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U.S. President Donald Trump and various other world leaders issued comments responding to the news that Pope Francis passed away on Monday.

"Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!" Trump declared in a post on Truth Social.

Vice President JD Vance, who had just met with the pontiff on Easter Sunday, noted that he was happy to see the pope, who was clearly quite ill.

"I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID," Vance said in a post on X, along with a link to the homily. "It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul." 

The White House X account issued a post that read, "Rest in Peace, Pope Francis."

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The UK's King Charles III said that he and his wife were very sad to hear about the pope's death.

"My wife and I were most deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pope Francis. Our heavy hearts have been somewhat eased, however, to know that His Holiness was able to share an Easter Greeting with the Church and the world he served with such devotion throughout his life and ministry," the king said in his message.

"His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others. His belief that care for Creation is an existential expression of faith in God resounded with so many across the world. Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many.

"The Queen and I remember with particular affection our meetings with His Holiness over the years and we were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month. We send our most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the Church he served with such resolve and to the countless people around the world who, inspired by his life, will be mourning the devastating loss of this faithful follower of Jesus Christ."

POPE FRANCIS DEAD AT 88 YEARS OLD

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer extended condolences on behalf of his country.

"Deeply saddened to hear of the death of His Holiness Pope Francis. His tireless efforts to promote a world that is fairer for all will leave a lasting legacy. On behalf of the people of the United Kingdom, I share my sincerest condolences to the whole Catholic Church," Starmer noted in a post on X.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also weighed in.

"Today, the world mourns the passing of Pope Francis. He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate. My thoughts are with all who feel this profound loss. May they find solace in the idea that Pope Francis’ legacy will continue to guide us all toward a more just, peaceful and compassionate world," she said in a post on X.

PHOTO GALLERY: POPE FRANCIS THROUGH THE YEARS

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Narenda Modi, prime minister of India, posted on X: "Deeply pained by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. In this hour of grief and remembrance, my heartfelt condolences to the global Catholic community. Pope Francis will always be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage by millions across the world. From a young age, he devoted himself towards realising the ideals of Lord Christ. He diligently served the poor and downtrodden. For those who were suffering, he ignited a spirit of hope.

"I fondly recall my meetings with him and was greatly inspired by his commitment to inclusive and all-round development. His affection for the people of India will always be cherished. May his soul find eternal peace in God’s embrace," Modi added.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog also offered condolences, both in a post on X, and while speaking at an event alongside U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Monday.

 "I send my deepest condolences to the Christian world and especially the Christian communities in Israel - the Holy Land - on the loss of their great spiritual father, His Holiness Pope Francis. A man of deep faith and boundless compassion, he dedicated his life to uplifting the poor and calling for peace in a troubled world. He rightly saw great importance in fostering strong ties with the Jewish world and in advancing interfaith dialogue as a path toward greater understanding and mutual respect," Herzog declared in the post.

"I truly hope that his prayers for peace in the Middle East and for the safe return of the hostages will soon be answered. May his memory continue to inspire acts of kindness, unity, and hope."

French President Emmanuel Macron declared in a tweet, "From Buenos Aires to Rome, Pope Francis wanted the Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest. To unite people with one another and with nature. May this hope be reborn endlessly beyond him. To all Catholics, to a grieving world, my wife and I send our thoughts."

Fox News' Tim Santhouse contributed to this report

Just a few days after becoming pope, Pope Francis revealed his burial wishes upon his death.

In March 2013, Pope Francis was elected during a conclave by the Cardinals of the Catholic Church following Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to step down amid health concerns.

"It was his belief that he may not live very long," Neomi DeAnda, a trained constructive theologian, told Fox News Digital. "He was already in his 70s when he was elected pope, and he wanted to be prepared when God called him home."

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DeAnda holds a Ph.D. in theology from Loyola University in Chicago, a master's in theology from the Oblate School of Theology and a master's in theology from St. Mary's University in Texas. She is an expert in Latin American studies and on Mary in Latin America.

"He did not know how much longer he would live, and since he was chosen pope at an older age, he definitely did not expect to have such a long papacy," DeAnda said. "He wanted to have his wishes available in case God called him home."

Pope Francis selected the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore as his final resting place.

"It has some significance for his grandparents," DeAnda told Fox News Digital. "His grandparents were the ones who immigrated to Argentina with his dad and, I believe that they lived close to and visited that Basilica."

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On March 13, 2013, Pope Francis appeared for the first time in public as pope at the Basilica.

"That has been his favorite place to visit," DeAnda said. "It's a place that he goes to every time that he is going on a trip. He goes there to pray before he goes on a trip."

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, was the first pope from the American continents.

His family escaped facism in Italy and fled to Argentina, according to his autobiography.

"There is a great story about how they were trying to board a certain boat, a certain ship for their immigrant travels, and they did not make that ship because they were not able to sell all their goods," DeAnda said of Pope Francis’ dad and grandparents. "That ship is called the SS Principessa Mafalda."

DeAnda added that the ship meant to carry Pope Francis’ family capsized.

"It’s possible that his grandparents would have died on that ship," DeAnda said. "They made it on that ship, and then we get Francis and his 10 siblings because of that."

The Vatican revealed that Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025, the day after Easter Sunday.

After a pope dies, the Catholic Church chooses its next leader through an ancient electoral process called the "papal conclave."

In practice, since at least 1276, the conclave gathers the church’s top bishops – called the College of Cardinals – from around the globe. Though there are more than 240 cardinals currently, only those under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in the conclave and the number of cardinal electors is limited to 120.  

Nearly all prefects of Vatican offices lose their jobs when a pope dies, but a few stay on, including the foreign minister and the master of liturgical ceremonies, who play a key role in assembling the conclave.

The conclave takes place in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel and cardinals are kept in strict isolation to keep them far from any outside influence from the rest of the world. This isolation is so important in the process that even the name conclave comes from the Latin "con clavis," which means "with key," indicating how the cardinal electors are locked up while they deliberate over who will be the new pope.

POPE FRANCIS DEAD AT 88, VATICAN SAYS

There is also an emphasis on choosing a pope quickly to lessen the amount of time the church spends without a leader. The cardinals cast their first vote the day the conclave begins. They then cast votes at least twice every day after – in the morning and evening – until a pope is selected.

The common practice in the modern Catholic Church is for the cardinals to choose a pope from among their own ranks, though this was not always the case.

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Conclaves will typically begin with a special Mass celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica, in which the cardinals invoke the Holy Spirit for guidance.

Cardinals vote for the pope through a secret ballot. At each vote, a cardinal will write his choice on a piece of paper, process up to Michaelangelo’s giant fresco of the last judgment – which serves as a reminder of the gravity and sacredness of their responsibility – and drop his ballot in a chalice.

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A two-thirds majority of votes is needed to select a new pope. More than two-thirds of the eligible cardinal electors were appointed by Pope Francis. However, these cardinals hold a diverse set of viewpoints and come from all different parts of the world.

After each vote, the ballots are burned and the ashes are used to send a signal to the rest of the world about whether a decision has been made. Black smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel means there has not been a consensus, while white smoke means a pope has been chosen.

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Once a cardinal receives a two-thirds majority of the votes, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks him if he is willing to accept the position. If he accepts, he must then choose his papal name. Cardinal Jose Mario Bergoglio chose the name "Pope Francis," becoming the first pope to choose this name.

After the world is alerted through the burning of white smoke, the new pope is announced with the most senior cardinal proclaiming "Habemus papam!" – "We have a pope" – after which the newly elected pontiff processes out and imparts his first blessing to the city of Rome and the rest of the world.

