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Pope Francis on the central lodge of St Peter’s Basilica to bestow the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and the world) blessing at the end of the Easter mass presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican Sunday,April 20,2025.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis bestowing the Urbi et Orbi blessing at the end of the Easter Mass presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican Sunday,April 20,2025.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis tours St Peter’s Square in his popemobile at the Vatican Sunday,April 20,2025.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis receives US Vice President JD Vance at the Vatican,Sunday,April 20,2025.Credit:Vatican Media

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Pope Francis is cheered by the faithful at the end of a Mass in St Peter’s Square,Sunday,April 6,2025.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis appears on his balcony to speak to the crowds at the Gemelli hospital on March 23,the first time he had appeared in public since being admitted to hospital on February 14,2025.Credit:Getty Images

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Pope Francis poses for photos with a group of nuns during his weekly general audience in the Pope Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on February 5,2025.Credit:AP

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The pontiff arrives at the Pope Paul VI Hall at the Vatican for his weekly general audience on February 12,2025.Credit:AP

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Arriving for a Jubilee audience in the Pope Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on February 1,2025.Credit:AP

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Posing for a selfie with a family at the end of his weekly general audience at the Vatican on January 29,2025.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis kisses a wooden statuette of the infant Jesus at the end of a Mass at St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on January 1,2025.Credit:AP

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Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas meets Pope Francis at the Vatican on December 12,2024.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis visits the Home Saint-Joseph for elderly people in Brussels on September 27,2024.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis waves to the faithful in Dili,Timor-Leste,during his apostolic trip to Asia on September 10,2024.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis blesses a beneficiary from charitable organisations at the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference headquarters in Jakarta on September 5,2024.Credit:AP

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Wearing a traditional hat during a meeting with the faithful in Vanimo,Papua New Guinea,on September 8,2024.Credit:AP

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Leading Mass at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta,Indonesia on September 5,2024.Credit:AP

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Former US president Joe Biden greets Pope Francis before a meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Borgo Egnazia,Italy,on June 14,2024.Credit:AP

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The Pope touches a child’s photograph as he meets relatives of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas,on April 8,2024.Credit:AP

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Deep in thought at the Vatican on January 24,2023.Credit:AP

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The Pope waves after meeting performers of the living nativity scene of St Mary Major,in the Pope Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on December 16,2023.Credit:AP

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Nuns greet Pope Francis during his weekly general audience in the Pope Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on December 6,2023.Credit:AP

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Children greet the Pope on his birthday,December 17,2023.Credit:AP

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Enjoying a traditional dance performance at the Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa,Democratic Republic of Congo on February 2,2023.Credit:AP

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Aides help the pontiff get into the popemobile at the end of his weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square on March 29,2023.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis consoles Serena Subania,who lost her daughter Angelica,5,only the day before,as he leaves the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital in Rome on April 1,2023,after he was treated for bronchitis.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis waves to the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square at the end of the Easter Sunday Mass on April 9,2023.Credit:AP

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Enjoying a dance performance during a meeting with young people at a sports arena in Budapest,Hungary on April 29,2023.Credit:AP

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A child is passed to Pope Francis as he travels to the Belem Cultural Centre in Lisbon on August 2,2023.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis arrives in a wheelchair to attend an audience with nuns and religious superiors in the Pope Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on May 5,2022.Credit:AP

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Saying goodbye to Polish pilgrims at the Vatican on April 28,2022.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis meeting with Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on March 6,2021,as part of efforts to forge closer bonds between the Catholic Church and the Muslim world.Credit:Vatican Media

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Former US president Joe Biden and Pope Francis at the Vatican before the G20 summit on October 29,2021.Credit:Vatican Media

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The Pope smiles as a stray dog passes in front of him during a ceremony at the Karatepe refugee camp on the island of Lesbos,Greece,on December 5,2021.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis celebrates the Ash Wednesday Mass leading Catholics into Lent,at St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on February 17,2021.Credit:AP

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Arriving at Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on March 5,2021.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis arrives to deliver the Urbi et Orbi message on Christmas Day in 2020.Credit:Vatican Media

