes down the running result on a sheet provided for this purpose. Each ballot, after it is counted, is pieced with a needle and placed on a thread for security.
Another three randomly selected cardinal electors, the revisers, check the ballot count and the notes of the scrutineers to ensure the tabulation of the ballots was carried out exactly and faithfully.
Three additional cardinal electors are randomly chosen as "infirmarii," whose job it is to assist any electors who, although within the enclosure of the conclave, are too sick to be present in the Sistine Chapel. The infirmarii take with them a locked box that, having been shown to the other electors to be empty, receives the votes of the infirm. They then return it unopened to the scrutineers.
A Catholic man needs two-thirds of the votes — in the present case, 90 votes — to be elected the next pope. Looking at the record of the last century of conclaves shows that the college elects a new pope, on average, by the afternoon of the third day, after about eight ballots.
When a voting session concludes without a man reaching the required majority, the ballots are burned with wet straw, causing black smoke to emanate from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. However, if a pope is elected, the ballots are burned with the addition of a chemical agent, producing the famous white smoke.
Before that happens, however, there is a process that must be followed once a man receives the required number of votes.
After the junior cardinal deacon has readmitted the secretary of the college and the master of papal liturgical ceremonies, the cardinal dean, or the cardinal who is first in order and seniority, goes to the one elected and asks:
"Do you accept your canonical election as supreme pontiff?"
With consent he becomes bishop of Rome and the pope (thus ending the conclave, unless the new pope decides to keep it in session for some reason). The cardinal dean then asks:
"By what name do you wish to be called?"
The master of papal liturgical ceremonies, with the witness of the two masters of ceremonies (who are now summoned), then will draw up a document certifying the consent of the man elected and the name he has chosen.
The new pope spends a few moments in a room off the Sistine Chapel known as the Room of Tears, where he is dressed in his white papal vestments. Each cardinal then comes forward in turn and makes an act of homage and obedience to the new pope. An act of thanksgiving to God is then made.
The senior cardinal deacon announces from the loggia of St. Peter's to those gathered in St. Peter's Square: "Habemus papam!" ("We have a pope!") and what name he has taken. The newly elected pope then comes out to address and bless the city and the world ("urbi et orbi").
Cardinal Angelo Becciu. / Credit: Claude Truong Ngoc, CC BY SA 40 via Wikimedia CommonsVatican City, Apr 29, 2025 / 01:25 am (CNA).The College of Cardinals announced Monday, April 28, that the conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor will begin on May 7, as the Church enters the final preparatory phase for choosing its 267th pope.Follow here for live updates of the latest news and information on the papal transition:
Cardinal Angelo Becciu. / Credit: Claude Truong Ngoc, CC BY SA 40 via Wikimedia Commons
Vatican City, Apr 29, 2025 / 01:25 am (CNA).
The College of Cardinals announced Monday, April 28, that the conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor will begin on May 7, as the Church enters the final preparatory phase for choosing its 267th pope.
Follow here for live updates of the latest news and information on the papal transition:
null / Credit: ivanko80/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 28, 2025 / 16:52 pm (CNA).A first-of-its-kind study that delves into public health insurance records found that more than 1 in 10 women who take the abortion pill mifepristone to complete a chemical abortion will suffer a serious health complication during the process.The study of 865,727 patients between 2017 and 2023, which was published by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) on April 28, discovered that 10.93% of women suffer at least one "serious adverse event" within 45 days of taking mifepristone for an abortion."This isn't idle speculation; this is based on the largest data set that we know of," Ryan T. Anderson, the president of EPPC and one of the study's authors, told EWTN.More than 4.7% were forced to visit an emergency room related to the abortion, more than 3.3% suffered hemorrhaging, and more than 1.3% got an infection. Thousands were hospitalized, more than 1,000 needed blood transfusions, ...
null / Credit: ivanko80/Shutterstock
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 28, 2025 / 16:52 pm (CNA).
A first-of-its-kind study that delves into public health insurance records found that more than 1 in 10 women who take the abortion pill mifepristone to complete a chemical abortion will suffer a serious health complication during the process.
The study of 865,727 patients between 2017 and 2023, which was published by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) on April 28, discovered that 10.93% of women suffer at least one "serious adverse event" within 45 days of taking mifepristone for an abortion.