The funeral for Pope Francis will include many long-held traditions, but will also eschew some of the more intricate customs after the pope amended the Catholic Church's papal funeral rights.  

Francis died Monday at age 88, the Vatican announced.

While much of the tradition associated with papal funerals – which dates all the way back to ancient Rome – will continue, matters such as Francis' coffin structure, his death verification process, burial location, and how he will be viewed and referred to during the ceremony, will be different from how it has been in the past.

Francis, who had battled pneumonia for weeks before being released from the hospital and appearing on Easter Sunday, had faced health complications for many years and had to have half of one of his lungs removed as a young person. 

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Francis' move to change these papal funeral traditions, some of which date all the way back to ancient Rome, stemmed from a desire to emphasize that the pope is "that of a shepherd and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful man of this world," according to Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the head of papal liturgical ceremonies who reportedly worked with Francis to help make the revisions. The rewrite was also preceded by the unusual circumstances of Pope Benedict XVI's funeral, which deviated from traditional papal funerals on account of the fact he was a retired pope rather than a reigning one.

The new funeral rites were formally approved by Francis in 2023 and were later published in the church's liturgical guidelines in early 2024. Around the same time he was working on these revisions, the pope revealed during an interview with a Spanish-language broadcaster that he would not be buried in the grottoes of the Vatican like his predecessors, but rather at Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in Rome. The new papal rights make it permissible for future popes to be buried outside the Vatican as well. 

POPE FRANCIS DEAD AT 88, VATICAN SAYS

In addition to the different burial location, the new papal funeral rites have amended the way the pope will be viewed by the public following his death. In the past, the pope's body would be displayed on an elevated frame known as a bier. But, under the new funeral structure, the pope will be laid directly into an open coffin, eliminating the use of the bier. Pope Francis also eliminated the practice of being buried in three coffins made of cypress, lead and oak.

The location of where Francis would be declared deceased changed too. It went from taking place in the papal bedroom to now inside the papal chapel located at the Vatican. The new rules also require that Pope Francis' remains be immediately put into a simplistic wooden-lined coffin after he is determined to have passed.

Confirming the death of the Pope is the job of the camerlengo, a senior clergy member who manages the Vatican during transition periods between Popes. That position is currently occupied by Irish-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who said Monday, "With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God."

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Another notable change includes how the pope will be referenced during the ceremony following his death. Rather than being referenced by past titles he has obtained as a clergy leader in the Catholic Church, officials will mostly use Latin terms for "pope," "bishop," or "pastor."

Archbishop Ravelli said during a 2024 presentation of the revised papal funeral rights that a new edition was reflective of Francis' view, stated on several occasions Ravelli said, "of the need to simplify and adapt certain rites so that the celebration of the funeral of the Bishop of Rome may better express the faith of the Church in the Risen Christ."

Before the new edition of the papal rites was formally passed, the church followed the guidelines in the "Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis" approved in 1998 by Saint John Paul II and published two years later, according to The National Catholic Register. 

Those guidelines were used for Pope John Paul II's 2005 funeral, but was modified to meet the unusual circumstances of Pope Benedict XVI's passing.

Pope Francis, 88, the oldest pope in over a century, died Monday morning, though quiet discussions on who could succeed him have reportedly already begun. 

While any male Catholic could in theory be chosen to sit in the papal seat, historically, succeeding popes have been selected from the Sacred College of Cardinals since 1378, according to Religion News Service.

Currently, there are 252 cardinals in the body who have been selected by the Holy Father to serve as his advisors and assistants. 

Here is a look at some of the most likely forerunners to serve as the 267th pope, according to public reporting.

POPE FRANCIS DEAD AT 88, VATICAN SAYS

Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, is the highest-ranking diplomat in the Holy See – which is the governing body of the Catholic Church – and is believed to be among the cardinals most likely to be elected to the top position.

His favor among cardinals in the Sacred College, who will vote on the next pope, is due to his politically moderate position and his career in diplomacy, reported The New York Post.

Parolin, who spent part of his career in Mexico and Nicaragua, was appointed by Pope Francis in 2014 and would likely be seen as an extension of the current papacy. 

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Tagle is also believed to be a frontrunner among voting cardinals and serves as the pro-prefect for the section of first evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization, as well as president of the Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious.

He has been dubbed the "Asian Pope Francis" particularly for their similarities when it comes to their more embracing position of the LGBTQI community than their predecessors. 

In a 2015 interview, Tagle said the Church’s "severe" position on the LGBTQI community, divorcees and single mothers was doing it harm. 

According to the Catholic Herald, Tagle "would be hailed by liberals, given the changing demographic of the Church."

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There are several conservative cardinals who are believed to be top contenders for the papacy, including Cardinal Peter Erdo, who has been critical of Francis’ position on divorce and immigration.

Erdo has argued that divorced or re-married Catholics should not be allowed to receive Holy Communion due to his position regarding the "indissolubility of marriage."

The Catholic Herald pointed out that appointing a conservative pope following Francis’ tenure would "send a powerful message about the direction the Church would be taking."

Erdo has also differed from Francis greatly on immigration and argued in 2015 that permitting refugees to resettle is tantamount to human trafficking.

Another conservative cardinal thought to be a serious contender is Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu from the war-torn nation of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Membership of the Catholic Church in Africa is growing faster than anywhere else in the world, according to the Associated Press.

The 65-year-old Ambongo controversially rejected Pope Francis' blessing of same-sex couples by the Catholic Church. In a letter signed by other African priests, they said they refused to follow the pontiff’s declaration because such unions are "contrary to the will of God."

The Wisconsin native and former archbishop of St. Louis is considered to be the leading American candidate. The 76-year-old cardinal is also viewed as being from the conservative side of the Church. 

He is a proponent of the Latin Mass, and has been critical of Pope Francis regarding the Church’s new language around artificial contraception, LGBT issues and civil marriages. Burke was made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.

Zuppi was born in Rome. He is the president of the Italian Episcopal Conference and is viewed as an insider in Francis’ Vatican, having served as the archbishop of Bologna.

The 69-year-old Zuppi is seen as being one of Pope Francis' favorites. He was sent on a peace mission in 2023 to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He was also sent to meet with President Joe Biden that same year. 

Zuppi was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2019.

Of the 252 cardinals in the Sacred College, only 138 are under the age of 80 and therefore are permitted to participate in the conclave, the papal election process – though there are no age limitations for the candidate who would serve as the future pope. 

Following the death of a pope, the conclave then holds a vote, and will continue to vote, until a pope is chosen by a two-thirds majority. 

At that time, the ballots will be burned with a chemical that produces white smoke, as opposed to black smoke, to alert the world that a new pope has been chosen. 

JOHANNESBURG: The next Pope could, and some analysts say should, come from Africa. Christianity is booming here. More people are becoming Catholics on the continent than anywhere else in the world, and millions of Africans proudly stay true to their faith despite persecution and death.

"As in previous years, increases (in the number of Catholics) were registered above all in Africa," the Vatican said in October 2024, stating that 7,271,000 Africans joined the faith last year.

In 2023, the National Catholic Register reported "Home to fewer than 1 million Catholics in 1910, the Catholic population of Africa is now 265 million."

Fox News Digital understands there are three leading African papabile – "pope-able" candidates - Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, 65, from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, 76, from Ghana, and Guinea’s Cardinal Robert Sarah, who is viewed as an outsider due his being 80-years-old.

