The Church of St. Luke

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, April 21, 2025. President Trump signed a proclamation at the event ordering flags to be flown at half-staff “as a mark of respect for the memory of His Holiness Pope Francis,” who died Monday. Flags will remain at half-staff until sunset. / Credit: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 21, 2025 / 16:08 pm (CNA).

U.S. President Donald Trump will attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, the president said on Monday.

“[First Lady] Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome. We look forward to being there!” the president wrote on Truth Social on Monday afternoon.

Trump had earlier in the day ordered all federal and state flags to be flown at half-staff to show respect for Francis and honor his memory following the Monday morning death of the 88-year-old pontiff.

“Rest in peace Pope Francis!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “May God bless him and all who loved him!”

The April 21 proclamation signed by Trump stated that the order is meant “as a mark of respect for the memory of His Holiness Pope Francis.” Flags will remain at half-staff until sunset tonight.

Trump’s order applies to the White House and all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, on all naval vessels, and at all embassies.

“He was a good man, worked hard,” Trump said at the White House Easter Egg Roll event when announcing the proclamation.

“He loved the world and it’s an honor to do that,” the president added.

Speaking to EWTN at the same event, Trump said his message to Catholics at this time is: “We love you all, we’re with you.” 

“They were with me during the election as you know very strongly and it’s just an honor to have the support of the Catholics and I feel very badly for them because they loved the pope,” Trump added.

When asked what he expects the United States’ relationship to be with the incoming pope who will be selected in a papal conclave, Trump said he thinks it will be “very good.”

Trump is a nondenominational Christian, but his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, is Catholic. The two met Pope Francis in May 2017 during Trump’s first term. They discussed collaborations on international affairs, peacekeeping efforts, and the protection of Christian communities in the Middle East.

Former President Joe Biden: ‘He was the people’s pope’

The 46th president, Joe Biden, issued a statement honoring Francis’ death, referring to the pontiff as “a pope for everyone,” “the people’s pope,” and “a light of faith, hope, and love.”

“He was unlike any who came before him,” Biden, who was the country’s second Catholic president, said in a post on X. “Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time, and I am better for having known him.” 

“For decades, he served the most vulnerable across Argentina and his mission of serving the poor never ceased,” the former president continued. “As pope, he was a loving pastor and challenging teacher who reached out to different faiths. He commanded us to fight for peace and protect our planet from a climate crisis. He advocated for the voiceless and powerless. He made all feel welcome and seen by the Church. He promoted equity and an end to poverty and suffering across the globe.”

Biden met with the pope twice while serving as president, first in October 2021 and second in June 2024.

JD Vance honors pope’s life shortly after meeting him

Vice President JD Vance, who is a convert to Catholicism, briefly met with Francis on Easter Sunday morning, the day before the Holy Father’s death. Vance told the pope that he prays for him every day and it was good to see him “in better health” following the Holy Father’s long-term stay at the hospital.

“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis,” Vance said in a post on X Monday morning. “My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. “

“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill,” the vice president said. “But I’ll always remember him for the … homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul.”

Vance also attended a Good Friday service at the Vatican and had a meeting with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Holy Saturday.

Secretary of State Rubio: ‘We unite in prayer’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is Catholic, and his wife also issued a statement through the Department of State mourning the death of Pope Francis.

“On Easter Monday, Jeanette and I are saddened to [hear] the news of Pope Francis’ passing,”
Rubio said. “We unite in prayer with Catholics worldwide for the repose of the pontiff’s soul and for this period of transition for the Catholic Church. May he rest in peace.”

Numerous other world leaders and American lawmakers issued statements honoring the life of Pope Francis on Monday.

This article was updated on Monday, April 21, 2025, at 4:15 p.m. with news that President Donald Trump would attend Pope Francis' funeral in Rome.

Pope Francis arrives at his general audience at the Vatican, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020 / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

CNA Staff, Apr 21, 2025 / 15:38 pm (CNA).

Bishops and cardinals around the United States joined in prayer and mourning following the death of Pope Francis on Monday, recalling the pope’s legacy of service, prayer, and faith.

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), remembered Pope Francis “for his outreach to those on the margins of the Church and of society.”

The first pope “from our American continent,” Pope Francis was “marked by his experience as a Jesuit and a shepherd in Buenos Aires,” Broglio noted.

“He renewed for us the mission to bring the Gospel out to the ends of the earth and offer divine mercy to all,” Broglio wrote.

Broglio recalled the “prayerful hope” in Pope Francis’ recent letter of support to the U.S. bishops amid efforts by the White House to carry out mass deportations of illegal immigrants.

The pope at the time praised the bishops for “[working] closely with migrants and refugees, proclaiming Jesus Christ and promoting fundamental human rights.”

Pope Francis, Broglio said, “always used the strongest and clearest expressions in the defense of the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death.”

Pointing to the Jubilee Year of Hope, Broglio remembered that the late pope “call[ed] us to a profound hope: one that is not an empty or naïve hope, but one grounded in the promise of Almighty God to be with us always.”

A pastoral heart

Other U.S. Church leaders echoed sentiments of grief, prayer, and recollection while looking ahead to preserve Pope Francis’ legacy.

Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, D.C., recalled Pope Francis’ “embracing love … that animated his tender personal care for all those whom he encountered personally in their suffering.” 

This love, McElroy said, “led Pope Francis to be a prophetic advocate for the poor and the dispossessed, the unborn and the immigrant, the victims of war and the earth, which is our common home.” 

“It was in these intimate moments of pastoral care that we saw with such poignancy the heart of the pastor who had embodied mercy and love to the suffering in Buenos Aires and refused to diminish that commitment even when the strictures of the papacy fell upon him,” McElroy said. 