"This isn't idle speculation; this is based on the largest data set that we know of," Ryan T. Anderson, the president of EPPC and one of the study's authors, told EWTN.
More than 4.7% were forced to visit an emergency room related to the abortion, more than 3.3% suffered hemorrhaging, and more than 1.3% got an infection. Thousands were hospitalized, more than 1,000 needed blood transfusions, and hundreds suffered from sepsis. Nearly 2,000 had a different life-threatening adverse event.
In 2.84% of cases, the chemical abortion was unsuccessful and was subsequently completed through a surgical abortion. In a few thousand cases, an ectopic pregnancy went undetected.
The EPPC study is the most comprehensive research on the subject to date and suggests that the controlled environment of prior clinical trials — some of which reported the rate of adverse events to be as low as 0.5% — may not reflect the real-world consequences of the widespread use of the abortion pill in an increasingly deregulated market.
As the study notes, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deregulated mifepristone in 2016 under President Barack Obama's administration and again in 2023 under President Joe Biden's administration.
The FDA lowered the number of in-person doctor visits to obtain mifepristone from three to one in 2016 and then to zero in 2023. In 2016, the FDA also removed requirements that the drugs be dispensed by a physician and taken in an office and got rid of the follow-up appointment rule and the mandatory reporting of adverse events. In 2023, the FDA opened up mail delivery for the drugs by ending the rule that they must be dispersed in a doctor's office.
Prior to the 2016 changes, mifepristone could only be used through the first seven weeks of pregnancy. The revision under Obama changed that to the first 10 weeks.
More than half of all abortions nationwide are now conducted with mifepristone.
"Now, because of Obama and Biden, abortion pills are taken alone, at home, via mail order," Anderson said in a joint statement with co-researcher Jamie Bryan Hall, the director of data analysis at EPPC.
"The abortion industry tells women that the abortion pill is as safe as Tylenol," they said. "That is fundamentally false, and women deserve the truth. Because most women are denied the truth about the abortion drugs, they are terribly unprepared for subsequent complications."
A British study from late last year confirmed that this was the case, with many women reporting that they were unprepared for the pain they experienced from the chemical abortion. Nearly half of them experienced more pain than they expected and some warned that the pain levels were "washed over," "downplayed," or "sugarcoated" during consultations.
Christina Francis, a practicing OB-GYN and the CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNs, told CNA that EPPC's data "confirms what we're seeing in the real world" and that "even just based on my own clinical practice," she knows "these drugs are not safe."
Francis spoke about a patient she treated recently "who had ordered these drugs online." The woman requested the abortion pill when she was nine weeks pregnant, but when she took them, she was "much further along … [than] when she first ordered the drugs" and suffered several health complications that required surgery.
She also discussed a colleague who treated a patient whose unborn child was expelled when the body was the "size of the palm of her hand," which suggests the chemical abortion occurred past "the legal limit."
"She saw her baby and it was very, very traumatic for her," Francis said. "... This is happening in emergency rooms across the country."
Father Tad Pacholczyk, a senior ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), told CNA that the report "reminds us again how these toxic agents do not even belong in the field of medicine, which at its core is a healing ministry, since they directly target the life of unborn human patients."
"Rather than being left to their own devices, when overwhelming evidence indicates that this powerful pharmaceutical has a high probability of causing sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or other life-threatening outcomes, women are entitled to more restrictive regulation over those distributing these drugs, improved follow-up and surveillance in the aftermath of their self-administration," Pacholczyk added.
The researchers at EPPC encouraged President Donald Trump's administration to review the current regulations and reimplement the safeguards that existed prior to the deregulation of the Obama and Biden administrations.
This would require three in-person doctor visits and confirmation that the woman's pregnancy is still within the first seven weeks, as was originally required by the FDA. It would also require that the drug be prescribed by a physician and administered in person. It would also reestablish the mandatory reporting of adverse events.
"We're hopeful the Trump administration will do the right thing," Anderson told EWTN News.
Trump has promised that he would not ban the abortion pill but did not rule out regulating the drugs. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said earlier this year that he planned to investigate safety concerns related to mifepristone.
"Even pro-choice citizens should want to make sure that women make an informed choice, based on all the facts, and that any drugs they take are safe," Anderson and Hall said in their joint statement provided to CNA.