POPE FRANCIS DEAD AT 88, VATICAN SAYS

"Is it time? Certainly, it is an appropriate time for the leader of the Catholic Church to come from Africa for reasons that would capture the world’s imagination," Greg Tobin, author of the novels "Conclave" and "Council," and the biography of "Pope John XXIII, the Good Pope," told Fox News Digital. 

He added, "The Church has been growing at an amazingly rapid rate over the past few decades in the face of government opposition in many African nations, overt persecution of Christians and Catholics in many of the same nations, and violent opposition. Further, the leaders who have been appointed bishops and raised up as cardinals are generally highly educated, often in the West."

Theologian and executive coach Jonathan Morris was also positive about the idea of a new Pope coming from Africa, telling Fox News Digital, "An African candidate for pope is not only interesting from the perspective of representation of the fastest-growing region of the Church, but also because an African candidate could bring together divergent ideological groups of cardinals."

Morris, a Fox News contributor, added, "The African Church is, as a whole, more conservative than the European and American Church. But wouldn’t these Europeans and Americans love to be part of making history!" 

While this largely conservative approach from Africa’s papal candidates is a positive factor among traditional Catholics, many still don’t want a hardline pope, Gregory Tobin said. Tobin is right on topic, as he is currently writing a new book, "The Mysteries of the Conclave." The Conclave is the meeting in the Vatican where the new pope is chosen. Tobin said "the (African) Church and its leaders can come across as either ambivalent or very hard conservatives—a mixed bag that is a "turnoff" for cardinal-electors who seek more highly defined, clear theology and pastoral "style" from the one whom they will elect."

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Some analysts recommend it’s the right moment, with a pope from Africa, to reward Christians for their strength despite often horrific persecution. It’s easy to openly be a Christian in Texas. But recently in the DRC, where 95% of the population are Christian, no-one stopped Islamist rebels from forcing 70 Christians into a church where they were butchered, beheaded with machetes.

In 2023, Fox News Digital was told that more than 52,000 Christians "have been butchered or hacked to death for being Christians" since 2009 in Nigeria, according to Intersociety, a civil society group based in Onitsha.

Yet Nigeria in 2023 was shown to have the largest number of practicing Catholics in the world – worshipers who attend mass – by a long way, followed by another African country, Kenya. This is according to Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), which reported "weekly or more frequent Mass attendance is highest among adult self-identified Catholics in Nigeria at 94% followed by Kenya at 73%."

Greg Tobin offered his take on the preferred candidates. First, "Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, DRC, Archbishop of Kinshasa, is a leading African candidate, though he is not considered strong or consistent in his theological teachings, (and) he is a vocal opponent of the dictatorial leadership of his country."

And "Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appia Turkson, from Ghana, [from] 2020 onward served Pope Francis as head of a multi-group task force to monitor widespread effects of (the) coronavirus pandemic on churches and Catholic institutions. Turkson is a viable choice, widely respected, liked by Pope Francis, and theologically and "politically" palatable to Western prelates, but his visibility has dimmed in recent years. His election would be a major surprise along the same line that Bergolio’s (Pope Francis) was in 2013."

Tobin pointed out that Guinea’s Cardinal Robert Sarah, being 80, is "ineligible to vote in the conclave due to age. A distinct long-shot, due to age and sense his time has passed." 

One final note: Should the next Pope come from Africa, he won’t be the first. Victor 1, from North Africa, served as the Pontiff between 189-199, and was closely followed by Miltiades and Gelasius 1.

Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome and supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church, who worked to instill progressive influences on the global church while maintaining unity with conservatives amid years of turmoil, died Monday morning, Vatican camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced. 

He was 88 years old.

"Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church," Farrell announced.

"He taught us to live the values ​​of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God."

The pope preached frequently on the Catholic virtues of mercy, kindness and humility. He did not shy away from controversy and American presidents, including Donald Trump and Joe Biden, were not immune from his views. 

Less than a month into President Donald Trump’s presidency, the pontiff criticized the Republican’s plans for the mass deportations of migrants, stressing that the forceful removal of people simply for their immigration status deprives them of their inherent dignity and "will end badly." 

In a strongly worded letter to U.S. Catholic Bishops, the pope appeared to counter remarks made by Vice President JD Vance -- who had recently converted to Catholicism -- after he suggested Americans should care for family, communities and the country before caring about others. 

"Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups," the pontiff wrote. "Worrying about personal, community or national identity, apart from these consideration." 

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Pope Francis in 2015 became the first pontiff to ever address a Joint Meeting of Congress where he spoke on a range of topics including immigration, family, the death penalty, climate change, extremism, religious freedom and the refugee crisis. 

He joined American bishops and urged American leaders to abolish capital punishment and said Congress has a "role to play" in addressing global warming. 

In 2022 he questioned then President Biden's conscience on abortion in an interview during which he described the commander-in-chief's religious identity and views on abortion as incoherent. "A month after conception, the DNA of the fetus is already there and the organs are aligned. There is human life," the pontiff said in the interview with Spanish-language outlet Univision. 

He also weighed in on candidate Trump and Harris during the election campaign where he bashed them both as saying, "Both are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies,″ he said according to the Associated Press. 

Just weeks before President Trump’s second inauguration, he appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy to be the Archbishop of Washington. McElroy had been critical of Trump’s immigration policies during his first term as president. 

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 to Italian immigrant parents in Argentina, Francis made history as the first pope from the Americas — as well as the first Jesuit to hold the office.  

He was elected pope in 2013 after the almost unprecedented retirement of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.  

Bergolio’s father, Mario, was an accountant for the railway industry and his mother, Regina, was a homemaker and caregiver for her five children.  

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Throughout his early years, the future pope worked a number of menial jobs. He labored briefly in the stocking factory where his father was an accountant before moving on to other opportunities, including jobs as a bar bouncer and janitor.  

He eventually sought a career as a chemical technician, receiving a diploma in chemistry from the secondary school Escuela Técnica Industrial N° 27 Hipólito Yrigoyen. He also worked briefly in a food laboratory. However, his career in chemistry was short-lived. 

He entered the priesthood at the Diocesan Seminary of Villa Devoto in Argentina. Francis was ordained a priest in 1969 and made his final profession with the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, in 1973. The same year, he was appointed as a provincial for the order.  

His appointment as provincial was concurrent with the Dirty War, a period of intense state-led persecution of left-wing leaders and political dissidents. Bergolio experienced constant threats to his own safety as he worked to hide or aid in the escape of government targets, including many Catholic faithful.  

During this time, two Jesuit priests under his supervision were disappeared by the government, drugged, and left barely alive in a field five months after their kidnapping. Pope Francis has said he was forced to negotiate with the regime for their release.  

Bergolio would spend the next two decades bouncing from position to position at the direction of his superiors. During this time, he served as a professor of theology, seminary instructor, rector, doctoral student, and parish priest.  

In 1992, Pope John Paul II appointed Bergolio as titular Bishop of Auca and as an auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires. This was done at the request of Cardinal Antonio Quarracino, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, who consecrated him to the episcopacy.  

Bergoglio proved vital to the nation’s Catholic community and he was quickly raised to the dignity of Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires, serving alongside Quarracino and taking over the archdiocese entirely after his death the next year.  

Bergoglio was given the crimson hat of a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001.  

In 2013, after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, Bergoglio was elected to the papacy, selecting the pontifical name "Francis" after St. Francis of Assisi — a choice that set the tone for the rest of his papacy.  

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Pope Francis’s teachings as a priest, bishop, cardinal, and pope were deeply influenced by his Jesuit vocation — viewing each person as a unique creation of God, with whom they can have a personal relationship. His ministry and leadership were committed to keeping doors open and making the church approachable to the public.  

