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The Kennedy Center is seen Aug. 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)2025-04-25T21:53:24Z WASHINGTON (AP) Organizers and the Kennedy Center have canceled a weeks worth of events celebrating LGBTQ+ rights for this summers World Pride festival in Washington, D.C., amid a shift in priorities and the ousting of leadership at one of the nations premier cultural institutions. Multiple artists and producers involved in the centers Tapestry of Pride schedule, which had been planned for June 5 to 8, told The Associated Press that their events had been quietly canceled or moved to other venues. And in the wake of the cancellations, Washingtons Capital Pride Alliance has disassociated itself from the Kennedy Center. We are a resilient community, and we have found other avenues to celebrate, said June Crenshaw, deputy director of the alliance. We are finding another path to the celebration but the fact that we have to maneuver in this way is disappointing. The Kennedy Centers website still lists Tapestry of Pride on its website with a general description and a link to the World Pride site. There are no other details. The Kennedy Center did not respond to a request from the AP for comment. The move comes on the heels of massive changes at the Kennedy Center, with President Donald Trump firing both the president and chairman in early February. Trump replaced most of the board with loyalists, who then elected him the new Kennedy Center chairman. The World Pride event, held every two years, starts in just under a month running from May 17 through June 8 with performances and celebrations planned across the capital city. But Trump administration policies on transgender rights and comments about Kennedy Center drag performances have sparked concern about what kind of reception attendees will receive. I know that D.C. as a community will be very excited to be hosting World Pride, but I know the community is a little bit different than the government, said Michael Roest, founder and director of the International Pride Orchestra, which had its June 5 performance at the Kennedy Center abruptly canceled within days of Trumps takeover. Roest told the AP he was in the final stages of planning the Kennedy Center performance after months of emails and Zoom calls. He was waiting on a final contract when Trump posted on social media Feb. 7 of the leadership changes and his intention to transform the Kennedy Centers programming. Immediately the Kennedy Center became nonresponsive, Roest said. On Feb. 12, he said, he received a one-sentence email from a Kennedy Center staffer stating, We are no longer able to advance your contract at this time. They went from very eager to host to nothing, he said. We have not since heard a word from anybody at the Kennedy Center, but thats not going to stop us.In the wake of the cancellation, Roest said he managed to move the International Pride Orchestra performance to the Strathmore theater in nearby Bethesda, Maryland. Crenshaw said some other events, including a drag story time and a display of parts of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, would be moved to the World Pride welcome center in Chinatown. Monica Alford, a veteran event planner with a long history of working with the Kennedy Center, was scheduled to organize an event June 8 as part of Tapestry of Pride, but said she also saw communication abruptly end within days of Trumps takeover. Alford organized the first ever drag brunch on the Kennedy Center rooftop in 2024, and said she regarded the institution and its recent expansion known as The Reach as my home base and a safe space for the queer communityShe said she was still finalizing the details of her event, which she described as meant to be family-friendly, just like the drag brunch was family-friendly and classy and sophisticated.She said she mourns the loss of the partnership she nurtured with the Kennedy Center. Were doing our community a disservice not just the queer community but the entire community, she said.Roest said he never received an explanation as to why the performance was canceled so late in the planning stages. He said his orchestra would no longer consider performing at the Kennedy Center, and he believes most queer artists would make the same choice.There would need to be a very, very public statement of inclusivity from the administration, from that board, for us to consider that, he said. Otherwise it is a hostile performance space. ASHRAF KHALIL Khalil writes about local issues in Washington, D.C., for The Associated Press and covers the social safety net around the country. twitter instagram mailto

Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks with reporters at the White House, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-04-25T21:25:06Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Justice Department is cracking down on leaks of information to the news media, with Attorney General Pam Bondi saying prosecutors will once again have authority to use subpoenas, court orders and search warrants to hunt for government officials who make unauthorized disclosures to journalists.New regulations announced by Bondi in a memo to the staff obtained by The Associated Press on Friday rescind a Biden administration policy that protected journalists from having their phone records secretly seized during leak investigations a practice long decried by news organizations and press freedom groups.The new regulations assert that news organizations must respond to subpoenas when authorized at the appropriate level of the Department of Justice and also allow for prosecutors to use court orders and search warrants to compel production of information and testimony by and relating to the news media. The memo says members of the press are presumptively entitled to advance notice of such investigative activities, and subpoenas are to be narrowly drawn. Warrants must also include protocols designed to limit the scope of intrusion into potentially protected materials or newsgathering activities, the memo states. The Justice Department will not tolerate unauthorized disclosures that undermine President Trumps policies, victimize government agencies, and cause harm to the American people, Bondi wrote. Under the new policy, before deciding whether to use intrusive tactics against the news media, the attorney general is to evaluate whether theres a reasonable basis to believe that a crime has been committed and that the information the government is seeking is needed for prosecution. Also, deciding whether prosecutors have first made reasonable attempts to obtain the information from alternative sources and whether the government has first pursued negotiations with the affected member of the news media. The regulations come as the Trump administration has complained about a series of news stories that have pulled back the curtain on internal decision-making, intelligence assessments and the activities of prominent officials such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, said this week that she was making a trio of criminal referrals to the Justice Department over intelligence community leaks to the media.The policy shift also comes amid continued scrutiny of the highest levels of the Trump administration over their own lapses in safeguarding sensitive information. National security adviser Michael Waltz was revealed last month to have inadvertently added a journalist to a group text using the Signal encrypted messaging service, where top officials were discussing plans to attack the Houthis. Hegseth has faced his own drumbeat of revelations over his use of Signal, including a chat that included his wife and brother, among others.In a statement, Bruce Brown, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said in a statement that strong protections for journalists serve the American public by safeguarding the free flow of information. Some of the most consequential reporting in U.S. history from Watergate to warrantless wiretapping after 9/11 was and continues to be made possible because reporters have been able to protect the identities of confidential sources and uncover and report stories that matter to people across the political spectrum, he said.The policy that Bondi is rescinding was created in by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in the wake of revelations that the Justice Department officials alerted reporters at three news organizations The Washington Post, CNN and The New York Times that their phone records had been obtained in the final year of the Trump administration.The new regulations from Garland marked a startling reversal of a practice of phone records seizures that had persisted across multiple presidential administrations. The Obama Justice Department, under then-Attorney General Eric Holder, alerted The Associated Press in 2013 that it had secretly obtained two months of phone records of reporters and editors in what the news cooperatives top executive called a massive and unprecedented intrusion into newsgathering activities. After blowback, Holder announced a revised set of guidelines for leak investigations, including requiring the authorization of the highest levels of the department before subpoenas for news media records could be issued.But the department preserved its prerogative to seize journalists records, and the recent disclosures to the news media organizations show that the practice continued in the Trump Justice Department as part of multiple investigations.___ ERIC TUCKER Tucker covers national security in Washington for The Associated Press, with a focus on the FBI and Justice Department. twitter mailto

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The clash took place just days after a terror attack killed 26 people on the Indian side of the disputed region, raising tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations.

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She accused Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, of recruiting her to join their sex trafficking ring and sued Prince Andrew for sexual assault.