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The Pope presides over the Way of the Cross ceremony in the empty St Peter’s Square at the Vatican during the COVID-19 pandemic on April 10,2020.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis exchanges gifts with then US vice president Mike Pence and his wife Karen at the Vatican on January 24,2020.Credit:AP

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Waving to the crowd after delivering the Christmas Day blessing in 2019.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis walks with Japan’s then-prime minister,the late Shinzo Abe,as he arrives at Abe’s residence on November 25,2019.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis is framed by mobile phones as he arrives for his weekly general audience at the Vatican on January 9,2019.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis washes and kisses inmates’ feet at the Regina Coeli detention centre in Rome on March 29,2018.Credit:Vatican Media

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Pope Francis lies down in prayer during the Good Friday Passion of Christ Mass inside St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on March 30,2018.Credit:AP

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A gust of wind captures Pope Francis’ skullcap after prayers at the tomb of Bishop Tonino Bello on the 25th anniversary of the bishop’s death,in Alessano,southern Italy on April 20,2018.Credit:AP

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With a group of chefs from Tuscany in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican on May 2,2018.Credit:AP

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Visiting the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights in Vilnius,Lithuania,on September 22,2018.Credit:AP

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Posing for a family photo with diplomats accredited to the Holy See inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on January 8,2018.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis writes on the bonnet of a donated Lamborghini at the Vatican on November 15,2017.Credit:AP

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Sharing a laugh with a couple at the end of his weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican on February 15,2018.Credit:L’Osservatore Romano

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At a Mass with youths at St Mary’s Cathedral in Yangon,Myanmar,on November 30,2017.Credit:L’Osservatore Romano

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With US President Donald Trump at the Vatican on May 24,2017,during Trump’s first presidential term.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis jokes with a baby girl at the end of a private audience with Cameroon’s President Paul Biya at the Vatican on March 23,2017.Credit:AP

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Members of Colombia’s indigenous community pose with Pope Francis in Villavicencio,Colombia,on September 8,2017.Credit:L’Osservatore Romano

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Pope Francis exchanges gifts with Prince Charles,now King,during a private audience at the Vatican on April 4,2017.Credit:L’Osservatore Romano

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With then-leader of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi at the Vatican,on May 4,2017.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis smiles as he browses through drawings at the Vatican on August 11,2016.Credit:L’Osservatore Romano

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Pope Francis holds a baby at San Giovanni Hospital in Rome on September 16,2016.Credit:L’Osservatore Romano

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Walking through the gate of the former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz in Poland on July 29,2016.Credit:AP

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Meeting Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan in the Vatican on August 29,2016.Credit:L’Osservatore Romano

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Greeting the former Australian ambassador to the Holy See Melissa Hitchman at the Vatican on September 8,2016.Credit:L’Osservatore Romano

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Then US president Barack Obama and Pope Francis walk down the Colonnade before meeting at the White House on September 23,2015.Credit:AP

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In a traditional Bolivian hat with then Bolivian president Evo Morales in Santa Cruz on July 9,2015.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis waves to the crowd during a parade in Philadelphia,US on September 26,2015.Credit:AP

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Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI hugs Pope Francis during a ceremony marking the start of the Holy Year at the Vatican on December 8,2015.Credit:L’Osservatore Romano

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The faithful greet the Pope as he arrives for the beatification Mass of Paul Yun Ji-Chung and his 123 martyr companions in Seoul,South Korea,on August 16,2014.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis kisses a child as he tours St Peter’s Square at the Vatican in the popemobile on April 3,2013.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis waves to the crowd after celebrating his first Easter Sunday Mass in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican on March 31,2013.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis blesses the crowd in St Peter’s Square after saying the Angelus prayer at the Vatican on March 17,2013.Credit:AP

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The Pope celebrates his inaugural Mass with cardinals inside the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on March 14,2013.Credit:AP

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Pope Francis waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican shortly after his election as the 266th pope,on March 13,2013.Credit:AP