Cardinal Grech told bishops that Pope Francis approved the three-year plan on 11 March at Rome’s Gemelli hospital where he had been being treated since the 14 February.
In part three of his three-part series about Pope Francis, Dr Marco Ceccarelli says that throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis identified the obstacles which pre-vent Christians from announcing the gospel: relativism, secularisation and de-Christianisation.
Australia’s Catholic bishops have celebrated a Mass in memory of the late Pope Francis during their May plenary. Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Charles Balvo, preached the homily and Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB celebrated the Mass, in the Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel in North Sydney.
In part two of his three-part series about Pope Francis, Dr Marco Ceccarelli says that throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis identified the obstacles which prevent Christians from announcing the gospel: relativism, secularisation and de-Christianisation.
On 7–8 May 2025, 133 cardinal electors convened in the Sistine Chapel for a historic conclave to elect the 267th pope. Following sacred rites and solemn prayers, black smoke on the first day signalled no decision, but by the second evening, white smoke and ringing bells announced: Habemus Papam — we have a pope.
Reflecting on Pope Francis’ historic election in 2013 as the first Jesuit, first Latin American, and first non-European pope in over a millennium, Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB praised Pope Francis’ bold pastoral approach and deep personal witness.
The instructions are found in St John Paul II’s 1996 Apostolic Constitution, Univer-si Dominici Gregis, which was revised by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 and again just before he resigned in 2013.
“Together with the risen Jesus,” Pope Francis wrote his final message to the world on Easter Sunday 20 April, those who trust in God “become pilgrims of hope, witnesses of the victory of love and of the disarmed power of life.”