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Paramilitary soldiers board a patrol boat as Indian tourists take boat rides on Dal Lake in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Friday, April 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)2025-04-26T04:47:12Z SRINAGAR, India (AP) Pakistani soldiers fired at Indian posts along the highly militarized frontier in disputed Kashmir for a second consecutive night, the Indian military said Saturday, as tensions continued to rise between the nuclear-armed rivals following a deadly attack on tourists last week.India has described the massacre, in which gunmen killed 26 people, most of them Indian tourists, as a terror attack and accused Pakistan of backing it.Pakistan denies the charge. The assault, near the resort town of Pahalgam in India-controlled Kashmir, was claimed by a previously unknown militant group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance.It was the restive regions worst assault targeting civilians in years. In the days since, tensions have risen dangerously between India and Pakistan, which have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir. The region is split between them and claimed by both in its entirety. The Indian army said Saturday that soldiers from multiple Pakistani army posts overnight opened fire at Indian troops all across the Line of Control in Kashmir. Indian troops responded appropriately with small arms, the statement said, calling the firing unprovoked. There were no casualties reported, the statement added.There was no immediate comment from Pakistan, and the incidents could not be independently verified. In the past, each side has accused the other of starting border skirmishes in the Himalayan region.Markets and bazaars were open in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Saturday, and there was no sign of evacuations from villages located near the Line of Control. Gun attack caused a spike in tensionsIndia has suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty and closed the only functional land border crossing. It has also revoked visas issued to Pakistani nationals with effect from Sunday.Pakistan retaliated by canceling visas issued to Indian nationals, closing its airspace to all Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines, and suspending all trade with India. Nationals from both sides began heading to their home countries through the Wagah border near Pakistans eastern city of Lahore on Friday. Islamabad warned that any Indian attempt to stop or divert the flow of water would be considered an act of war. The suspension of the water treaty could lead to water shortages at a time when parts of Pakistan are already struggling with drought and declining rainfall.Pakistan is fully prepared to confront any Indian aggression, the countrys Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a televised statement Friday.New Delhi describes all militancy in Kashmir as Pakistan-backed terrorism. Pakistan rejects this, and many Muslim Kashmiris consider the militants to be part of a home-grown freedom struggle. Iran offers to mediate while Trump declines to engageWith tensions high between the two countries, Iran offered mediation, while U.S. President Donald Trump said he expected them to work out their differences. Tehran stands ready to use its good offices in Islamabad and New Delhi to forge greater understanding at this difficult time, Iranian Foreign Minister Syed Abbas Araghchi said on Friday.India and Pakistan are brotherly neighbors of Iran, enjoying relations rooted in centuries-old cultural and civilizational ties. Like other neighbors, we consider them our foremost priority, Araghchi wrote in a social media post.Trump on Friday said theres great tension between Pakistan and India, but there always has been. Trump, who spoke on board Air Force One, did not answer when asked by reporters whether he would contact leaders of the two countries, but said theyll get it figured out one way or the other.The U.S. has long called for calm between India and Pakistan, and mediated between the two rivals during a major border skirmish in 1999. U.S. intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard expressed solidarity with India.We are with you and support you as you hunt down those responsible for this heinous attack, Gabbard said on the X platform.On Friday, Pakistans Foreign Ministry said senior diplomats from Saudi Arabia and Iran had spoken with Pakistans Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to discuss the ongoing regional situation. India has briefed the envoys of all G-20 countries and Gulf nations, apprising them of the incident and steps taken by New Delhi. ___Roy reported from New Delhi and Ahmed from Islamabad. Associated Press writer Ishfaq Hussain contributed to this story from Muzaffarabad, Pakistan. AIJAZ HUSSAIN Hussain is a senior reporter for The Associated Press covering the Kashmir conflict, Indian politics and strategic affairs, and climate. He has worked for the AP for nearly two decades. twitter mailto

Virginia Giuffre speaks during a news conference outside a Manhattan court in New York, Aug. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)2025-04-26T01:52:03Z Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britains Prince Andrew and other influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by financier Jeffrey Epstein, has died. She was 41.Giuffre died by suicide Friday at her farm in Western Australia, her publicist confirmed.Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors, her family said in a statement. Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure.Her publicist Dini von Mueffling described Giuffre as deeply loving, wise and funny.She adored her children and many animals. She was always more concerned with me than with herself, von Mueffling wrote in a statement. I will miss her beyond words. It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her. EDITORS NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in Australia is available by calling 13 11 14. In the U.S., it is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org The American-born Giuffre, who lived in Australia for years, became an advocate for sex trafficking survivors after emerging as a central figure in Epsteins prolonged downfall. The wealthy, well-connected New York money manager killed himself in August 2019 while awaiting trial on U.S. federal sex trafficking charges involving dozens of teenage girls and young women, some as young as 14. The charges came 14 years after police in Palm Beach, Florida, first began investigating allegations that he sexually abused underage girls who were hired to give him massages. Giuffre came forward publicly after the initial investigation ended in an 18-month Florida jail term for Epstein, who made a secret deal to avoid federal prosecution by pleading guilty instead to relatively minor state-level charges of soliciting prostitution. He was released in 2009. In subsequent lawsuits, Giuffre said she was a teenage spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago President Donald Trumps Palm Beach club when she was approached in 2000 by Epsteins girlfriend and later employee, Ghislaine Maxwell. Giuffre said Maxwell hired her as a masseuse for Epstein, but the couple effectively made her a sexual servant, pressuring her into gratifying not only Epstein but his friends and associates. Giuffre said she was flown around the world for assignations with men including Prince Andrew while she was 17 and 18.The men denied it and assailed Giuffres credibility. She acknowledged changing some key details of her account, including the age at which she first met Epstein. But many parts of her story were supported by documents, witness testimony and photos including one of her and Andrew, with his his arm around her bare midriff, in Maxwells London townhouse.Giuffre said in one of her lawsuits that she had sex with the royal three times: in London during her 2001 trip, at Epsteins New York mansion when she was 17 and in the Virgin Islands when she was 18. Ghislaine said, I want you to do for him what you do for Epstein, Giuffre told NBC News Dateline in September 2019. Andrew categorically rejected Giuffres allegations and said he didnt recall having met her. His denials blew up in his face during a November 2019 BBC interview. Viewers saw a prince who proffered curious rebuttals such as disputing Giuffres recollection of sweaty dancing by saying he was medically incapable of perspiring and showed no empathy for the women who said Epstein abused them. Within days of the interview, Andrew stepped down from his royal duties. He settled with Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, agreeing to make a substantial donation to her survivors organization. A statement filed in court said that the prince acknowledged Epstein was a sex trafficker and Giuffre an established victim of abuse. She also filed, and in at least some cases settled, lawsuits against Epstein and others connected to him. In one case, she dropped her claims against a prominent U.S. attorney, saying she might have erred in identifying him as one of the men to whom Epstein supplied her. Epsteins suicide put an end to his accusers hopes of holding him criminally accountable. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. She said she wasnt to blame for Epsteins abuse. Prosecutors elected not to include Giuffres allegations in the Maxwell case, but Giuffre later told the court that the British socialite had opened the door to hell. Giuffre, born Virginia Roberts, told interviewers that her childhood was shattered when she was sexually abused as a grade-schooler by a man her family knew. She later ran away from home and endured more abuse, she said. She said she met her now-husband in 2002 while taking massage training in Thailand at Epsteins behest. She married, moved to Australia and had a family. Giuffre founded an advocacy charity, SOAR, in 2015. Giuffre separated from her husband and children this year. She had been charged with breaching a family violence restraining order over an incident in February, and was set to apepar in court in June in the city of Perth, where her estranged husband and children live.She had yet to enter a plea to the charge. A conviction would have carried a potential maximum sentence of two years in prison. Giuffre was hospitalized after a serious accident, her publicist said last month. She didnt answer questions at the time about the date, location, nature or other specifics of the accident and about the accuracy of an Instagram post that appeared to come from Giuffre. The post said she had been in a car that was hit by a school bus and her prognosis was dire.She is survived by her three children, whom the statement described as the light of her life.Sigrid McCawley, an attorney for Giuffre, said in a statement, Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring. The world has lost an amazing human being today. Rest in peace, my sweet angel. The AP does not identify people who say they were victims of sexual assault unless they have come forward publicly.___Associated Press writer Rod McGuirk in Melbourne, Australia, contributed to this report. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

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Vatican personnel pay their respects to Pope Francis inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, where his body will lie in state for three days. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, Pool)2025-04-26T04:35:54Z VATICAN CITY (AP) Tens of thousands of people poured into St. Peters Square starting at dawn Saturday to honor Pope Francis with a farewell ceremony reflecting his priorities as pope and wishes as pastor: Presidents and princes will attend his funeral Mass at the Vatican, but prisoners and migrants will welcome him into the basilica across town where he will be buried.As many as 200,000 people are expected to attend the funeral, which Francis choreographed himself when he revised and simplified the Vaticans rites and rituals last year. His aim was to emphasize the popes role as a mere priest and not a powerful man of this world. It was a reflection of Francis 12-year project to radically reform the papacy, to stress pastors as servants and to construct a poor church for the poor. He articulated the mission just days after his 2013 election and it explained the name he chose as pope, honoring