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Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church and its 1.39 billion adherents worldwide, is dead at 88. The Italian-Argentine pontiff—born December 17, 1936—was the first cleric from outside Europe to be raised to the papacy since Gregory III, who was of Syrian origin, in the 8th century.
“At 7:35 this morning (local time), the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” announced Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, on Easter Monday.
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The late pontiff’s last public appearance was at the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica yesterday, where an aide read an Easter Sunday blessing on his behalf. While his exact cause of death was not officially confirmed as of the time of complication, he was recently hospitalized with a respiratory illness, initially said to be bronchitis. However, speculation that Pope Francis was actually suffering from double pneumonia was later confirmed—a serious condition for someone of his advanced age with only one whole lung.
Born in Argentina to an Italian immigrant father, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elevated to the papacy, choosing the pontifical name “Francis,” in 2013, following the nearly unprecedented resignation of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. Under the Francis papacy, the Vatican was seen by many as adopting more ‘progressive‘ and ‘modernist‘ views on Church teachings, especially regarding the liturgy and mass.
Pope Francis reversed several of Pope Benedict’s decisions, which had allowed the traditionalist movement in the Church to flourish for nearly a decade. This culminated in a de facto ban—for the most part—on the Traditional Latin Mass, a move that received significant criticism from conservative Catholics.
NOT SO PROGRESSIVE?
While often portrayed as a liberal pope, the Francis papacy—outside the liturgy and a handful of other superficial changes—saw little divergence from Church teachings on homosexuality, transgenderism, and abortion. In fact, Pope Francis was an outspoken critic of gender ideology, and a document released by the powerful Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Dignitas Infinita, declared sex-change surgeries and surrogacy to be akin in the gravity of sin to abortion.
He personally intervened when Britain’s socialized National Health Service (NHS) decided to allow ill children such as Charlie Gard to die, against the wishes of their parents, attempting to have them brought to the Vatican-owned Bambino Gesu Children’s Hospital for continued care.
Notably, Pope Francis was also embroiled in a controversy where he allegedly used an Italian slur for homosexuals while arguing against allowing gay men to train as priests. The Pope was later forced to apologize for his choice of words.
Jack Montgomery contributed to this report.
The National Pulse’s Editor in Chief, Raheem Kassam, joined former Congressman and One America News host Matt Gaetz on Friday night to explain how El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele tricked Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen into posing, with margaritas, with an alleged MS-13 gang member.
Kassam also discusses his latest article in the Spectator, about the Kennedy Center, and how truth and beauty are “inextricably linked.”
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WATCH:
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The National Pulse's Editor in Chief, Raheem Kassam, joined former Congressman and One America News host Matt Gaetz on Friday night to explain how El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele tricked Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen into posing, with margaritas, with an alleged MS-13 gang member. show more
PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: ICE and federal law enforcement agencies conducted an immigration enforcement operation, leading to the arrest of over 200 individuals illegally present in the U.S.
👥 Who’s Involved: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), various federal law enforcement partners, and individuals with criminal backgrounds.
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📍 Where & When: New York City, Long Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley, between April 6-12.
💬 Key Quote: Eric Adams, NYC Mayor, stated, “One of the big mistakes that’s being made in some parts of the far-left philosophy is that ICE is a criminal organization. They are not, they are part of our law enforcement community.”
⚠️ Impact: The operation targeted individuals with serious criminal records, aiming to enhance public safety by removing offenders from communities.
IN FULL:
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), along with federal law enforcement partners, concluded a week-long operation in New York, resulting in the arrest of 206 individuals illegally residing in the U.S. The operation ran from April 6 to April 12 across New York City’s neighborhoods as well as Long Island and the Lower Hudson Valley.
The agency highlighted that many of those detained have significant criminal histories, associated with offenses such as manslaughter, rape, assault, and drug trafficking. Officials specifically targeted offenders considered dangerous, some affiliated with transnational gangs like MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Sureños, and the 18th Street gangs.
ICE stated that a substantial number of the arrests occurred after local New York authorities did not comply with immigration detainers by releasing suspects back into the community. Of those apprehended, 121 individuals had existing major criminal convictions or pending charges.
Among those arrested was Adnan Paulino-Flores, a 58-year-old Mexican individual with a history of sexual offenses. The operation also detained 51-year-old Jaime Gustavo Quizpi-Romero from Ecuador, who had been previously charged with assault and strangulation. Additionally, a member of the Tren de Aragua gang from Venezuela, 22-year-old Edimar Alejandra Colmenares Mendoza, was captured, facing charges related to conspiracy and possession of stolen property.
New York Mayor Eric Adams expressed support for the operation, emphasizing the need to remove criminals from public spaces. “One of the big mistakes that’s being made in some parts of the far-left philosophy is that ICE is a criminal organization. They are not; they are part of our law enforcement community,” he said, aiming to counter leftist claims about the agency.
Judith Almodovar, acting field office director for ICE in New York, praised the operation as a success in protective efforts alongside federal partners. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons reiterated the significance of the operation, stating that New York’s safety is enhanced through the diligent work of enforcing immigration laws and public safety priorities.
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