Christina Francis agreed, emphasizing: "We cannot place abortion access above patient care and patient safety."
"[This] should be something that all of us can agree on and come together on," she said.
In July 2022, Imán Nader and her family were able to greet Pope Francis after the general audience. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Apr 28, 2025 / 17:28 pm (CNA)."Pope Francis was a courageous man. He always sought peace. He looked at everyone with the same eyes, whether you were Black or white, and he didn't care about your religion or what was written in your passport. He wanted to help everyone," said Imán Nader, still quite moved by the experience of witnessing from the front rows of St. Peter's Square the funeral of the man who changed her life.In addition to the more than 140 international delegations who participated in the solemn celebration of Pope Francis' funeral Mass, a group of homeless people and several immigrant families also sat in the front rows. In total, there were 40 people seated there who had experienced Pope Francis' tenderness firsthand during his 12-year pontificate. Among them was the 31-year-old Kurdish woman, along with her four children a...
In July 2022, Imán Nader and her family were able to greet Pope Francis after the general audience. / Credit: Vatican Media
Vatican City, Apr 28, 2025 / 17:28 pm (CNA).
"Pope Francis was a courageous man. He always sought peace. He looked at everyone with the same eyes, whether you were Black or white, and he didn't care about your religion or what was written in your passport. He wanted to help everyone," said Imán Nader, still quite moved by the experience of witnessing from the front rows of St. Peter's Square the funeral of the man who changed her life.
In addition to the more than 140 international delegations who participated in the solemn celebration of Pope Francis' funeral Mass, a group of homeless people and several immigrant families also sat in the front rows. In total, there were 40 people seated there who had experienced Pope Francis' tenderness firsthand during his 12-year pontificate.
Among them was the 31-year-old Kurdish woman, along with her four children and husband, who had to flee Iraq in the face of the Islamic State's furious violence and the lack of basic services and opportunities for the future.
But her attempt to reach Europe left her stuck on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, where she and her family were stranded in a refugee camp for more than two years. Then she met the pope during his apostolic journey to the country in 2021.
"He saved us," Nader told ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, after having experienced the terrible living conditions they endured in the refugee camp, without adequate drinking water or food, and living in a tent with a plastic roof that barely protected them from the rain.
"I have always trusted and loved God. I prayed a lot to have a better life than this, and God responded by sending me Pope Francis, who has been our angel," she related.
In fact, their meeting was completely fortuitous. Or rather, it came out of the blue. They learned through the media that Pope Francis was traveling to Cyprus, and the family, who is Muslim, wanted to see up close that man dressed in white who spoke so much of peace and brotherhood.
Thus on Dec. 3, 2021, they were able to go to Holy Cross Church in Nicosia. Nader sat — covered with her usual hijab — in the back pew, not wanting to attract too much attention. But the pontiff noticed her immediately and as he left, he gave her a firm handshake and gave her his best smile.
What Nader didn't know at the time was that that moment would change her life and that of her family forever. Near her was Silvina Pérez, editor of the Spanish edition of L'Osservatore Romano. They exchanged phone numbers and kept in contact with each other for several weeks. Until one day, Nader got up her courage and asked her for the impossible: to escape that hellish refugee camp.
The journalist began pulling strings to try to change the family's fate and include them on the list of those selected to be part of the humanitarian corridors coordinated by the Sant'Egidio Community.
But it was quite complicated, so she called Pope Francis directly, who didn't hesitate for a second to mediate on behalf of Nader's family and cover all travel expenses.
"When they told us we would be leaving that horrible place, I couldn't believe it. It was a tremendous gift from Pope Francis. Today, we all mourn the death of Pope Francis. For me, he was the best religious leader I have ever seen," Nader said filled with emotion.
Nader and her family arrived in Rome in March 2022. During this time, they learned Italian, their children attend public school, and both parents work in the restaurant industry.
Over these three years, they met Pope Francis several times. In July 2022, they were able to greet Pope Francis after the general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican thanks to the mediation of Spanish journalist Eva Fernández, who helped them write a message in Spanish that summarized their gratitude: "Thank you for bringing us to Italy! My children now have a better life than in Iraq and Cyprus. Thank you for allowing us to be your neighbors!"