St. Francis of Assisi who had the heart of the poor of the world, according to the official decree of the popes life that was placed in his coffin before it was sealed Friday night. Despite Francis focus on the powerless, the powerful will be at his funeral. U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, the U.N. chief and European Union leaders are joining Prince William and the European royals leading official delegations. Argentine President Javier Milei had the pride of place given Francis Argentine nationality, even if the two didnt particularly get along. The pope also alienated many Argentines by never returning home. The white facade of St. Peters Basilica glowed pink as the sun rose early Saturday and hordes of mourners rushed into the square hours before the funeral. Giant television screens were set up along the surrounding streets for those who couldnt get close. The Mass and funeral procession with Francis coffin carried on the open-topped popemobile he used during his 2015 trip to the Philippines is also being broadcast live around the world. Some mourners spent the night camped out in surrounding piazzas, and the mood was almost festive as helicopters whirled overhead. Many had planned to be in Rome anyway this weekend for a special Holy Year Mass honoring young people, and groups of scouts and youth church groups nearly outnumbered the gaggles of nuns and seminarians. The Lord wanted it this way, so we came all the same, said Sandra De Felice, who was among a group of 13 from southern Calabria who camped out Friday night after deciding to come to Rome a day early. For me, this is a sign that we need to be truly humble and charitable. Otherwise, we are nothing.The poor and marginalized welcome him Francis, the first Latin American and first Jesuit pope, died Easter Monday at age 88 after suffering a stroke while recovering at home from pneumonia.Francis is breaking with recent tradition and will be buried in the St. Mary Major Basilica, near Romes main train station, where a simple underground tomb awaits him with just his name: Franciscus. As many as 300,000 people are expected to line the 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) motorcade route that will bring Francis coffin from the Vatican through the center of Rome to the basilica after the funeral. The Vatican said 40 special guests would greet his coffin on the piazza in front of the basilica, reflecting the marginalized groups Francis prioritized as pope: homeless people and migrants, prisoners and transgender people.The poor have a privileged place in the heart of God, the Vatican quoted Francis as saying in explaining the choice. With his burial, preparations can now begin in earnest to host the centuries-old process of electing a new pope, a conclave that will likely begin in the first week of May. In the interim, the Vatican is being run by a handful of cardinals, key among them Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old dean of the College of Cardinals who is presiding at the funeral and organizing the secret voting in the Sistine Chapel. A special relationship with the basilicaEven before he became pope, Francis had a particular affection for St. Mary Major. It is home to a Byzantine-style icon of the Madonna, the Salus Populi Romani, to which Francis was particularly devoted, such that he would go pray before it before and after each of his foreign trips as pope.The choice of the basilica is also symbolically significant given its ties to Francis Jesuit religious order. St. Ignatius Loyola, who founded the Jesuits, celebrated his first Mass in the basilica on Christmas Day in 1538.Italy is deploying more than 2,500 police and 1,500 soldiers to provide security, which also includes stationing a torpedo ship off the coast, and putting squads of fighter jets on standby, Italian media reported. Crowds waited hours in line to bid farewell to FrancisOver three days this week, more than 250,000 people stood for hours in line to pay their final respects while Francis body lay in state in St. Peters Basilica. The Vatican kept the doors open through the night to accommodate them.He was an excellent, humble person who changed many laws and always for the better, said a pilgrim from his native Argentina, Augustin Angelicola, as he waited in line. Now it is a sad thing for the whole world that all this has happened. We did not expect it, it had to happen, but not so soon.But even with the expanded hours, it wasnt enough. When the Vatican closed the doors to the general public at 7 p.m. on Friday, mourners were turned away in droves.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. NICOLE WINFIELD Winfield has been on the Vatican beat since 2001, covering the papacies of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and the Francis pontificate and traveling the world with them. COLLEEN BARRY Barry covers all things Italy for The Associated Press. Her focus includes fashion and design, overtourism and the environment, politics and sometimes the Vatican. twitter instagram mailto

Cardinals take their seats for the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)2025-04-26T06:29:38Z NEW YORK (AP) Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. His death set off mourning across the Catholic world and days of ritual at the Vatican. Here are the key things to know about the funeral of the first Latin American pontiff in the churchs history:When and where is his funeral being held?His funeral is being held on Saturday in St. Peters Square. Francis will then be buried, according to his will: in a simple underground tomb at St. Mary Major Basilica. The church is home to his favorite icon of the Virgin Mary, to whom he was particularly devoted. People queue trying to reach St. Peters Square ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) People queue trying to reach St. Peters Square ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The sealing of the coffinThe night before the funeral, the camerlengo presided over the closing and sealing of the coffin, in the presence of other senior cardinals. A white cloth was placed over Francis face. Cardianal Camerlengo Kevin Joseph Farrel seals the zinc cover of the casket containing the body of late