Francis simplified several elements. Since the 13th century, the bodies of popes have gone on public view, their embalmed bodies placed on a raised pedestal. When John Paul II died in 2005 ...

ROME — Pope Francis has written and spoken at length about sickness, aging and death, and personally directed that his ...

If the last few days are any guide, Francis will likely follow the Vatican’s spiritual retreat remotely while his physical ...

Just as Popes John Paul II’s and Benedict’s final days revealed their understandings of the papacy, Francis’ illness has ...

His doctors have concluded, however, that “given the complexity of the clinical picture, the prognosis remains guarded,” ...