It was not only American politics that he had strong opinions of. 

He faced criticism for specific remarks he made against Israel’s military operation in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave "very serious and shameful". During that same speech he also condemned the growth of antisemitism throughout the world, Reuters reported. He also called for an end to the war in Ukraine and expressed concerns over climate change.

In 2023 seemingly looking to strike a balance he formally allowed Catholic priests to give same-sex couples a blessing, which was seen as being a radical shift in church policy, The Associated Press reported at the time.   

Pope Francis is also remembered for living a life of intense simplicity, denying himself a lavish papal apartment in the Vatican upon his election, and opting instead for a two-room suite in the Domus Santa Marta, a residence built by Pope John Paul II.  

In contrast to his immediate predecessors, Pope Francis eschewed ornate robes or luxurious clothing. His outfit rarely consisted of more than a plain, white cassock tied with a papal fascia.  

Pope Francis even dressed down his Ring of the Fisherman — a piece of gold jewelry worn by popes to signify their office — by having it made with silver and only wearing it for ceremonies.  

Francis’s tenure continued the ongoing efforts to investigate decades of sexual abuse claims against priests across the world, including in the United States, with Francis vowing transparency in 2019. 

"Transparency is now being implemented at the highest level," said Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the Archbishop of Malta and Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, after Francis gave legal authorities access to documents about sexual abuse cases and abolished the "pontifical secret" of the cases.  

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He continued Benedict's work to root malicious clerics out of the Church hierarchy "with the wrath of God," appointing task forces and establishing victim aid groups.  

Pope Francis proved a frustrating pope for a wide variety of conservatives, liberals, traditionalists, and progressives. 

His gentle — at times vague and confusing — language on key social issues such as sexuality and divorce frustrated conservatives hoping for a more aggressive champion of Catholic moral teaching. 

In July 2017, a group of Catholic clergy and academics sent Pope Francis a "Filial Correction" document alleging seven serious theological mistakes made by the pontiff in public statements. The document’s assertions proved controversial within the Catholic Church and the document was never explicitly addressed.  

Conversely, his refusal to back down from traditional church teachings on abortion, gay marriage, women’s ordination, and priestly celibacy frustrated progressives hoping for a more modern church.  

Echoing his time as a prelate in Argentina, Pope Francis was at times criticized from both sides of the aisle for his heavy hand enforcing Catholic unity on national and international levels.  

Traditionalists voiced intense opposition to his apostolic letter "Traditionis custodes," which restricted the celebration of the traditional Latin mass in an attempt to squash increasingly separatist conservative movements within the Church.  

He similarly has shut down discussion of many social issues that progressives have sought to reform.  

In 2019, Pope Francis told a nun asking him to approve the ordination of women that "if the Lord didn’t want a sacramental ministry for women, it can’t go forward," adding, "We are Catholics, but if anyone wants to found another church they are free [to do so]."  

The hyper-progressive leadership of the Catholic Church in Germany was a target of his ire after the country’s clerical leaders attempted an upheaval of traditional teachings regarding gender and sexuality. The Vatican issued a series of letters, approved by Pope Francis, accusing the German church of risking separation from the Catholic Communion.  

The conflict with German bishops encapsulates his papacy’s recurring themes of authority and unity, best exemplified in a passage from his "Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Germany."  

POPE FRANCIS URGES CATHOLIC VOTERS TO 'CHOOSE THE LESSER EVIL' BETWEEN TRUMP AND HARRIS

In the letter, Pope Francis wrote, "The universal Church lives in and of the particular Churches, just as the particular Churches live and flourish in and from the universal Church. If they find themselves separated from the entire ecclesial body, they weaken, rot and die. Hence, the need always to ensure that communion with the whole body of the Church is alive and effective."  

Pope Francis visited dozens of countries, including the United States and Cuba in 2015 and went as far afield as Papua New Guinea, as well as visits to predominantly Muslim countries including Egypt, Morocco and Jordan. 

Pope Francis struggled with health complications throughout his reign.  

The pontiff dealt for many years with sciatica, a nerve condition that caused immense pain in his leg and at times hindered his ability to walk.  

In 2021, Pope Francis was hospitalized for an intestinal surgery that removed 13 inches of his colon. 

In March 2023, Francis was again taken to the hospital after experiencing intense chest pain and difficulty breathing. He was treated for a respiratory infection and released after antibiotic treatment. 

In June of the same year, the pope was brought back for another abdominal surgery to repair an incisional hernia. He was released after making a full recovery.  

He took a fall at his residence and suffered a contusion on his right arm in January 2025.   

In February, he was once again hospitalized after a bout of bronchitis.  

Following Pope Francis’s death, the Vatican has entered a time of sede vacante — in English, "empty seat."  

The Associated Press, Reuters, and Fox News' Annie Butterworth contributed to this report. 

Pope Francis died Monday morning at the age of 88, according to Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo.

"At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church," Farrell announced.

"He taught us to live the values ​​of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized," the announcement continued.

Farrell added: "With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God."

It’s going to be a wretched and fearful Easter for Christians in Nigeria. 

The killing and persecution of Christians by Islamist militants intent on creating a muslim caliphate in this West African country is continuing apparently unchecked despite the population being 46% Christian.

"Nigeria’s Christians are being wiped out; we need to call it what it is — genocide," Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern (ICC), a persecution watchdog, told Fox News Digital.

"Let’s start with the horrible attacks on April 2-3, 2025, in (Nigeria’s) Plateau State’s Bokkos County. Over 60 Christians (were) slaughtered, and 383 homes torched" King said. "Families were burned alive, and kids were left homeless. It’s gut-wrenching. The worst thing is that there’s nothing truly "special" about this attack. This has gone on for 20 years and has only expanded."

LAUREN GREEN: 3 QUESTIONS ABOUT EASTER EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD AND CAN ANSWER

King believes Nigeria is a killing field for Christians, and that this isn’t random violence. He continued with figures, confirmed by local leaders on the ground in Nigeria.

"It’s a calculated push from the Fulanis to erase Christians from their homeland, Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Since 2001, up to 100,000 Christians have been butchered, and 3.5 million farmers have been kicked off their land by Fulani Islamist terrorists. They roll in with AK-47s, machetes and gasoline, and no one’s stopping them. For 20 years, the government has done nothing.

"This is a massive land grab disguised as a dispute or tribal spat. What we are witnessing is a massive and long-running stealth jihad."

FRANKLIN GRAHAM SHARES HOPE MESSAGE IN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON EASTER SPECIAL: 'GOD HASN’T FORGOTTEN THEM'

One woman widowed in an attack is reported to have told the ICC, "They want our land, our lives, our Jesus."

Just last weekend, the ICC and local sources claim, another 54 Christians were slaughtered after celebrating at a Palm Sunday service in the village of Zikke, near Jos. The attack reportedly went on for a solid hour with no attempt by authorities to stop it.

Members of the Christian group Open Doors UK in Nigeria showed Fox News Digital a list of other attacks in Nigeria in the past month.

Nigeria ranks seventh on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watchlist, an annual index of countries where Christians face the most persecution.

"Christians in northern and central Nigeria face extreme violence from Boko Haram, ISWAP, (Islamic State West African Province) and armed Fulani militants who have killed thousands of believers, destroyed hundreds of churches and displaced entire Christian communities," Ryan Brown, CEO of Open Doors US, told Fox News Digital.  "The recent attacks in Plateau State represent yet another chapter in this ongoing crisis of religious persecution.

