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WORLD NEWS

Farewell, Pope Francis

The 266th pope died early Easter Monday after suffering a stroke and heart failure.

The 88-year-old pontiff, who penned a global-peace-focused Easter address that was delivered the day before, had been home about a month after his five-week hospitalization for double pneumonia.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio to Italian immigrants in Argentina, Pope Francis—who chose his name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi—was the first pope from the Americas. He took over the papacy after Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2013. 

When is the funeral?
Pope Francis’s body was moved to St. Peter’s Basilica today for public viewing. His days-long funeral will include a public Mass, set to begin on Saturday at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. Eastern). 

All of the 252 cardinals from around the world are expected to attend the funeral, along with international leaders including President Trump, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, and France's Emmanuel Macron.

The Argentinian pontiff will then be buried at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a fifth-century church in Rome he frequented.

What is Pope Francis known for?
Francis was known for his humility, favoring modesty over papal pomp. He championed justice for the poor and marginalized, took action against sexual abuse in the Church, and spoke out on issues like refugee migration, war, and climate change. 

Considered one of the Church’s most socially progressive popes, Pope Francis sometimes drew criticism from conservative Catholics.

How will a new pope be chosen? 
Next month, the ~135 voting-eligible Cardinals (must be under 80 years old) will meet for the papal conclave. The secretive process involves Cardinals being sealed inside the Sistine Chapel to deliberate and vote up to four times a day until ⅔ can agree on who the next pope will be. If no decision is made, they send up black smoke to indicate another day of voting; white smoke indicates a new head of the Catholic Church has been chosen.

Technically, any male Catholic is eligible… but current “papabile” front-runners include cardinals from Italy, Hungary, Guinea, and the Philippines.

(We’re also covering this story tomorrow in Decaf, The Pour Over for Families. Sign up—for free—here.)

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CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
God, our Rock, be a fortress to us in moments of fear and uncertainty. When unwelcome news shifts our footing and reminds us of our frailty, still our spinning souls and be with us. 

“For you, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive, abounding in faithful love to all who call on you. LORD, hear my prayer; listen to my cries for mercy. I call on you in the day of my distress, for you will answer me.” 
Psalm 86:5-7 (CSB) (read full passage)

POLITICS

Signalgate: The Sequel

Same day. Same strike plans. Different group chat.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under fire (again) for allegedly sharing U.S. strike plans on Yemen (including flight times and attack coordinates) in a private Signal chat with his wife, brother, and personal lawyer. Hegseth already faced criticism for sharing details of the strike in a different Signal chat, which mistakenly included The Atlantic’s editor. 

Hegseth denies sharing classified info over Signal and blamed recent reports on “disgruntled” former staffers who were fired amid ongoing leak investigations.

On Monday, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) became the first sitting Republican lawmaker to voice support for removing Hegseth. The White House is publicly backing the Defense Secretary, maintaining no classified info was shared via Signal and dismissing reports that President Trump has quietly begun searching to replace Hegseth as “fake news.” 

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ABOVE ALL, LOVE
Whether you’re critical of your government or think it’s unfairly criticized, the command for Christians is to love neighbors and enemies alike. That requires speaking about others with dignity and respect, even when we feel like they haven’t earned it.

“With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way… Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom.”
James 3:9-10, 13 (CSB) (read full passage)

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Harvard’s going to court. The university is suing the Trump admin over a $2.2B funding freeze, saying it’s unlawful and threatens cancer and Alzheimer's research. The suit targets top government officials—including HHS Secretary RFK Jr. and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—for withholding grants to pressure policy changes. The Trump admin says Harvard’s “gravy train of federal assistance” is ending.
 

COVID is officially over for borrowers. Beginning next month, the Department of Education will resume collections on student loans in default (haven’t been paid for ~9 months) for the first time since the pandemic. More than 5M borrowers can expect email notifications over the next two weeks, with mandatory collections expected later this summer.
 

The markets are moving. The S&P 500 dropped Monday after Trump called Fed Chair Powell a “major loser”—sparking investor fears that the Fed’s independence is at risk—but recovered 2.5% yesterday on hopes the U.S.-China trade war may be cooling. Meanwhile, gold briefly topped $3,500/oz yesterday, a new all-time record, as investors flock to the “safe haven” asset.
 

Russia and Ukraine have both accused each other of breaking a 30-hour Easter truce. In a surprise announcement Saturday, Russia’s Putin ordered “all military actions to cease” from 6 p.m. Saturday to midnight Sunday, and Kyiv agreed. By Monday, Ukraine said Russia violated the truce nearly 3,000 times, killing three people, while Russia accused Ukraine of launching hundreds of drones and shells.
 

Over 30,000 people with questionable taste in hobbies distance runners laced up for the Boston Marathon Monday. Kenyans dominated the big race, with John Korir winning the men’s race at 2:04:45 (13 years after his brother Wesley won), and Sharon Lokedi winning the women’s race at 2:17:22, outrunning the women’s 11-year-old course record by 2.5 minutes.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

The real heroes in a half shell...

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