The most recent time they met the pope was on Feb. 5, shortly before Pope Francis was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where he underwent treatment for double pneumonia. "On that occasion, he confessed to me that he was very ill and that he felt tired, but I never imagined that would be the last time I would see him," Nader shared.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Cardinal Baldassare Reina celebrates Mass on Day 3 of the Novendiales Masses for Pope Francis on April 28, 2025, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNACNA Newsroom, Apr 28, 2025 / 18:42 pm (CNA).Cardinal Baldassare Reina urged the faithful to "discern and order" the late pontiff's reform initiatives while acknowledging the sense of loss felt by Rome's Catholics in his homily on the third day of "Novendiales" Masses for Pope Francis.Speaking at St. Peter's Basilica on Monday, April 28, the 54-year-old vicar general for the Diocese of Rome described how the faithful feel like "sheep without a shepherd" following the pontiff's death."I think of the multiple reform processes of Church life initiated by Pope Francis, which extend beyond religious affiliations. People recognized him as a universal pastor," Reina said. "These people carry concern in their hearts, and I seem to discern in them a question: What will become of the processes that have begun?"C...
Cardinal Baldassare Reina celebrates Mass on Day 3 of the Novendiales Masses for Pope Francis on April 28, 2025, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
CNA Newsroom, Apr 28, 2025 / 18:42 pm (CNA).
Cardinal Baldassare Reina urged the faithful to "discern and order" the late pontiff's reform initiatives while acknowledging the sense of loss felt by Rome's Catholics in his homily on the third day of "Novendiales" Masses for Pope Francis.
Speaking at St. Peter's Basilica on Monday, April 28, the 54-year-old vicar general for the Diocese of Rome described how the faithful feel like "sheep without a shepherd" following the pontiff's death.
"I think of the multiple reform processes of Church life initiated by Pope Francis, which extend beyond religious affiliations. People recognized him as a universal pastor," Reina said. "These people carry concern in their hearts, and I seem to discern in them a question: What will become of the processes that have begun?"
The Italian cardinal, who will vote in the conclave scheduled to begin May 7, said that true fidelity requires continuing the path set by Pope Francis rather than retreating from it.
"Our duty must be to discern and order what has begun, in light of what our mission demands of us, moving toward a new heaven and a new earth, adorning the Bride (the Church) for the Bridegroom," he stated.
Drawing on the Gospel of John, Reina reflected on the parable of the grain of wheat that must die to bear fruit, comparing it to Christians becoming "seeds" willing to be spent for new life. He warned against responding to current challenges with fear or worldly compromise.
"This cannot be the time for balancing acts, tactics, caution, instincts to turn back, or, worse, revenge and power alliances, but rather we need a radical disposition to enter into God's dream entrusted to our poor hands," the cardinal emphasized.
He concluded his homily with a tribute to Pope Francis, comparing the pontiff's final Easter Sunday appearance to the radical act of sowing described in Scripture: "That extreme, total, exhausting gesture of the sower made me think of Pope Francis' Easter Sunday, of that outpouring of blessings and embraces to his people, the day before he died. The final act of his tireless sowing of the announcement of God's mercies. Thank you, Pope Francis."
In closing, the cardinal invoked the Blessed Virgin Mary, venerated in Rome as "Salus Populi Romani," to accompany and protect the Church.
Daniel Ibañez embraces Pope Francis. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Apr 28, 2025 / 14:56 pm (CNA).Imagine that your cellphone rings and the display says the call is from a "private number." You expect it to be a telemarketer, but instead when you answer, you hear a man with an Argentine accent say: "This is Francis. I received your letter." That phone call happened to Daniel Ibañez, CNA and EWTN News Vatican photographer, on an ordinary weekday morning in December 2018."I effectively stayed frozen, because I was speaking with the pope," Ibañez told CNA. "He said: 'I would like to invite you to the Mass at Casa Santa Marta on Dec. 20, 2018, which will be the last I publicly celebrate in the Vatican [before Christmas].'"Ibañez had sent a letter to Pope Francis two months prior, in October 2018, telling him about his experience as a young Catholic from Palencia, Spain, living and working in Italy as a photographer for a Catholic media organization.He had also expressed his d...
Daniel Ibañez embraces Pope Francis. / Credit: Vatican Media
Vatican City, Apr 28, 2025 / 14:56 pm (CNA).
