President Donald Trump ordered federal and state flags to fly at half-staff in memory of Pope Francis, who died Monday at the age of 88. The executive order followed earlier condolences from both Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who briefly met with Francis on Easter Sunday at the Vatican. “As a mark of respect for the memory of His Holiness Pope Francis, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment,” Trump wrote. “I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.” Shortly after he signed the order, Trump appeared at the White House Easter Egg Roll, where he addressed the death of Francis. “I just signed an executive order putting the flags of our country — all of them, all federal flags and state flags — at half-mast in honor of Pope Francis. He was a good man, worked hard. He loved the world.” .@POTUS: "I just signed an executive order putting the flags of our country — all of them — at half-mast in honor of Pope Francis. He was a good man, worked hard. He loved the world." pic.twitter.com/v8YWFDJMOZ — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 21, 2025 Trump and Vance have cultivated a close relationship with Catholics, promising to crack down on “anti-Christian bias,” pointing to the increase in arson and vandalism surrounding Catholic churches as Roe v. Wade was overturned. During a February speech at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, Vance said that Trump, who is not Catholic, “has been an incredibly good president for Catholics in the United States of America.” In recent months, Francis has attacked the Trump administration’s planned deportation of millions of illegal immigrants. “I have followed closely the major crisis that is taking place in the United States with the initiation of a program of mass deportations. The rightly formed conscience cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality,” Francis wrote in a February letter to Catholic Bishops in the United States. Those comments received pushback from Catholics inside the Trump administration, including border czar Tom Homan, who said that Francis should focus on the church instead of commenting on border policy.

Just this morning, news broke that Pope Francis has passed away. The 88-year-old had been battling pneumonia, and the issues it caused, for quite some time. Still, even in his remaining hours, this beloved pope found the strength to participate in Easter activities. So, while he missed out on mass, he did appear to a crowd of over 35,000 people at the Vatican. Pope Francis’ appearance took place at St. Peter’s Square. Here, he delivered what is called the Urbi et Orbi blessing. This is Latin for “to the city and the world.” This, of course, would be the very last blessing this pope would deliver before passing away in the morning hours. Witness this special moment for yourself in the video below. @dailymail Catholics around the world are in mourning after the death of the first Latin American pontiff, just one day after he delivered his final Easter blessing from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. The Vatican confirmed the Pope passed away following complications from pneumonia. Read more on Dailymail.com #pope #vatican #restinpeace #rome #news ♬ original sound – Daily Mail “Pope dying after Easter mass is very symbolic. Rest in peace,” one person points out in the comments, another person adding, “The defining Pope of our generation — Pope Francis’ affable presence and forward-thinking will be greatly missed.” Hours Before Passing Away, Pope Francis Delivers His Last Blessing at the Vatican on Easter Despite having difficulty speaking and moving, Pope Francis did even more than deliver a final blessing. He also surprised the crowd by joining them in what is called the popemobile. In being so much closer to the crowd, he was able to stop and bless a number of babies. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pope Francis (@franciscus) During Pope Francis’ final appearance, he was met by endless love and support. In fact, the crowd could be heard chanting, “viva li papa!” In English, that means “long live the pope.” So, while he is no longer with us, it’s clear that the impact he made will live on for years and years to come. “The world tells us to seek success, power and money,” someone on social media writes, quoting Pope Francis. “God tells us to seek humility, service and love.” You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post See Pope Francis Give One Final Blessing Before His Death On Easter Monday appeared first on InspireMore.

'Phenomenal job'

'Have to follow these steps'

The newlyweds have not publicly shared any wedding photos

'There was no classified information in any Signal chat'

'We are all sinners who need redemption'

'Taken to foreign prisons'

Absolute goober...

'May God Bless him and all who loved him!'