Sport

All football matches canceled in Italy due to the death of the Pope

In connection with the death of Pope Francis I, the Italian Football Association has decided to cancel all official football matches that were to take place on April 21. This is reported on the Serie A website, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"

The matches will be canceled not only in Serie A but also in the lower leagues.

“In connection with the death of the Holy Father, the National Professional League of Serie A announces that today’s matches of Serie A Enilieve and Primavera 1 are postponed to a later date,” the statement reads.

Among the matches that were to take place today are Torino – Udinese, Cagliari – Fiorentina, Genoa – Lazio and Parma – Juventus. Three more matches have been canceled in the Primavera 1 league.

All matches scheduled for today are postponed to a date to be determined later. They are likely to be played within a week, along with the return matches of the Italian Cup 1/2 finals.

As reported by [Kommersant] pope Francis has died in the Vatican. He was 88 years old.

It should be noted that the 88-year-old pontiff did not lead the traditional Easter Mass in the Vatican on the advice of doctors, but appeared at the end of the event with a message known as “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and the World”), which was read on his behalf by Cardinal Angelo Comastri.

In his Easter message, the pontiff mentioned “war-torn” Ukraine, calling for peace and encouraging the parties to the conflict to work toward a just and lasting peace.

As a reminder, Francis was hospitalized on February 14 with a severe respiratory infection, which led to the most serious deterioration in his health in the 12 years of his papacy.

Who is Pope Francis?

Pope Francis, a native of Argentina, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, became the first Jesuit pope and the first Latin American to occupy the throne of St. Peter. His pontificate began in 2013, after the resignation of Benedict XVI. Francis has gone down in history as a spiritual leader who has emphasized social justice, protection of the poor, and the environment.

What will happen after the Pope’s death?

After the Pope’s death, the Vatican enters a period of sede vacante, when the College of Cardinals takes over the Church. Traditionally, this period lasts 15-20 days, during which the cardinals prepare for a conclave – a secret vote to elect a new pope. Here are the main stages:

1. Official confirmation of the Pope’s death
   The Cardinal-Camerlengo, currently Kevin Farrell, officially confirms the Pope’s death by reciting his baptismal name three times (in the case of Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio). The Fisherman’s Ring, a symbol of papal authority, is then destroyed.
2. Funeral arrangements
   The funeral of Pope Francis will take place 4-6 days after his death, most likely in St. Peter’s Square. At Francis’s request, he will be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, which is a deviation from the tradition of burial in St. Peter’s Basilica.
3. Preparations for the conclave
   Cardinals from all over the world are gathering in the Vatican for the so-called general congregations, meetings to discuss the needs of the Church and the challenges the new pope will face. These meetings also include organizational matters, such as preparing the Sistine Chapel for the vote.