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Richard Jabara, who survived child abuse at the hands of a Catholic priest, was among a handful of churchgoers last night at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne after the Pope’s death was announced.
Jabara, who chairs the In Good Faith Foundation, a charity that advocates for sexual abuse prevention and recovery, said he visited because he wanted to reassure survivors they weren’t alone.
Child abuse survivor Richard Jabara.Credit: Penny Stephens
“I wanted to come down here because when I heard the news, for me personally, it was triggering,” he said. “It brought back memories of the abuse that I suffered at the hands of clergy – of a Catholic priest. But I wanted to let Australians know that we still have to remain vigilant, and there are a lot of people in the community that have suffered at the hands of the church.
“It’s a sad day for Catholics – I’m a Catholic. It’s a sad day for us that we lost the Pope. I hope that the conclave elects somebody who’s equally vigilant and helpful and aware. But as we know, the Catholic Church didn’t come forward, although they knew there was abuse. It took a royal commission and obviously world opinion to get them to admit that there was wrong being done. But still more can be done.
“I also want to send a message to those who may be listening, who have suffered at the hands of clergy abuse, and if this is a triggering event for you, please come forward. There’s help that you can get.”
Jabara described Pope Francis as “a progressive pope” who acknowledged church abuse. But he lamented the ongoing legal fights the church was having with survivors. “Hopefully a new pope will come along and be a bit more open,” he said.
Crisis support is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14.
US President Donald Trump says he has issued an executive order for all federal flags to fly at half-mast in memory of Pope Francis.
The US flag over the White House has been lowered to honour Pope Francis.Credit: AP
Francis was 76 when he took over as the head of the Catholic Church. Even so, he embarked on dozens of overseas trips as he sought to meet the faithful.
COVID-19 curbed his travels, as did ongoing lung and kidney problems. When his travels were halted, the rich and powerful came to him instead.
Recent visitors to the Vatican included King Charles and Queen Camilla, who visited earlier this month, and US Vice President J.D. Vance, who was one of his more recent guests over the Easter weekend.
Here’s an overview of the Pope’s globetrotting.
Tributes have flowed in from around the world since the Vatican announced the death of Pope Francis. Here’s a flavour of who’s said what, starting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
King Charles III said “through his work and care for both people and planet, [Francis] profoundly touched the lives of so many.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Francis was “close to the realities of human fragility, meeting Christians around the world facing war, famine, persecution and poverty. Yet he never lost hope of a better world.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said “Pope Francis had always sided with the most vulnerable and the most fragile, and he did this with a lot of humility.”
US President Donald Trump said: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Pope was a “consistent defender of the high values of humanism and justice.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Francis “knew how to give hope, ease suffering through prayer, and foster unity. He prayed for peace in Ukraine and for Ukrainians.”
Flags are flying at half-mast across Italy, which is still an overwhelmingly Catholic country.
Vatican City is an independent state, but it is located in Rome and is one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions.
Nuns in St Peter’s Square digest the news that Pope Francis has died.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
The faithful have gathered throughout the day in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City, where bells tolled in mourning.
Eva Bonnano, from Philadelphia in the US, said it was a sad day.
“It is honestly impressive, I think, that he made it to Easter – I think that is almost like a miracle for Italy,” she said.
Johann Xavier said he had travelled from Australia, hoping to see the Pope during his visit. “But then we heard about [Francis’ death] when we came in here,” he said. “It pretty much devastated all of us.”
AP
The first formal liturgical ritual – a service of thanksgiving – for Pope Francis will take place from 8pm local time (that’s 4am AEST, or around 3½ hours from now).
It will be a very select, invitation-only affair.
Those invited to attend the ceremony, in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel, where Francis lived, include the dean of the College of Cardinals, relatives of the pope, and the director and vice director of the Vatican’s health department.
The presiding prelate will be Cardinal Joseph Farrell, the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, who has taken over the administration of the Holy See. He will remain in charge until a new pope is elected.
Francis’ body will remain in the chapel prior to be taken for public viewing in St Peter’s Basilica.
AP
The Vatican says the general public could begin paying their final respects to Pope Francis from Wednesday in St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.
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 he approved last year, Francis’ body will be placed in a wooden coffin, which will have a zinc coffin inside.
Crowds begin to gather outside St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Monday.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
Unlike previous rituals following a pope’s death, his body will not be placed on an elevated bier in the basilica, but the wooden coffin will be placed facing the pews.
Cardinals will confirm the public viewing arrangements when they gather for the first time after Francis’ death on Tuesday morning, local time (evening AEST).
The funeral arrangements, including a date, will also be discussed. A funeral must be held between four and six days following the death of a pope.
AP
The recent movie Conclave, adapted from the 2016 Robert Harris novel about skulduggery in the Vatican, opens with a particularly dramatic flourish.
In the film, the pope lies dead in his bed chamber. A cardinal wrenches an enormous ring from the great man’s finger. Another cardinal whacks the ring with a ceremonial hammer, splits it in two and solemnly declares: “Sede vacante”, Latin for “with the seat being vacant”.
It not only makes for captivating viewing, but the ritual is also (mostly) true.
Even so, the funeral arrangements and subsequent machinations dictating how the next pope is chosen are cloaked in mystique.
So, what happens now? How is a new pope actually chosen? And what is the significance of black or white smoke from the roof of the Sistine Chapel?
We have it all covered in this explainer.
White smoke is seen from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel after the election of Pope Francis on March 13, 2013.Credit: AP
Francis achieved a number of firsts when he became head of the Catholic Church.
He was the first pope to be born or raised outside Europe in 12 centuries, the first from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the role.
He died just a day after blessing thousands of people on Easter Sunday.
Our photo editors have put together this collection of photos from his life.
Deep in thought at the Vatican on January 24, 2023.Credit: AP
Good morning from Europe, where it’s still early afternoon on Easter Monday.
Earlier today, the Vatican announced the death of 88-year-old Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church. His death came less than a day after he blessed thousands of worshippers in St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.
We’ll keep you updated throughout the night and into Tuesday morning as tributes continue to flow for Francis, and as funeral arrangements are announced and plans are made for the election of a new pope.
Here is a quick recap of where we are at the moment:
- The Vatican said Pope Francis died at 7.35am (local time) on Monday. He had recently been seriously ill and had been recovering following hospitalisation for pneumonia.
- The Vatican said plans for Pope Francis’ funeral would be announced on Tuesday. A funeral must take place four to six days after a pope’s death. It will almost certainly take place at St Peter’s Square, in front of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.
- Following the Pope’s death, cardinals from around the world will now descend on Rome to choose a new pope.
- Leaders from around the world have paid tribute to Francis, who was widely seen as a reforming pope.
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Francis was the first pope to be born or raised outside Europe in 12 centuries, the first from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the role. You can read a full obituary here.
Stay with us as we bring you more on this story throughout the day.
