Feature

Calling Pope Francis “a modern-day prophet,” Kerry Alys Robinson said the late pope “read the signs of the times and awakened us to meaningful change in our behavior — within the Church and within the world.”

Pope Francis, history’s first pope from the global south and a maverick who often delighted the world, died April 21 after fighting pulmonary disease for the last few months.

Centuries of experience dealing with the death, or occasional resignation, of a pope has left the Catholic Church with thorough instructions detailing who has responsibility for planning the funeral, preparing for the election of a new pope and taking care of essential business in the meantime.