Imagine that your cellphone rings and the display says the call is from a "private number." You expect it to be a telemarketer, but instead when you answer, you hear a man with an Argentine accent say: "This is Francis. I received your letter."
That phone call happened to Daniel Ibañez, CNA and EWTN News Vatican photographer, on an ordinary weekday morning in December 2018.
"I effectively stayed frozen, because I was speaking with the pope," Ibañez told CNA. "He said: 'I would like to invite you to the Mass at Casa Santa Marta on Dec. 20, 2018, which will be the last I publicly celebrate in the Vatican [before Christmas].'"
Ibañez had sent a letter to Pope Francis two months prior, in October 2018, telling him about his experience as a young Catholic from Palencia, Spain, living and working in Italy as a photographer for a Catholic media organization.
He had also expressed his desire for the opportunity to experience Pope Francis as an ordinary Catholic, since Ibañez is always working — that is, taking photos — during papal Masses and events.
Ibañez, 27 at the time, said he was touched and surprised that during their phone call, which lasted about five minutes, Pope Francis asked his pardon for not responding to his letter sooner.
The pope also gave him the directions for what to do in two days to attend the private Mass at the Vatican's guesthouse.
"He repeated what I should do four times, like a grandfather. Because I was not understanding. My brain was really frozen... I was speaking with the pope on my cellphone!" Ibañez said.
On Dec. 20, 2018, the photographer went through all the security to arrive at the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta. He said at first he sat at the very back, but the priests made him move to the front: "From a photographic perspective, the best seat."
Ibañez said he remembers one part of Pope Francis' homily that day in particular: "God enters history and does so in his original style: a surprise. The God of surprises, surprises us."
After the Mass, the pope greeted each person individually. Ibañez introduced himself as a photographer for CNA and EWTN and gave him two photos he had taken of him.
He also gave the pope some letters from his friends and family — including one from a young woman who wrote about her elderly uncle, a retired priest in Spain. Pope Francis called this priest a few months later, speaking to him for about an hour.
Ibañez also told the pope about his friend, a wife and mother who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer a few days prior. Francis put his hand over the woman's photo, staying in silence for some seconds. In that moment, "I felt that he is a very empathetic person, who listens," he said.
Then, before the pope left, Ibañez asked if he could give him a hug, and the two embraced.
Ibañez is the youngest fully Vatican-accredited photographer and the only one from Spain. He explained that he originally came to Rome to study, but he finds the words of St. Josemaría Escrivá relatable, that one should "dream and your dreams will fall short." He only expected to be in Rome for six months and instead has now been there for over 11 years.
"This work is beautiful, even if it is a little tiring. But I am a Catholic and above all it is an honor to do this work," he stated.
"It is true that the negative part is that [Pope Francis] is a person who never gets tired. So, if you follow the pope, the agenda of the pope is very complicated, very complex too. That is, to work on Sundays and holidays."
Ibañez continues to document life at the Vatican and papal events, and recently captured the many historic moments of the Church's farewell to Pope Francis, including the funeral and burial.
This story was originally published on Dec. 10, 2019, and has been updated.
The first season of the EWTN series "James the Less" received the 2024 Gabriel Awards' prestigious "Best Video" award. / Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/CNACNA Staff, Apr 28, 2025 / 15:26 pm (CNA).The second season of the hit online EWTN series "James the Less" will be released on Tuesday, April 29. The first season introduced viewers to James Little, a student fresh out of college desperate for a job. James is an atheist. However, a help wanted sign on the church bulletin board catches his eye and entices him to interview for the position: handyman. He accepts the position at St. James the Less Church and starts to encounter Catholicism. Soon, James finds his ideals challenged by the no-nonsense pastor Father Lambert Burns and through his romantic pursuit of parishioner Anne-Marie.Director of Studio Operations for EWTN Stephen Beaumont told CNA that the idea for the series came from his desire to "create a series of short videos about a character growing in virtue.""The id...
The first season of the EWTN series "James the Less" received the 2024 Gabriel Awards' prestigious "Best Video" award. / Credit: Ken Oliver-Méndez/CNA
CNA Staff, Apr 28, 2025 / 15:26 pm (CNA).
The second season of the hit online EWTN series "James the Less" will be released on Tuesday, April 29.
