Vatican City: In a deeply moving liturgy at St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV presided over a Requiem Mass for Pope Francis and for the Cardinals and Bishops who have died during the past year, honoring them as “witnesses and teachers of Paschal hope.” The Holy Father prayed that their souls might “be washed from every stain” and that they may “shine like stars in the sky.”

The annual Mass, celebrated in suffrage for the departed prelates, drew members of the College of Cardinals, bishops, clergy, diplomats, and faithful from around the world. It was both a moment of remembrance and a proclamation of faith the conviction that death, illuminated by the Resurrection, leads not to darkness but to eternal life.

From the outset, Pope Leo framed the celebration in the light of Christian hop

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