Pope Francis Dies on Bright Monday

Rome—The Vatican announced this morning that Pope Francis has passed away at the age of 88, just one day after meeting with U.S. Vice-President JD Vance.

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople expressed his condolences, calling Francis "a precious brother in Christ" and "a true friend of Orthodoxy." The two had grown a close bond over the years, working towards a goal of reuniting the two churches—efforts which bore little fruit with the exception of the Papal Curia's redefinition of synodality towards a more orthodox understanding.

The reposed Pontiff leaves behind a mixed legacy. For some, he was a "forward thinking" Pope who tried to better enfranchise the poor by reducing or simplifying Catholic ritual and ceremony. For others, he was a needless innovator who sought to nullify a thousand years of Catholic teaching. 

In particular, Francis was especially harsh on proponents of the traditional Latin Mass. He likewise made great strides to eradicate the Church's stance on homosexuality, allowing Latin clergy to bless homosexual unions and defrocking those who opposed his positions.

While many pious Catholics hope that a more traditional Pontiff will ascend the Latin throne, it appears that this is unlikely. Currently, there are 135 Cardinals eligible to convoke a conclave to elect a new Latin Pontiff. Of those, 108 were appointed by Pope Francis himself. For this reason, it seems that they will opt to elect a leader capable of continuing his reforms.

Regardless, as Orthodox Christians, we should pray for Latin Christians. Let us pray that Francis reposed in a state of repentance; let us pray that this be a time in which faithful Latins will see the Light of Orthodoxy and cry out for a return to the faith of their fathers and ours.

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