The first Latin American to head the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, passed away at the age of 88, the Vatican confirmed on Monday. He died after a prolonged illness.

Pope Francis succeeded as pope in 2013 following the resignation of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a first as well.

Throughout his 12-year papacy, Pope Francis faced multiple health challenges, including a particularly serious bout of double pneumonia in recent months.

The next pope will be elected by the cardinals some 15-20 days later.

Earlier this year, Pope Francis was hospitalized on February 14 for bronchitis. Subsequently, he was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia and reported to be in a “critical condition.” During this period, the Vatican also announced signs of “initial, mild” kidney failure.

He made a public appearance on March 23, greeting supporters from a balcony of the hospital and offering a thumbs-up. Later, he returned to the Vatican to undertake two months of prescribed rest.

He participated in the Easter Sunday Service as well yesterday. A day earlier, he had met US Vice President JD Vance.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, Pope Francis was elected on March 13, 2013, at the age of 76. His election marked a shift for the Church, which was grappling with a child sex abuse scandal and internal conflicts.

Despite facing significant criticism from both conservative and progressive factions within the Church, Pope Francis became a global icon, renowned for his commitment to interfaith dialogue and advocacy for marginalized communities, including migrants.

During his papacy, he issued four major teaching documents, and embarked on 47 foreign trips to over 65 countries. He also canonized more than 900 saints.

Notably, Pope Francis aimed to modernize the Church by permitting priests to bless same-sex couples in certain circumstances and appointing women to leadership positions within the Vatican for the first time. Furthermore, he held five major summits of Catholic bishops to address contentious issues such as women’s ordination and Church sexual teachings.

Justice BR Gavai, who is set to assume the position of Chief Justice of India next month, has weighed in on the growing criticism from certain ruling party leaders regarding the judiciary’s role. Reacting to accusations of judicial overreach, he stated that the Supreme Court is already “facing allegations of encroaching into executive” matters.

The comment came during a hearing on a plea by Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, who sought central intervention following recent violence in West Bengal, particularly linked to protests over the Waqf Amendment Act. The advocate demanded paramilitary deployment and an investigation panel comprising three retired judges, citing displacement of Hindus in Murshidabad.

In response, Justice Gavai remarked, “You want us to issue a writ of mandamus to the President to impose this? As it is, we are facing allegations of encroaching into executive (domain). Please.”

Judiciary under political scrutiny

This development follows a wave of criticism directed at the judiciary after the Supreme Court’s significant verdict in the Tamil Nadu case. The court ruled that Governors cannot indefinitely delay legislative bills, terming such actions “arbitrary”. The ruling invoked Article 142, reinforcing judicial authority to ensure constitutional compliance.

Several political figures from the ruling BJP reacted sharply. MP Nishikant Dubey questioned the judiciary’s expanding role, suggesting that Parliament might as well shut down if the court continues making crucial decisions. He went on to accuse the judiciary of bias and inciting religious divisions.

Echoing similar sentiments, BJP leader Dinesh Sharma questioned how the judiciary could set deadlines for constitutional heads like the President and Governors, while Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar described Article 142 as a “nuclear missile” against democratic forces.

BJP distances itself from leaders’ remarks

Amid growing backlash, BJP chief JP Nadda clarified the party’s stance, stating that the controversial remarks by MPs were personal opinions and not endorsed by the party. “The BJP completely rejects these statements,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

This clash between the judiciary and political leaders has sparked a fresh debate on the separation of powers, especially regarding the constitutional roles of the Executive and Judiciary.

US Vice President JD Vance landed in New Delhi this morning for a four-day visit to India, accompanied by his wife, Usha Vance, and his three children. Upon arrival at Palam Airport, he was warmly welcomed by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and received a tri-services guard of honour.

The Vice President’s plane touched down at the Palam Technical Area in New Delhi. He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later today, with discussions expected around expediting a bilateral trade pact and enhancing India-US relations. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar are expected to join the talks.

This is Vance’s first visit to India as US Vice President. His entourage includes five senior officials from the Pentagon and the US State Department.   

The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that the visit was an opportunity to review the progress in bilateral relations and the implementation of the outcomes from the India-US Joint Statement, issued during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the US on February 13. Moreover, both sides will exchange perspectives on regional and global developments of mutual interest.

After the meeting with PM Modi, Vance and his family plan to travel to Jaipur and Agra. On Tuesday, he will visit the historic Amer Palace, where he is expected to deliver a keynote address at the US-India Business Summit hosted by the Rajasthan International Centre. The summit will feature high-profile participants from both Indian and American administrations, focusing on bilateral trade and investment.

On Wednesday, Vance will make a short trip to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal.

He will also visit the Jaipur City Palace. His itinerary includes meetings with Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagade and Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. Vance and his family will depart for Washington DC on Thursday.