Pope Francis in St. Peters Basilica at the Vatican Friday, April 25, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP) Cardianal Camerlengo Kevin Joseph Farrel seals the zinc cover of the casket containing the body of late Pope Francis in St. Peters Basilica at the Vatican Friday, April 25, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A bag containing coins minted during his papacy was placed in the coffin along with a one-page written account of his papacy known in Italian as a rogito, a word indicating an official deed. It was read aloud by the master of liturgical ceremonies and then rolled up and slipped inside a cylindrical tube that was placed inside the coffin. Another copy is kept in the Vatican archives. The covers of both the zinc coffin and the wooden one bear a cross and Francis papal coat of arms.Why not at the Vatican?Francis had said he wanted to be buried not in St. Peters Basilica or its grottoes, where most popes are buried, but in the St. Mary Major Basilica across town. His choice reflects his veneration of an icon of the Virgin Mary that is located there, the Salus Populi Romani (Salvation of the people of Rome). The bell tower of St. Mary Major Basilica, where the burial ceremony of Pope Francis will take place, in Rome, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) The bell tower of St. Mary Major Basilica, where the burial ceremony of Pope Francis will take place, in Rome, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Before and after every foreign trip, Francis would go to the basilica to pray before the Byzantine-style painting that features an image of Mary, draped in a blue robe, holding the infant Jesus who in turn holds a jeweled golden book. Which dignitaries are expected to attend?Heads of state, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron, are among those expected for the funeral. Others dignitaries include: Prince William, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and European Council President Antnio Costa. How long did the pope serve? Pope Francis had a 12-year papacy during which he charmed the world with his humility and concern for the poor. But the Argentina-born pope also alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change. So, how do they choose a new pope?The death of a pope starts a centuries-old ritual to elect a new one, involving sacred oaths by the cardinals, the piercing of ballots with a needle and thread after theyre counted, and then burning them to produce either the white or black smoke to signal if theres a new leader for the worlds 1.4 billion Catholics.With the burial, the Catholic Church begins nine days of official mourning, known as the novemdiales. The date of the conclave to elect a new pope has not yet been announced.In the conclave, the cardinals will vote in secret sessions, and the ballots will be burned in a special stove after each session. Black smoke indicates no pope has been elected; white smoke says the cardinals have chosen the next head of the Catholic Church. Any baptized Catholic male is eligible, though only cardinals have been selected since 1378. The winner must receive at least two-thirds of the vote from those cardinals under age 80 who are eligible to participate. Cardinals walk in procession to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, at the beginning of the conclave, April 18, 2005. (Osservatore Romano via AP, File) Cardinals walk in procession to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, at the beginning of the conclave, April 18, 2005. (Osservatore Romano via AP, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Francis appointed the vast majority of electors, often tapping men who share his pastoral priorities, which suggests continuity rather than rupture.While its impossible to predict who the next pope will be, some cardinals are considered to have better chances than others.Is it like the movie?Yes and no. Conclave the 2024 film, introduced many laypeople to the ancient selection process with its arcane rules and grand ceremony, albeit with a silver screen twist packed full of palace intrigue and surprise.Vatican experts say the movie excels at re-creating the look and feel of a conclave. But there are discrepancies, errors and some outlandish storylines in the Hollywood version. And while the voting process was depicted accurately, the ballots are burned not after each vote, but after each session. Cardinals take their seats for the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peters Square at the Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Cardinals take their seats for the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peters Square at the Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The legacy of FrancisFrancis was known for his personal simplicity, from the choice of his name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, who renounced wealth to help the poor, to the outward symbols and priorities of his papacy. He chose to live in the Vaticans Domus Santa Marta hotel instead of the Apostolic Palace and wore his old orthotic shoes and not the red loafers of the papacy.In his teachings, he focused on concern for refugees and other marginalized people. His first trip outside Rome as pope in 2013 was to the Sicilian island of Lampedusa to meet with newly arrived migrants. His plea for welcome put him at odds with U.S. and European policies.He also also signaled a more welcoming stance toward LGBTQ+ people, while also making the fight against climate change a priority. Francis became the first pope to use scientific data in a major teaching document and made care for Gods creation a hallmark of his papacy. He eschewed the grandiose even in his departure, lying in state in a simple coffin made of wood.__Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. LUIS ANDRES HENAO Henao is a multimedia reporter on the APs Global Religion team. He focuses on features and has reported for the AP from Alaska, Antarctica and the Amazon. twitter instagram mailto

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During his whirlwind trip to Italy, President Trumps interactions with world leaders, as they paid their respects to Francis, were being watched closely.