"These attacks have devastated communities that were still recovering from the Christmas Eve massacre that killed approximately 200 Christians in the same region in 2023."

Families have lost male breadwinners, with women and children often sexually assaulted, Brown added. 

"Survivors are now living in at least four displacement camps, facing food insecurity and unable to access education or worship safely," Brown added.

Bishop Ayuba Matawal has profiled the Islamist killers. Matawal is chairman of the Nigerian Bokkos Internally Displaced People’s Welfare Committee. 

"It appears that some of these extremists have been indoctrinated with an ideology of seizing land from Christian communities, continuing the legacy of Uthman dan Fodio’s vision of spreading Islam across Nigeria," he said. "Although their numbers may be small, these extremists have inflicted severe damage on Christian communities."

The ICC’s King told Fox News Digital he is calling upon the State Department to list Nigeria "as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC)." 

This is a U.S. government label that means sanctions, pressure and real consequences.

King added that he believes the U.S. should  "cut off all (financial and military) aid to Nigeria until we start to see a meaningful reduction in attacks, perpetrators arrested and lands restored."

While not mentioning the attacks on Christians, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "The United States remains deeply concerned by the ongoing violence in West Africa, including in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. We offer our condolences to the victims’ families of recent violence in Plateau State.

"We also continue to engage with the government of Nigeria at the highest levels to address (the) root causes of violence, and we strongly advocate for the protection of all citizens.

"We acknowledge (Nigerian) President Tinubu’s commitment to address the causes of the violence and urge the government to take meaningful and decisive steps to prevent further attacks, ensure accountability for perpetrators and foster long-term peace and stability "

In Nigeria, Bishop Matawal cautioned that, this Easter weekend, "Christian communities are on high alert, especially during church services and religious gatherings."

"Nigerian Christians are carrying their cross every day, yet their hope rises like the resurrection," King said. "Easter is all about life winning over death, and these Christians are living that out. But let’s raise a cry and say "we hear you, we are with you, hold on just a bit longer."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Nigerian government but did not receive a response.

Antisemitism in Canada has exploded in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, reaching record numbers last year and becoming a central issue for the country’s Jewish community ahead of an April 28 federal election.

Last week, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, the main challenger to Prime Minister Mark Carney accused pro-Hamas protesters of staging "hate marches" and vowing to deport antisemitic foreigners from Canada.

"The rampaging chaos that we see in our streets, the targeting of synagogues and Jewish schools with hate, vandalism, violence, fire bombings ... these things were unheard of 10 years ago," Poilievre said. 

He also had a warning for foreign agitators. "Anyone who is here on a visitor visa who carries out lawbreaking will be deported from this country," Poilievre said.

SENATE APPROVES PETER HOEKSTRA AS NEXT US AMBASSADOR TO CANADA

"To Canada's Jewish community," Poilievre added, "you are not alone, you have friends. Canadians stand with you. You have the right to wear your Star of David, your kippah, and have your mezuzah on your door. You should feel proud to be Jewish and should never have to hide your Jewishness in order to stay safe."

On Friday, Poilievre shared on X the Montreal Jewish Community Council’s call for Jewish voters to endorse him. In the video, the group's executive director, Rabbi Saul Emanuel, referencing Poilievre's support for the community, stated, "We remember who stood with us when it mattered most, and now we can all make a difference."

Emanuel noted that Jewish voters could play a decisive role in as many as 14 districts in Canada. "Our vote matters, our voice matters. That’s why I am proud to support Pierre Poilievre and I urge you to do the same," he said.

Carney has also used social media to condemn antisemitism. In a tweet wishing Jewish Canadians a happy Passover, he condemned the growing incidents, stating in part, "Together, we must confront and denounce the rising tide of antisemitism, and the threat it poses to Jewish life and safety in communities across Canada."

Yet despite his strong words against antisemitism, Carney recently faced criticism following a campaign rally in Calgary, where someone yelled at the Liberal Party leader, "There’s a genocide happening in Palestine."

"I’m aware," Carney replied. "That’s why we have an arms embargo [on Israel]."

The next day, Carney, who in March replaced longtime Premier Justin Trudeau, claimed he had not heard the anti-Israel demonstrator correctly.

His backtracking did not stop Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from entering the fray. He posted on X that "Canada has always sided with civilization. So should Mr. Carney.

"But instead of supporting Israel, a democracy that is fighting a just war with just means against the barbarians of Hamas, he attacks the one and only Jewish state," Netanyahu posted.

According to an annual audit released this month by B’nai Brith Canada, the total number of reported cases of Jew hatred in the country hit 6,219 in 2024, a 7.4% increase over 2023 and the highest number since the survey’s inception in 1982.

Antisemitic incidents in Canada have skyrocketed by 124.6% since 2022.

NORTHERN BORDER 'QUIET CRISIS' BREWS AS EXPERT FLOATS UNCONVENTIONAL SOLUTION TO COMBAT HUMAN SMUGGLING

"Over the last 18 months, a new baseline has been established for antisemitism in Canada, and it's having a detrimental effect on the lives of Jewish people," Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy at B'nai Brith Canada, told Fox News Digital. "We are seeing an increase in certain forms of antisemitism, specifically anti-Zionism."

Irwin Cotler, a former justice minister and attorney general of Canada for the Liberal Party, told Fox News Digital "antisemitism has become mainstream, normalized and legitimized in the political, popular, academic, media, entertainment and sport cultures. All this happened in the absence of outrage," he said.

"I hope that whichever party gets elected, we will see deliverables in combating specific hate crime, hate speech, harassment, assault, vandalism and all the things you find reported in the [B’nai Brith] annual report. From my experience, even those statistics are not telling the true story. They are underreported."

"The community of democracies must act because the security of our collective freedom is at stake," Cotler warned.

Israeli Ambassador to Canada Iddo Moed told Fox News Digital many local Jews "feel vulnerable, unsafe and unprotected by law enforcement bodies, governments and education systems that have stood by as antisemitism reached crisis levels." 

He noted that Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people, is obligated to act when Jews in the Diaspora are in distress.

"Equipping teachers with the resources to teach about antisemitism and the Holocaust is essential to ensure future generations understand the dangers of hatred and continue to embrace peace, tolerance and equality," he added.

TRUMP TAKES CENTER STAGE IN CANADA’S PRIME MINISTER ELECTION DEBATE

The antisemitism survey highlighted numerous incidents, ranging from Quebec daily La Presse publishing a cartoon depicting Netanyahu as Nosferatu, a vampire associated with Jews in Nazi-era propaganda and a pro-Hamas protester at the University of Toronto shouting at a Jewish student that Hitler should have "murdered all of you."

In May, an arsonist ignited a fire at the entrance to the Schara Tzedeck Synagogue in Vancouver as prayers concluded. The same month, shots were fired at the Bais Chaya Mushka girls’ school in Toronto, and the school has since been targeted twice more by gunfire. In August, a bomb threat affected Jewish institutions across the country. In December, a firebomb struck Congregation Beth Tikvah in Montreal, the second such attack since Oct. 7, 2023.

Thereafter, Israeli President Isaac Herzog called on the Canadian government to take action to "stamp out" antisemitism. 

"The world must wake up. Words are not enough. Synagogues burned. Jews attacked. Never again is now," he said, employing the adage stressing a commitment to preventing another Holocaust.

Anthony Housefather is the MP in the House of Commons for Mount Royal, an area with a large Jewish population held by the Liberals since 1940 being viewed as a bellwether for where the community stands.

