The Papers: ‘People’s Pope’ and ‘Battle for Church’s future’
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The death of Pope Francis, aged 88, dominates the front pages of the major UK papers. “Groundbreaking” head of Catholic Church “revered by millions” dies, the Guardian reports. A “conclave” will follow, which is “the secret process for choosing a successor”, as detailed later in the paper. The Guardian also writes that the UN’s humanitarian agency has called an IDF report “full of lies”- the report tied the deaths of 15 medics and rescue workers to “professional failures”.
King Charles III led the world’s tributes to the Pope after their “moving meeting” a fortnight ago, says the Daily Express. “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” the Express adds, quoting the King’s statement.
The Times calls Pope Francis an “outsider with a mission to change the Catholic church” on its front page. It details the pontiff’s illness, reporting that he “struggled for weeks to recover from double pneumonia” and died of a stroke and “irreversible heart failure” according to the Vatican. The Union Jack has been lowered to half-mast across royal residences in the UK, it notes.
Using the same picture of Pope Francis as many of Tuesday’s front pages, the Star also provides an eight-page picture special to mark the passing of “The people’s Pope”. It notes that the ailing Pope died soon after meeting US Vice-President JD Vance or “JD Dunce” as the Star calls him.
The i Paper shares details of the Pope’s final message in its top story, using it “to warn against anti-migrant sentiment”. Inside the paper is a local elections guide as well as a story on Chancellor Rachel Reeves vowing to “stand up” for the UK ahead of a visit to the US.
“He’s returned to the house of the Father” writes the Daily Mail, citing a statement from the Vatican on the Pope’s death. Looking ahead, it adds that “a battle for the Catholic Church’s future” is beginning.
The Mirror champions the “People’s Pope”, saying “he fought all his life for the poor & forgotten” and calling him “humble and loved”. No other stories make the paper’s front page.
A picture of the Pope reaching out to hold hands with a young girl fills the top spot on Metro. It comes from the Catholic Church leader’s final blessing this Easter weekend. Some 35,000 people attended the blessing, the paper reports.
The Pope was “truly blessed”, says the Sun as it writes of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s tribute to the religious leader. He was a Pope for “the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten”, the tabloid quotes him as saying. On the top right, the Sun hints at a relationship between Liz Hurley and Billy Ray Cyrus.
The FT’s top story highlights global trade tumult: “Beijing warns of retaliation against nations doing US deals”, with a tribute to the “modernising pontiff” in parallel. Elsewhere on its front page, it says US President Donald Trump is trying to “stamp out” Americans’ “fixation with paper cheques” and has mounted an “attack on the Fed” which sent markets “tumbling”.
“His work was done” after a final Easter blessing, The Daily Telegraph says of the Pope’s death – six pages of reports and tributes are inside. Ahead of Reeves’ trip to Washington to discuss a trade deal between the two countries, the broadsheet adds that the US dollar “fell to a three-year low” in “market chaos”.
