Patti Smith, the rock icon of the Seventies and beyond, describes her deep admiration for Pope Francis, whom she met on several occasions. Following Pope Francis' death, she shares a poem and other reflections in his memory, which she describes in an interview to Vatican News.

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The head of disability outreach for the Italian Bishops' Conference, Sr. Veronica Donatello, opens the conference, "We: Pilgrims of Hope," the first event of the Jubilee of Persons with Disabilities.

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In an interview with Vatican News, Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz, often referred to as 'the Pope's Sculptor,' remembers the late Pope Francis and his unique ability to communicate the Lord's immense and unceasing love to the most marginalized and discarded; and how the artist has 'found purpose in giving form to the Holy Father's deep concerns.'

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Bishop Guido Marini, who served for 8 years as Pope Francis’ Master of Liturgical Celebrations, celebrates a memorial Mass and recounts his memories of the faith and humanity of the late Pope.

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Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu has announced he will obey the will of the late Pope Francis, renouncing his participation in the conclave to elect a new Pope, which begins on May 7.

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On the first day of the Jubilee of Persons with Disabilities, Archbishop Rino Fisichella presides at Mass at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, and prays that the late Pope Francis’ legacy will give us courage “not to remain silent.”

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At Mass on the third day of the Novemdiales in suffrage for Pope Francis, the Cardinal Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome reminds the faithful, as they mourn the late Pope, that death is not the end because ‘The grain must die to bear fruit.’

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The 135 cardinals eligible to elect the next pope will enter the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave May 7, the Vatican announced. 

The cardinals will first celebrate the "Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff" in St. Peter's Basilica that morning before processing into the Sistine Chapel that evening.

The Vatican Museums announced that the Sistine Chapel would be closed to visitors beginning April 28 to allow preparations for the conclave to begin. The preparations include the installation of a stove to burn the cardinals' ballots and a chimney on the roof to signal the election results to the world.

The date for the conclave was set during the fifth general congregation meeting of cardinals April 28, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, told reporters at a briefing later that day. The general congregation meeting was the first after a two-day pause to allow cardinals to participate in the funeral rites for Pope Francis.

More than 180 cardinals attended the April 28 meeting, including over 100 cardinal electors. During the session, about 20 cardinals offered reflections on the state of the church, its mission in the world, the challenges it faces and the qualities needed in the next pope, Bruni said.

Topics addressed included evangelization, interfaith relations and the ongoing need to address clerical sexual abuse, he added.

The cardinals also discussed whether Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who relinquished the rights associated with being a cardinal after he was forced to resign in 2020, would be permitted to participate in the conclave. Bruni said no decision had yet been made, and Cardinal Becciu has been attending the general congregation meetings.

Looking ahead to the next session, Bruni said the general congregation meeting April 29 would open with a reflection by Benedictine Father Donato Ogliari, abbot of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome and a member of the Dicastery for Bishops.

As cardinals entered the Vatican for the morning's session, Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Stockholm was asked by reporters if he expected a long conclave. "I think it will be," he said, "because up to now we don't know each other."

Meanwhile, Cardinal Walter Kasper, former president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity who is past the age limit to vote in the conclave, told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that he hopes the cardinal-electors "come to a consensus on the next pope very soon, in the footsteps of Francis."

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Reporting by CNS Rome is made possible by the Catholic Communication Campaign. Give to the CCC special collection in your diocese May 10-11 or any time at: https://bit.ly/CCC-give

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As Canadians cast their ballots in pivotal elections overshadowed by tariffs and annexation threats from the United States, the Canadian Bishops urge Catholic voters to reflect deeply on the nation’s challenges with hope and a vision for a better future.

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