"The alarming numbers [of antisemitic incidents] make it clear as to why every level of government in the country needs to work together to implement all the recommendations set out in the justice committee report of last December and the commitments made at the national summit on antisemitism in March," Housefather told Fox News Digital.

Trudeau, who was widely panned for failing to adequately address the groundswell of antisemitism, had announced the summit within hours of Herzog’s condemnation.

Neil Oberman, the Conservative Party candidate running against Housefather, told Fox News Digital that in Mount Royal "personal safety and security have become serious issues.

"It's a stark reminder of the urgent need for a federal government consisting of adults implementing actions instead of putting together summits and position papers and blaming everybody else to combat hate and protect vulnerable communities," Oberman said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed skepticism over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement Saturday that Russia would observe a temporary ceasefire during the Easter holiday. 

After the announcement, Zelenskyy posted on X that air raid alerts were ringing out across Ukraine, adding that Russian attack drones were detected in the skies. 

"Shahed drones in our skies reveal Putin’s true attitude toward Easter and toward human life," he wrote.

The Kremlin on Saturday shared a video in which Putin said, "Guided by humanitarian considerations, today from 18:00 to 00:00, from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side declares an Easter truce.’" 

TRUMP SAYS US WILL 'TAKE A PASS' ON UKRAINE PEACE EFFORTS IF RUSSIA REFUSES TO PLAY BALL

He later added that Russia had "ignored" the United States' proposal for a 30-day truce after Ukraine "responded positively."

"If Russia is now suddenly ready to truly engage in a format of full and unconditional silence, Ukraine will act accordingly — mirroring Russia’s actions," Zelenskyy said. "Silence in response to silence, defensive strikes in response to attacks."

He said if an Easter ceasefire actually takes hold, he proposes extending it. 

"That is what will reveal Russia’s true intentions, because 30 hours is enough to make headlines, but not for genuine confidence-building measures," he said. "Thirty days could give peace a chance."

FORMER CIA STATION CHIEF SAYS HE DOESN'T SEE PUTIN STOPPING ‘ONSLAUGHT’ AGAINST UKRAINE 

Zelenskyy later added on X, "As of now, according to the Commander-in-Chief reports, Russian assault operations continue on several frontline sectors, and Russian artillery fire has not subsided. Therefore, there is no trust in words coming from Moscow. We know all too well how Moscow manipulates, and we are prepared for anything. 

"Ukraine’s Defense Forces will act rationally — responding in kind. Every Russian strike will be met with an appropriate response."

Late Saturday, Zelenskyy wrote that the "Easter statements by Putin did not extend to" the Kursk and Belgorod regions of Ukraine, where he said "hostilities continue, and Russian strikes persist. Russian artillery can still be heard in certain directions of the front, regardless of the Russian leader's promise of silence. Russian drones are in use."

He acknowledged, "In some areas, the situation has become quieter."

Zelenskyy said the "proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day silence remains on the table — the answer to it must come from Moscow. Ukraine, together with our partners, is ready to move toward peace as constructively as possible, but same readiness is required from Russia."

The war has raged for more than three years and cost the lives of tens of thousands of people on both sides after Russia invaded the sovereign country in February 2022. 

The announcement of a temporary ceasefire comes after President Donald Trump on Thursday said an 80-page minerals deal will be signed with Ukraine in one week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later said it would likely be signed April 26. 

Details on the agreement still remain relatively unknown, though recent reporting by Bloomberg has suggested the U.S. has eased back its demands for repayment for its aid in Ukraine’s fight against Russia from $300 billion to $100 billion. 

On Friday, Trump said the U.S. will "just take a pass" at peace efforts for Ukraine if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to agree to ceasefire terms. 

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"If, for some reason, one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we're just going to say, 'You're foolish, you're fools, you're horrible people,' and we're going to just take a pass," Trump told reporters. "But hopefully we won't have to do that."

Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

At least 148 people were found dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a motorized wooden boat caught fire and capsized, media reports citing local officials said on Friday.

The boat was carrying as many as 500 passengers, including women and children, when it overturned in the Congo River located in the country’s northwest region on Tuesday, as per the reports.

27 DEAD IN NORTHWEST CONGO AFTER BOAT CAPSIZES

Boating accidents are common in Congo, where old, wooden vessels are the main form of transport between villages and are often loaded far beyond capacity.

Officials estimate hundreds of people to still be missing, the reports added. The number of dead was previously estimated at 50.

The boat, called HB Kongolo, caught fire near the town of Mbandaka, having left the port of Matankumu for the Bolomba territory.

About 100 survivors were taken to an improvised shelter at the local town hall, while those with burn injuries were taken to local hospitals, Sky News reported.

The incident occurred when a fire started as a woman was cooking on board the vessel, Compétent Loyoko, the river commissioner, told the Associated Press.

Several passengers, including women and children, died after jumping into the water without being able to swim, the report added.

In 2024, at least 78 people drowned when a boat with 278 passengers capsized in Lake Kivu, eastern Congo. In a separate incident, at least 22 people died after a river boat sank in December in western Congo.

American pastor Josh Sullivan released a statement after he was rescued from captivity following a deadly shootout in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province.

"I want to begin by thanking God for delivering me from what was undoubtedly the worst experience of our life," Sullivan wrote in a press release. He said that his "personal relationship with Jesus" gave him the strength he needed to survive.

AMERICAN PASTOR KIDNAPPED IN SOUTH AFRICA RESCUED AFTER DEADLY POLICE SHOOTOUT

"I am deeply grateful to the thousands of people who prayed for me while I was in captivity. It was because of these prayers that God performed a miracle a few nights ago."

Sullivan also expressed his gratitude for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS), the FBI, Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) special agents and the South African police. He also said he was thankful for his wife, "whose strength and resilience made her the strongest woman in the world last week."

AMERICAN PASTOR'S KIDNAPPING IN SOUTH AFRICA FUELED BY SOARING ARMED ROBBERY INCIDENTS IN RECENT YEARS

Sullivan asked for privacy, but said he would tell his "miraculous" story "when the time is right."
HAWKS said an operation led by the agency "resulted in the successful rescue" of an American citizen, "reportedly a local pastor who had allegedly been kidnapped and held at a safe house in KwaMagxaki, Gqeberha, on 15 April 2025."

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Sullivan was abducted when four men broke into his church and dragged him from the pulpit, according to the Associated Press, which added that his truck was found hours later. The outlet reported that Sullivan has been based in the Motherwell township branch of the Fellowship Baptist Church since 2018. 

Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a temporary Easter ceasefire in his country’s war with Ukraine, the Kremlin said Saturday.

The war has raged for more than three years and cost the lives of tens of thousands of people on both sides. 

"Guided by humanitarian considerations, today from 18:00 to 00:00 from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side declares an Easter truce,’" Putin said in a video posted by the Russian ministry of Foreign Affairs.

TRUMP SAYS MINERALS DEAL WITH UKRAINE TO BE SIGNED NEXT THURSDAY

"I order that all military actions be stopped for this period."

In the video, Putin is joined by Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

The move appeared to be scoffed at by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who said shortly after the announcement that air raid alerts were ringing out across Ukraine.

"As for yet another attempt by Putin to play with human lives—at this moment, air raid alerts are spreading across Ukraine," Zelenskyy wrote on X while giving an update on troop positions. It wasn’t entirely clear of he was addressing the truce.

TRUMP SAYS US WILL 'TAKE A PASS' ON UKRAINE PEACE EFFORTS IF RUSSIA REFUSES TO PLAY BALL

"At 17:15, Russian attack drones were detected in our skies. Ukrainian air defense and aviation have already begun working to protect us. Shahed drones in our skies reveal Putin’s true attitude toward Easter and toward human life."