A view of the St. Mary Major Basilica, where Pope Francis will be buried, in Rome, Friday April 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)2025-04-25T14:44:35Z ROME (AP) Pope Francis chose his place of burial in St. Mary Major Basilica, near an icon of the Madonna that he revered, because it reflects his humble, simple and essential life, the archbishop who administers the basilica said Friday.Francis, who died Monday at age 88, will be buried in a niche tomb in the basilica on Saturday after his funeral in St. Peters Square about 4 kilometers (2 miles) away.Francis initially demurred when Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas suggested in May 2022 that he choose St. Mary Major as his last resting place. Makrickas had identified it because of the pontiffs long association with the basilica, its ties to Francis Jesuit order, its artistic and spiritual heritage and links to the papacy. Seven other popes are buried there, but none since 1669.At first, he said no because popes are buried in St. Peters, Makrickas told reporters on the steps of the basilica. After a week, he called me to (his home at the Vatican) Santa Marta and he said Prepare my tomb.The pope later insisted that his tomb remain simple, stressing that people should still come to the basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary to venerate the Madonna, not to see the tomb of a pope, Makrickas said. Marble from LiguriaFrancis will be buried beneath a simple headstone made of marble from Liguria, the Italian region of his mothers family, engraved with his name in Latin: Franciscus. Above it will hang a slightly enlarged replica of his pectoral cross, featuring raised images of a shepherd carrying a sheep over his shoulders and a dove, but no other adornments.The tomb is placed in a niche next to the chapel where the Salus Populi Romani icon that the pope revered is located, and in a part of the basilica that was once a door to an adjacent palace where four popes lived. During his 12-year papacy, Francis would pray before the icon before and after each foreign trip. The basilica also has significance for the Jesuit pope: Its where the founder of the religious order, St. Ignatius Loyola, celebrated his first Mass on Christmas Day in 1538.St. Mary Major is a pontifical basilica, one of four in Rome, and has never been destroyed, damaged or burned over the ages, with history dating back to the fifth century. Makrickas called it a treasure chest of art and spirituality.Marys protectionTens of thousands of faithful flocked here since Francis death on Monday, and hundreds stood patiently in line on Friday morning to explore the place where he will be buried, now cordoned off and obscured by plywood.Carlos Taborda, 39, traveled to Europe from Brazil with his husband and a group of friends.It was a coincidence to be in Italy now, for the popes death, he said. We paid homage to him yesterday in St. Peters and now were going to see the place where hell rest forever.Felicia Verawati, a 35-year-old nun from Indonesia, prayed in silence in front of the wooden box protecting Francis tomb.To me this pope was very special, she said. He would always come to pray in this church, I think because he could feel Marys protection here. St. Mary Major is perched on top of one of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built and its bell tower is the tallest in the capital.While Francis tomb will be simple and essential, the basilica strikes visitors with its gilded wood ceilings and intricate mosaics adorning the floor of the central nave.Special bond with youthI felt very close to Francis, I liked his kindness, said 8-year-old Flavia Chiodaroli, who came to Rome with her parents from Pavia, in northern Italy. I want to tell Francis I love him very much and I hope the next pope will be like him.Chiodaroli was among the many children and teens who visited St. Mary Major on Friday as part of the Jubilee of Teenagers, which was taking place in Rome despite Francis death. The event is expected to draw over 80,000 teenagers from all over the world to the Vatican to celebrate the special bond between Francis and youth. The pope will start his final journey on Saturday morning from St. Peters Square where his funeral will be attended by over 160 international delegations, including royals and world leaders. His casket will be driven to St. Mary Major through Rome. The motorcade is expected to move slowly so that the public along the route can pay homage for the last time.Upon arrival, Francis casket will be greeted by a group of Romes poor and needy people, those whom the pontiff felt closer to. Around 40 people homeless, prisoners, migrants and transgender people will salute the pope holding a white rose, just before his burial.The poor have a special place in the heart of the Holy Father, who chose the name Francis to never forget them, the Vatican said.____Nicole Winfield contributed to this report