“The Church and the world have lost a true shepherd of souls, a beacon of unwavering hope, and a voice of penetrating truth,” McElroy said. 

Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez recalled “the Holy Father’s many kindnesses,” particularly amid the recent wildfires and other times of need in Los Angeles. 

“He was always quick to show his spiritual closeness to us in our times of need,” Gomez said. 

Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron remembered the late pope as “a man of simplicity, compassion, and deep concern for those on the margins.”

When they met, “his comments would burn their way into my heart and mind,” Barron said. 

Archbishop Nelson Pérez of Philadelphia added that Pope Francis “challenged” the Church to respond to “troubled times” with “the spirit of missionary discipleship.”

The mark of his “rich pastoral legacy” on the Church is, Pérez said, is “indelible.” 

Hope in the Resurrection 

With the Holy Father’s death falling on Easter Monday, many bishops expressed their hope in the Resurrection as they reflected on Pope Francis’ final public appearance on Easter Sunday. 

Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, the vice president of the USCCB, prayed that the “great soul” of Pope Francis may rest in peace.

“Pope Francis goes home to God just as the Church celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, his victory over sin and death,” Lori wrote.  

“Just yesterday, he greeted the crowds in Rome, as if to say farewell to the people of God whom he loved so dearly and served so devotedly,” the prelate said. 

“Often the Holy Father would ask visitors to pray for him,” Lori continued. “I am sure he would want us to pray for him now that he may rest in the peace of the risen Lord.”

New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond expressed his “great sadness” but also hope in the Resurrection. 

“While we are sad as we will miss him in this world, as an Easter people we believe in the Resurrection and believe that Pope Francis has gone home to our Father and now shares in the life of the risen Christ,” Aymond said. 

New York archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan mourned “our beloved Pope Francis,” recalling “his simplicity, with his heart of a humble servant.”

“How appropriate that his last public appearance was on Easter Sunday as we celebrated the joy of the resurrection of Jesus whom Pope Francis loved so deeply and so well, and right after our Jewish brothers and sisters, for whom Pope Francis had such great love, concluded their celebration of Passover,” Dolan said.

“It is beautiful that yesterday, on the great feast of the Resurrection, our beloved Holy Father had one last opportunity to greet the faithful,” added Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon. “And now, on this Easter Monday, the Lord has called him home to himself.”

Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver encouraged the faithful to live as the “pilgrims of hope” that Pope Francis described in his final address on Easter Sunday. 

“Let us be those who set out on mission to proclaim Jesus Christ risen to our world!” Aquila said.   

Continued work: ‘The greatest tribute we could give’ 

The Catholic bishops also urged the faithful to continue the work to which Pope Francis called the Church.

“The finest memorial we can offer is to re-form our hearts as Pope Francis asked — to see our brothers and sisters, to listen to them and to offer our prayers and actions that all may experience the fullness of God’s promise,” Chicago archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich said.  

Cupich prayed that God may “strengthen us to remain steadfast in carrying on the work of restoring our Church’s place in the world as a source of hope and an advocate for those in need.” 

Cardinal Joseph Tobin of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, remembered Pope Francis as a shepherd who “never tired of reminding us of God’s mercy.”

“He was a man of deep faith, profound humility, and unshakable hope — a servant whose tireless call to care for the poor and the marginalized will continue to inspire the Church for generations to come,” Tobin said. 

“May we honor his memory by building a Church that reflects the face of Jesus — merciful, welcoming, and always near to those on the margins,” Tobin continued. 

“The impact of his work for the Catholic Church will be felt for many years to come,” Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, added. “His humility and kindness made him a ‘pope of the people.’”

Dutch flowers decorate St. Peter’s Square for Easter Sunday Mass 2019. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Rome Newsroom, Apr 20, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Dutch flowers adorn St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday. Here’s how the 37-year tradition was saved in 2022.

According to Stephen de Silva, St. Albans Cathedral’s longest-serving guide of more than 45 years, religious brothers who lived in the cathedral’s abbey in the 14th century invented the original hot cross bun for both charitable and catechetical reasons. / Credit: Photo courtesy of St. Alban's Cathedral

Rome Newsroom, Apr 18, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

The origins of the hot cross bun traditionally made with currants, spices, flour, and eggs are closely linked to a cathedral dedicated to St. Alban.

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The Holy Week processions in the Andalusian capital are one of Spain’s most iconic traditions, and this year was no exception.

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Father Paul Murphy exits the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on Thursday, April 10, 2025, after giving a victim impact statement in a sentencing hearing for a boy who stabbed him. / Credit: Press Association via AP Images

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The attack occurred on Aug. 15, 2024, as the priest returned to his barracks in Renvyle in Ireland after an evening swim.

The Catholic Church in France will welcome a record number of adults into the faith in 2025, with particularly strong growth in the numbers of young adults and teenagers, according to newly released statistics from the country’s Conference of Bishops (CEF). / Credit: French Bishops’ Conference

Paris, France, Apr 16, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The Catholic Church in France will welcome a record number of adults into the faith this weekend with strong growth in the numbers of young adults and teenagers.

Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo and her husband, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. / Credit: Inti Ocon/AFP via Getty Images

ACI Prensa Staff, Apr 15, 2025 / 15:28 pm (CNA).

According to Confidencial newspaper, the dictatorship is supposedly deploying 14,000 police officers to prevent processions during Holy Week in Nicaragua.

Father Antonio Aurelio is vicar general of the Trinitarian order. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

Rome Newsroom, Apr 15, 2025 / 14:26 pm (CNA).

The Trinitarian order was founded at the end of the 12th century to free persecuted Christians. Today, it continues to quietly and humbly assist those persecuted for their faith.