Zelenskyy wrote that Ukrainian forces were battling in the Kursk region and holding their positions. 

"In the Belgorod region, our warriors have advanced and expanded our zone of control," he wrote.

Russia’s Defense Ministry, however, said its forces pushed Ukrainian troops from one of their last remaining footholds in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops staged a surprise incursion last year.

The temporary ceasefire comes after President Donald Trump on Thursday said an 80-page minerals deal will be signed with Ukraine in one week. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later amended that it would likely be signed on April 26. 

Details on the agreement still remain relatively unknown, though recent reporting by Bloomberg has suggested the U.S. has eased back its demands of repayment for its aid in Ukraine’s fight against Russia from $300 billion to $100 billion. 

On Friday, Trump said the U.S. will "just take a pass" at peace efforts for Ukraine if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to agree to ceasefire terms. 

"If for some reason, one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we're just going to say 'you're foolish, you're fools, you're horrible people,' and we're going to just take a pass," Trump told reporters. "But hopefully we won't have to do that."

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

An escaped California inmate wanted for killing the leader of an elite Mexican police unit while on the run was arrested in Tijuana, Mexico.

Cesar Hernandez, 34, was arrested Thursday by Mexico’s State Investigation Agency.

Hernandez was wanted in connection with the shooting death of 33-year-old Abigail Esparza Reyes, the leader of the Mexican police unit known as the "Gringo Hunters," which aims to capture U.S. suspects who are fugitives in Mexico.

ESCAPED CALIFORNIA PRISON INMATE CONVICTED OF MURDER KILLS POLICE COMMANDER IN MEXICO: REPORT

Esparza Reyes was killed during a shootout on April 9 in Tijuana while the unit was attempting to arrest Hernandez.

"These actions reflect the outstanding intelligence and investigative work carried out by personnel from the State Attorney General's Office, whose coordinated efforts, tactical analysis strategies and data collection made it possible to accurately locate the person arrested today," the Baja California prosecutor's office said in a statement Friday following the arrest.

"The State Prosecutor General's Office reiterates its commitment to act firmly, legally, and reaffirms its commitment that in Baja California, whoever does it, pays for it," the statement added.

Mexican officials said Hernandez is facing criminal proceedings and "his legal situation will be determined as set out by law."

DANGEROUS MAN IN CUSTODY IN CALIFORNIA FOR MURDER ESCAPES, MANHUNT UNDERWAY

Hernandez was serving 80 years to life with the possibility of parole in California for first-degree murder before escaping from custody on December 2. He was being transported to the Kern County Superior Courthouse in Delano for a court appearance when he jumped out of the van and ran away.

He was held at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano before his escape. He was handed over to Kern County from Los Angeles County in 2019.

Saturday's talks in Rome between the Trump administration and the Islamic Republic of Iran over the rogue regime’s failure to dismantle its illicit nuclear weapons program have raised pressing questions about whether Tehran will adhere to a new deal.

Speaking on "The Story with Martha MacCallum," retired Gen. Jack Keane, a Fox News senior strategic analyst, said Iran is reintroducing its "playbook" that [was] used to secure the JCPOA from Obama and termed its strategy a "bold-faced lie" that led to the "disastrous 2015" agreement.

Keane said Iran is repackaging the lie that it will reduce highly enriched uranium down to a low percentage and not use it for a nuclear weapon. Instead, it will employ it for civilian commercial nuclear power. Kean added that the Iranians "think the Trump administration is going to buy this. After all, in 2018, Trump pulled out of that very deal."

In 2018, President Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the formal name for the 2015 nuclear deal brokered by the Obama administration, because, he argued, it failed to stop Iran’s ambitions to construct an atomic bomb. 

AHEAD OF TRUMP ADMIN-IRAN TALKS, NEW REPORT SAYS IRAN NUCLEAR THREAT RISES TO 'EXTREME DANGER'

Fox News Digital sent a detailed press query to the State Department regarding the Islamic Republic’s history of cheating and lying when dealing with its previous pledges to not build a nuclear weapon.

A spokesperson for the State Department told Fox News Digital, "This, along with many other issues, will be decided at the negotiating table. The president has been clear: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon or enrichment program. As we continue to talk, we expect to refine a framework and timetable for working towards a deal that achieves the president’s objectives peacefully."

Speaking Friday, President Trump told reporters, "I'm for stopping Iran very simply from having a nuclear weapon. They can't have a nuclear weapon."

Enrichment of uranium is the key process that enables Iran’s regime to advance its work on a deliverable nuclear weapon. 

"Iran’s enrichment is a real, accepted matter," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday. "We are ready to build confidence in response to possible concerns, but the issue of enrichment is non-negotiable."
 

Mark Wallace, the CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and a former U.N. ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush, told Fox News Digital, "Under the Bush administration, zero enrichment was enshrined in U.N. Security Council resolutions. The Obama administration changed that position, allowing enrichment up to 3.67%, and this paved the way for the failed JCPOA that has allowed Iran to extort the international community ever since."

The Obama administration's concession to Iran to permit it to enrich uranium to 3.67% has created new problems for Trump to halt Tehran's drive to build a weapon. Iran has exploited the right to enrich uranium to speed up its weapons program. The U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency announced in February that Iran has produced dramatically more uranium that can be used in six atomic bombs and stressed that Tehran has made no progress on resolving outstanding issues.

Trump said in late March he would launch military strikes against Iran if it failed to agree to his demands for a new nuclear pact.

Prior to Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA, Fox News Digital reported in 2017 that Iran tried to obtain illicit technology that could be used for military nuclear and ballistic missile programs, raising questions about a possible violation of the 2015 agreement intended to stop Tehran’s drive to become an atomic armed power, according to three German intelligence reports.

TRUMP HAS A TIMELINE IN MIND FOR IRAN NUKE DEAL, TAPS ISRAEL TO LEAD ANY POTENTIAL MILITARY ACTION

The Trump administration has outlined a two-month framework to reach a deal with Iran, John Hannah, a senior fellow at JINSA, said during a briefing about Iran’s nuclear weapons program Thursday.

Hannah served in senior advisory roles with former Vice President Dick Cheney and was intimately involved in developing U.S. strategy toward talks with Iran over Afghanistan, Iraq and the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program throughout President George W. Bush’s two terms in the White House.  

Traditionally, military pressure has influenced the Islamic Republic of Iran’s recalcitrant and anti-American leaders to make concessions. The U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 reportedly compelled the clerical regime’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, to briefly pause his country’s work on nuclear weapons.  

Khamenei feared American military action at the time.

Hannah said Trump’s "military threat is what brought Supreme Leader Khamenei to the table" because it "put his own regime at risk." Hannah outlined what dismantlement "with a capital D" would mean for Iran. He said "all of their enriched uranium leaves the country," and the centrifuges are destroyed and taken out of the country. Hannah said Iran’s secretive underground Fordow nuclear fuel enrichment plant and Natanz nuclear site were where Iran was caught digging tunnels in the mountains.

Hannah's organization, JINSA, released an infographic Wednesday that focused in on Trump administration officials' comments on verification and dismantlement.

According to a Reuters report, a senior Iranian official said Friday that Iran told the United States in talks last week it was ready to accept some limits on its uranium enrichment but needed watertight guarantees President Donald Trump would not again ditch a nuclear pact.