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive on Air Force One at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International airport in Fiumicino, Friday, April 25, 2025, to attend the funeral for Pope Francis at the Vatican. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)2025-04-26T04:06:19Z ROME (AP) President Donald Trump will be among more than 50 heads of state and other dignitaries attending Saturdays funeral for Pope Francis, where hell personally pay his respects to the Roman Catholic leader who pointedly disagreed with him on a variety of issues. Trump told reporters he was going to the funeral out of respect for the pontiff, who died Monday after suffering a stroke at the age of 88. The president and first lady Melania Trump arrived in Rome late Friday for the service at St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City on Saturday morning. Francis will be laid to rest during a private burial at St. Mary Major Basilica outside the Vaticans walls. Francis sharply disagreed with Trumps approach on issues including immigration, the treatment of migrants and climate change. The Argentine pontiff and the American president sparred early in their relationship over immigration. In 2016, Francis, alluding to then-candidate Trump and his campaign slogan of Build the wall, called anyone who builds a wall to keep out migrants not Christian. Trump said the comment was disgraceful. But after Francis death, the Republican president praised him as a good man who worked hard and loved the world. Trump also directed that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff in Francis honor. Trump had said on a couple of occasions before leaving Washington that he would have a lot of meetings with counterparts on the sidelines of the funeral. But he seemed to back away from that as he flew to Rome. Frankly, its a little disrespectful to have meetings when youre at the funeral of a pope, the president told reporters accompanying him aboard Air Force One. Nonetheless, Trump said: Ill be talking to people. Ill be seeing a lot of people. The leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Hungary and Argentina are among those expected to attend. One person Trump didnt expect to interact with is former President Joe Biden, who planned to attend the funeral with his wife, Jill. Trump said he wasnt aware his Democratic predecessor would be at the funeral. Asked if theyd meet, Trump said: Its not high on my list. Its really not.The popes funeral will not be one of those occasions that bring together the current and former U.S. presidents. Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush are not attending, their offices said. A spokesperson for former President Bill Clinton did not respond to an inquiry about his plans. Trump didnt elaborate when asked if hed just be meeting leaders in passing or holding more in-depth talks. He suggested he might have meetings at Villa Taverna, the U.S. ambassadors residence, where he spent the night.Its a little tough because we dont have much time, Trump said, noting his late arrival in Rome. He was scheduled to head back to the United States immediately after the funeral. I think that were going to try and see a couple of people that are important in what were doing, said Trump, who is trying to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and negotiate trade agreements with multiple countries. He posted on Truth Social shortly after arriving in Rome that Ukraine and Russia should meet for very high level talks on ending the bloody three-year war sparked by Russias invasion. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier Friday, and Trump said both sides were very close to a deal.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Rome on Saturday to attend the funeral, his press office confirmed, joining first lady Olena Zelenska. Putin is not attending. DARLENE SUPERVILLE Superville covers the White House for The Associated Press, with a special emphasis on first ladies and first families.

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As pope, Francis traveled to dozens of countries on five continents. In his last days, he stayed much closer to home.