Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost from Chicago has been selected by the papal conclave to become the next pope.  Cardinal Prevost was created by Pope Francis in 2023.  As the new Bishop of Rome, Cardinal Prevost has selected the name Pope Leo XIV.

(VIA MSM) – Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has become the first-ever American elected as the leader of the Catholic Church — now known by his pontifical name of Pope Leo XIV.

The 69-year-old, born on the Southside of Chicago, is seen as a diplomat of the church and was an important adviser to his predecessor, Pope Francis.

He became a front-runner to the papacy in the days before the conclave began, said Rev. James Martin, a papal contributor to ABC News.

Leo emerged from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday evening to throngs of cheering crowds, following the signal of white smoke that emanated from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel.

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President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will be attending the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday April 26th in Rome.

President Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, the pontiff’s funeral is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, according to the Vatican. {link}

According to ABC News, Ukraine’s unelected President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also be attending. Additional attendees include Javier Milei, the president of Francis’ native Argentina; Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil; French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The funeral service is scheduled to be held outside in St Peter’s Square.

After a period of rest in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican guesthouse where Francis lived during his papacy, his body will on Wednesday morning be moved to St. Peter’s Basilica. There, he will lie in state in an open coffin for three days, while cardinals and the wider public pay their respects to the late pontiff.

Francis’ coffin will then be carried into St. Peter’s Square – the piazza outside the basilica – for Saturday’s funeral.

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It looks like meeting Vice-President JD Vance yesterday was the last public appearance before Pope Francis died early this morning.

The exact cause of death has not been shared: “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in an announcement of the death. 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. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy.

(Via AP) – Francis’ coffin will be moved from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel, where he lived, to St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing.

According to a new ritual Francis approved last year, the body of the pope will be placed in a wooden coffin, with a zinc coffin inside. The pope will be dressed in red liturgical vestments, his miter — the traditional headdress of bishops — and the pallium woolen stole, a kind of scarf.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced an Easter ceasefire of all hostilities in order to celebrate the holiest of Christian holy days.  According to his announcement the ceasefire will last from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday, to midnight (2100 GMT) Monday, following Easter Sunday.

“We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. At the same time, our troops must be ready to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations from the enemy, any of its aggressive actions,” Putin said at a meeting with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, in a video shared by the Kremlin’s Press Service.  WATCH:

Whether the CIA, NATO and European control agents will also stop hostilities is an unknown.  However, the move by Russia does appear to be an earnest show of good faith representative of the growing faith evident in the modern federation.

Russia has some of the most inspiring orthodox Christian churches in all of Eastern Europe, and they are being well attended and beautifully restored/maintained.

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The White House provides the following Easter message from President Donald Trump.

“As we approach this joyous Easter Sunday, I want to wish Christians everywhere a happy, and beautiful, and blessed holiday. America is a nation of believers. We need God. We want God. And with His help, we will make our nation stronger…” –President Donald J. Trump

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President Trump hosted a group of faith leaders from the U.S. at the White House for an Easter prayer service and dinner event.  Franklin Graham delivered remarks and introduced President Trump. [Video Prompted]

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