The first season introduced viewers to James Little, a student fresh out of college desperate for a job. James is an atheist. However, a help wanted sign on the church bulletin board catches his eye and entices him to interview for the position: handyman. He accepts the position at St. James the Less Church and starts to encounter Catholicism. Soon, James finds his ideals challenged by the no-nonsense pastor Father Lambert Burns and through his romantic pursuit of parishioner Anne-Marie.
Director of Studio Operations for EWTN Stephen Beaumont told CNA that the idea for the series came from his desire to "create a series of short videos about a character growing in virtue."
"The idea for the title came from a Mass I attended at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, probably in 2019. I was in Rome on business and decided to attend a daily Mass at St. Peter's. At St. Peter's, there are always pilgrimage groups having Masses at the many side altars, and I ended up participating in a Mass with a group from a parish in England called St. James the Less," he explained. "That name interested me, because you usually hear 'St. James the Lesser' or 'St. James the Younger.' Also, it reminded me of a saints book I got for my first Communion, which listed the apostle as St. James the Less. I thought it would work well as the title."
Season 2 will consist of five episodes and viewers "will learn more about Anne-Marie and why she gets upset every time she sees the medallion. There will also be some new characters introduced, and most of all, you will see development of the relationship between James and Anne-Marie," Beaumont shared.
James is played by Catholic artist and missionary Tanner Kalina. He has been a part of ministries such as FOCUS, Ascension Presents, NET, and others. He also hosts a podcast with several of his friends called "Saints Alive."
While playing James, it has inspired Kalina "to look at the faith with fresh eyes," he told CNA in an interview.
"He's reminded me of how attractive our faith is and how we need to do a better job of owning it," he said. "There's so many people out there in James' shoes who are aching for what we have as Catholics."
"It's been a great joy and a testament to the goodness and creativity of God. He's so good," Kalina added. "After I left Hollywood a number of years ago for ministry, I didn't know if I'd ever have the chance to act again. When this fell in my lap, it felt like God was saying, 'I see you. I know you. I love you. Enjoy!'"
Kalina shared that in Season 2 viewers will also see "what happens after James opens his heart ever so slightly to our Eucharistic Lord."
When asked what he hopes people are taking away from the series, Kalina said: "I honestly just hope people are enjoying it. It's just good ol' wholesome fun, which is hard to find nowadays without an agenda attached."
"Primarily it is a romantic comedy, and a fish-out-of-water story, so most of all, we hope that people will find it entertaining," Beaumont added. "There are some teaching moments along the way, but these moments flow naturally from the characters and the situations."
The series will not be broadcast on television. Watch exclusively on EWTN's YouTube channel:
Cardinals process during the funeral of Pope Francis at St. Peter's Square, Saturday, April 26, 2025. / Credit: Bénédicte Cedergren/EWTN NewsVatican City, Apr 28, 2025 / 07:25 am (CNA).Pope Francis passed away Easter Monday, April 21. The 88-year-old pontiff led the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years. His burial at St. Mary Major took place Saturday, April 26. Follow here for live updates of the latest news and information on the papal transition:
Cardinals process during the funeral of Pope Francis at St. Peter's Square, Saturday, April 26, 2025. / Credit: Bénédicte Cedergren/EWTN News
Vatican City, Apr 28, 2025 / 07:25 am (CNA).
Pope Francis passed away Easter Monday, April 21. The 88-year-old pontiff led the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years. His burial at St. Mary Major took place Saturday, April 26.
Follow here for live updates of the latest news and information on the papal transition:
A patch depicting the late Pope Francis is seen on the jersey of San Lorenzo's Spanish midfielder No. 10 Iker Muniain during the Argentine Professional Football League 2025 Apertura Tournament football match between San Lorenzo and Rosario Central at the Pedro Bidegain stadium in Buenos Aires on April 26, 2025. The late Pope Francis, Jorge Bergoglio, was a fan and member No. 88235 of Argentina's San Lorenzo football club. / Credit: ALEJANDRO PAGNI/AFP via Getty ImagesDublin, Ireland, Apr 28, 2025 / 10:39 am (CNA).Among the tens of thousands of mourners paying their respects before the coffin of Pope Francis last week was Gianluigi Buffon, the Italian World Cup-winning goalkeeper. A visibly emotional Buffon was accompanied by Gabriele Gravina, president of Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC) (Italian Football Federation), as well as the Lazio squad and coaching staff. (Società Sportiva Lazio is an Italian professional sports club based in Rome.)Pope Francis was a lifelong ...