Tehran's red lines "mandated by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei" could not be compromised in the talks, the official told Reuters, describing Iran's negotiating position on condition of anonymity.

He said those red lines meant Iran would never agree to dismantle its centrifuges for enriching uranium, halt enrichment altogether or reduce the amount of enriched uranium it stores to a level below the level it agreed in the 2015 deal that Trump abandoned.

It would also not negotiate over its missile program, which Tehran views as outside the scope of any nuclear deal.

Top U.S. negotiator Steve Witkoff, in a post on X on Tuesday, said Iran must "stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment" to reach a deal with Washington.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Power was restored to more than 98% of customers Friday after an island-wide blackout hit Puerto Rico earlier this week, authorities said.

More than 1.45 million customers had electricity less than 48 hours after the outage hit, according to Luma Energy, which oversees the transmission and distribution of power on the island.

PUERTO RICO NO LONGER SAFE BET FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANTS AS TRUMP CRACKDOWN EXPANDS TO US TERRITORY

Luma warned that "some customers may continue to experience temporary outages due to limited generation."

Gov. Jenniffer González said that all those affected by the blackout had power restored, and that the more than 21,400 customers without electricity on Friday was a result of other unidentified issues.

"Obviously, Luma still has work to do," she said. "It is a shame for our people ... that we have such an insufficient, mediocre system."

Normally, a couple thousand customers are temporarily without power every week in Puerto Rico for various reasons.

González noted that more than 98% of customers also had water.

"We have overcome, thank God, a great crisis this week," she said.

The blackout that hit Wednesday afternoon occurred after a transmission line failed and then caused generators across the island to protectively shut down, officials have said. It also left more than 400,000 customers without water at the time.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the failure, although authorities are investigating whether a series of breakers failed or if overgrown vegetation is to blame.

González said she expected to receive a preliminary report in upcoming days.

It’s the second massive blackout to hit Puerto Rico in less than four months. The previous one happened on New Year’s Eve.

President Donald Trump on Friday said the U.S. will "just take a pass" at peace efforts for Ukraine if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to agree to ceasefire terms. 

"If for some reason, one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we're just going to say 'you're foolish, you're fools, you're horrible people,' and we're going to just take a pass," Trump told reporters. "But hopefully we won't have to do that."

The president’s comments echoed those made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio early Friday morning following a meeting in Paris with special envoy Steve Witkoff and French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as officials from Ukraine, Germany and the U.K. — the first meeting of its kind, which signaled greater European involvement in U.S. efforts to secure a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire.

RUBIO SAYS US READY TO 'MOVE ON' WITHIN DAYS IF NO PROGRESS MADE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE DEAL

While Ukraine has agreed to both full and interim ceasefire proposals, Russia has delayed any agreement for weeks, though it is for the most part still believed to be adhering to a 30-day ceasefire on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

"If we're so far apart this won't happen, then the president is ready to move on," Rubio told reporters in Paris following his talks, which he described as "very positive."

"We’re not going to continue to fly all over the world and do meeting after meeting after meeting if no progress is being made," Rubio said. "We’re going to move on to other topics that are equally if not more important in some ways to the United States."

It remains unclear where the U.S. would stand in not only aiding Ukraine, should Russia refuse to end its illegal invasion, but whether Trump would go through with his previous threats to enact more sanctions on Russia. 

POLAND SAYS MOSCOW IS 'MOCKING' TRUMP WITH DEADLY UKRAINE STRIKE

Last month, during an interview with NBC News, Trump said he was "very angry" and "pissed off" after Putin first showed signs of being unwilling to engage in a ceasefire with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault — which it might not be — but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia," he said.

"That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States," he added. "There will be a 25% tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil."

Trump would not comment on the "specific number of days" Russia has before he determines whether it's serious about ending the war, but he told reporters on Friday it needs to happen "quickly — we want to get it done."

Amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Hamas terrorists in Gaza, the terror group is reportedly facing an unprecedented financial crisis.

Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that salary payments to many Hamas government employees have ceased, and even senior officials received only half of their usual pay during Ramadan. Terrorists, who once earned $200 to $300 a month, are struggling to get paid as the IDF tightens its grip, and the flow of humanitarian aid has been cut off since the collapse of the ceasefire.

Dr. Michael Milstein, head of the Forum for Palestinian Studies at Tel Aviv University, said that while financial difficulties are mounting, Hamas operatives are motivated more by ideology than money. "It’s not just about a paycheck," Milstein said. "Hamas provides essential supplies like food, water and medical care to families, which is crucial in today’s Gaza." Despite the squeeze, Milstein noted that Hamas has weathered similar financial crises in the past without collapsing.

ISRAEL LAUNCHES NEW GROUND OPERATION IN GAZA

"Two days ago, the IDF killed the battalion commander of the Sajia area for the fifth time. Today, there’s a new battalion commander. They fill the ranks. Hamas had 25,000 military operatives on October 7, and today it has a similar number, even though it lost twenty thousand. They manage with fewer experienced operatives, including children recruited from refugee camps, but manpower is always available in Gaza. As for weapons other than rockets, there is no problem—RPGs, explosives, and rifles are available," Milstein added.

Mkhaimar Abusada, a Gazan political analyst and currently a visiting scholar at Northwestern University, emphasized that Hamas will likely find ways to recover. "Hamas has survived despite external financial pressures for nearly two decades," Abusada said. "They’ve bypassed sanctions and continue to exploit black market activities and taxes on merchants." While money may not drive Hamas fighters, Abusada suggested that the financial squeeze would complicate their operations but not lead to the group's collapse.

Before the war, according to the same Wall Street Journal article, Qatar provided Hamas with monthly transfers of $15 million, helping to build a stockpile of around $500 million, much of it stored in Turkey. However, Israel’s tightened blockade has limited access to these funds, forcing Hamas to rely on new income sources, such as black-market activities and taxes. "Still, Hamas continues to manage through illicit financial flows, circumventing Israel, U.S., and international sanctions with relative ease," Abusada said.

Amid the financial crisis, protests against Hamas have started to gain traction. Initially small, demonstrations in Gaza City and surrounding areas have called for an end to Hamas’ rule, with some protesters shouting, "Hamas out!" Abusada noted that these protests, originally anti-war and anti-Israel, have taken on anti-Hamas slogans. However, Hamas has responded violently. "Hamas has made it clear that dissent will be crushed," he said, adding that some protesters have been tortured to death for their involvement.

HOW ISRAEL'S WAR AGAINST HAMAS TERRORISTS WILL BE DIFFERENT UNDER TRUMP

"The amount of hatred Gazans have has increased a thousandfold since October 7," said Milstein, "and it’s all directed toward Israel and Hamas, both regarded as evil."

Milstein said that while protests show unrest, they lack leadership and organization. "Hamas has violently suppressed protests, and if this continues, they may die out," he said, pointing to a recent protest in Beit Lahiya that quickly dwindled.

Recent reports indicate that more Palestinians, including hundreds with dual citizenship, are leaving Gaza through Ramon Airport for Europe. This is part of Israel Katz’s Ministry of Defense plan to encourage those who wish to permanently relocate, aligning with President Trump’s vision for the relocation of Gazans.

"The destruction of homes, schools, and hospitals, along with a lack of basic needs, has driven many to leave Gaza," Abusada said. "But options are limited—Europe is not open to large numbers of refugees from Gaza."

Abusada further explained that many of those who are leaving Gaza are dual nationals or have European residency. "This is not voluntary migration," he said. "Living in a war zone for 18 months with no infrastructure has forced many Palestinians to seek a better life elsewhere."