A patch depicting the late Pope Francis is seen on the jersey of San Lorenzo's Spanish midfielder No. 10 Iker Muniain during the Argentine Professional Football League 2025 Apertura Tournament football match between San Lorenzo and Rosario Central at the Pedro Bidegain stadium in Buenos Aires on April 26, 2025. The late Pope Francis, Jorge Bergoglio, was a fan and member No. 88235 of Argentina's San Lorenzo football club. / Credit: ALEJANDRO PAGNI/AFP via Getty Images
Dublin, Ireland, Apr 28, 2025 / 10:39 am (CNA).
Among the tens of thousands of mourners paying their respects before the coffin of Pope Francis last week was Gianluigi Buffon, the Italian World Cup-winning goalkeeper. A visibly emotional Buffon was accompanied by Gabriele Gravina, president of Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC) (Italian Football Federation), as well as the Lazio squad and coaching staff. (Società Sportiva Lazio is an Italian professional sports club based in Rome.)
Pope Francis was a lifelong soccer fan and his passing was felt perhaps most acutely among fans of the San Lorenzo club in Buenos Aires, a team he followed since childhood. During their match on Saturday, the club paid tribute to their most famous fan. San Lorenzo players wore a patch on their shirts with an image of Pope Francis smiling and wearing his papal robes, accompanied by the phrase "Together for Eternity."
"The pope leaves an unbreakable legacy," San Lorenzo Club president Marcelo Moretti told Reuters. "For all San Lorenzo fans, he was a source of great pride. It is a very sad day." Moretti had recently met Pope Francis and gained his assent for the club's new stadium to be named after him.
The late pope's membership number at San Lorenzo was 88235, and the club's faithful have pointed out the uncanny symbolism of the number given to Jorge Mario Bergoglio when he became a member and Francis' age and time of death.
"He died at 88 years old, at 2:35 a.m. (Buenos Aires time) and was member 88235," observed a San Lorenzo fan on X.
When San Lorenzo eventually won the coveted Copa Libertadores in 2014, the team had a replica of the trophy to present to a jubilant Pope Francis in Rome.
During his pontificate, Pope Francis welcomed many professional soccer players to the Vatican, including Argentine World Cup winner Diego Maradona, who credited the pope with reintroducing him to his faith. He also welcomed Lionel Messi and spoke openly of his admiration for Pelé.
Following Francis' death on Easter Monday, there were a number of notable expressions of sympathy and respect from football stadiums across the world.
In Milan, the derby between Internazionale and AC Milan was marked by a minute of respect when both teams lined up to applause and the stadium's public address system played Ennio Morricone's theme "Gabriel's Oboe" from "The Mission" — a film about early Jesuit missionaries to Latin America.
In Scotland, a match between soon-to-be crowned champions Glasgow Celtic and Dundee United was preceeded by an immaculately observed minute of silence by both sets of fans. Both clubs trace their origins back to their respective cities' Catholic communities.
Dundee United F.C. was originally founded as Dundee Hibernian in 1909, having a strong connection to the Irish Catholic community in Dundee. The club was formed to provide opportunities for young Irish Catholic immigrants.
Glasgow Celtic, British soccer's first winners of the European Cup in 1967 were formed by an Irish Catholic priest Brother Walfrid. The Catholic faith is indelibly associated with the club, and this was underscored by their official visit to meet Pope Francis in November 2023. The club was in Rome for a champions league match.
In his official welcome, Pope Francis pointed to Celtic's origins among poor Irish immigrants to Glasgow, touching on themes that resonated throughout his papacy. Flagging the importance of the identity of the club on and off the field he said: "The valued legacy of your club places a heavy responsibility on your shoulders to be good role models especially for young people."
The world of soccer has shown respect for the papacy throughout the years, especially in times of mourning. In April 2005, a game between Polish clubs Lech Poznan and MKS Pogon Szczecin came to an unscheduled halt after 38 minutes when supporters began to chant for the match to be stopped and one fan ran on to the field to instruct the referee to stop the game. Players gathered to pray in the center circle and 15,000 supporters sang the national anthem. People cried. A television channel had mistakenly reported the death of Pope John Paul II and news had spread among supporters.
