TUESDAY Conservatives don’t like this ‘pope’ 22 The Conservatives had turned away from Pope Francis after he opened debate on allowing remarried Catholics to receive the sacraments if they didn’t get an annulment — a church ruling that their first marriage was invalid. “We don’t like this pope,” headlined Italy’s conservative daily Il Foglio a few months into his papacy. APRIL, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard EASTER TRUCE RUSSIA RESUMES UKRAINE ATTACKS Vladimir Putin on Monday pushed back against the idea of a month-long halt to strikes on civilian targets, as proposed by Kyiv. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS PAGE 9  NEW DELHI   J8.00 LGBTQ+ part of his outreach Allowed women vote at Vatican 3-day state mourning Francis made it easier for married Catholics to get an annulment, allowed priests to absolve women who had had abortions and let priests bless samesex couples He let women vote alongside bishops in some Vatican meetings. It was a revolutionary change. However, he had a ‘closed door’ policy on women’s ordination The Indian govt declared a three-day State mourning till Wednesday. An additional day of mourning will be observed on the day of the Pope’s funeral Gold of 99.5 purity in Bengaluru cost `1,02,000 per 10 grams Gold of 99.9% purity in New Delhi: `99,800 per 10 grams So far this year, the yellow metal’s prices have risen `20,850, or 26.41% per 10 grams There has been increased buying among ETF investors, while upcoming festive demand is fueling additional support Globally, gold futures breached the Pranav Mer, V-P, psychological USD 3,400-mark for the first time JM Financial ever, rising USD 80 per ounce, or 2.4 per cent. Services EX-DGP MURDER WIFE HELD, DAUGHTER IN NIMHANS Pallavi, wife of former Karnataka police chief Om Prakash, was held in connection with his murder, while his daughter has been shifted to NIMHANS. | P5 OPE Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, passed away on Monday He was 88. . “At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,” said Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, who takes charge after a pontiff ’s death. Flags flew at half-mast in Italy and crowds , gathered in St Peter’s Square. In his condolence message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Deeply pained by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. In this hour of grief and rem e m b r a n c e, my h e a r t f e l t condolences to the global Catholic community .” Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease, was hospitalised on February 14 for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospi- talisation of his 12-year papacy . He made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday — a day before his death — to bless thousands of people in St Peter’s Square, drawing wild cheers and applause. From his first greeting that night — a remarkably normal “Buonasera” (“Good evening”) — to his embrace of refugees and the downtrodden, Francis signalled a very different tone for the papacy stressing , humility over hubris for a Catholic Church beset by scandal and accusations of indifference. The Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio brought a breath of fresh air into a 2,000-year-old institution that had seen its influence wane during the tenure of Pope Benedict XVI, whose surprise resignation led to Francis’ election. But Francis soon invited troubles of his own, and conservatives grew increasingly upset with his progressive bent, outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and crackdown on traditionalists. His greatest test came in 2018 when he botched a notorious case of clergy sexual abuse in Chile, and the scandal that festered under his predecessors erupted anew. Francis’ death sets off a J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting with US Vice President J D Vance, Second Lady Usha Vance and their children, in New Delhi on Monday | PTI Reflecting on his January visit to Washington, Prime Minister Modi recalled his “fruitful discussions” with President Donald Trump, which laid the foundation for a close and growing partnership between the two nations. Modi IAF officer alleges assault in Bengaluru; biker held The couple lives in DRDO Colony in CV Raman Nagar. IN a case of road rage, an Indi- The biker, identified as Vikas, an Air Force wing commander 20, works at a call centre. He was allegedly attacked by a bik- was booked for causing hurt by er at Byappanahalli in the city using dangerous weapons or on Monday morning. means (118 BNS). The incident took The incident came to place around 6.30 am light after Wg Cdr Bose while Wing Commandshared two videos on er Shiladitya Bose and social media. “After seehis wife Squadron Leading the DRDO stickers er Madhumitha Dutta on the car, the biker were on their way to the continued to abuse me bus stop near Gopalan and my wife. I could not Wg Cdr Bose Mall on Old Madras bear it. When I stepped Road in their car. out of my car, he took his bike Wg Cdr Bose was supposed to keys and hit me on my forefly to Kolkata to admit his fa- head. When I tried to stop, he ther to a hospital. He assaulted hit my head with the stone,” the biker in “self-defence”. Wg Cdr Bose said. E X P R E SS N E WS S E R V I C E @ Bengaluru D EC E M B E R 17, 1 93 6 -A P R I L 2 1 , 2 0 2 5 NARENDRA MODI, PRIME MINISTER FOUR INDIANS WITH VOTING RIGHT TO ELECT SUCCESSOR KOCHI: Four Indian cardinals, including two Keralites, are part of the 120-strong College of Cardinals who will attend a secret conclave to choose the next pope. The Indian cardinals eligible to vote in the conclave are Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, 72, the Archbishop of Goa and Daman and Patriarch of the East Indies; Thiruvananthapuram-based Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, 64, the Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the SyroMalankara Catholic Church; Cardinal Anthony Poola, 63, Archbishop of Hyderabad and the first Dalit cardinal in history; and Changanassery native Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, 51, who had been coordinating Pope Francis’ foreign trips since 2021. —ENS 1 emphasised that the shared visions of “Make America Great Again” and “Viksit Bharat 2047” would continue to drive bilateral cooperation forward. An official readout of the meeting said: “The leaders welcomed the significant progress “We are alleged of encroaching upon the parliamentary and executive functions,” SC’s judge B R Gavai said in an apparent reference to recent attacks on the judiciary. The SC was considering a fresh plea seeking an inquiry in to violence in West Bengal | P7 3 4 Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad weekslong process of allowing the faithful to pay their final respects, first for Vatican officials in the Santa Marta chapel and then in St. Peter’s for the general public, followed by a funeral and a conclave to elect a new pope. Francis was elected on a mandate to reform the Vatican bureaucracy and finances but went in the negotiations for a mutually beneficial India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement focused on the welfare of the people of the two countries. They also acknowledged the continued efforts to enhance cooperation in energy defence, strategic tech, nologies, and other areas.” Prime Minister Modi also conveyed his warm greetings to President Trump and expressed his eagerness to host him in India sometime later this year. During their meeting, both leaders exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. They agreed that dialogue and diplomacy should remain central to resolving international challenges. “The two leaders also exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest, and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward,” the readout of the meeting said. EXPRESS READ Accused of encroaching House functions: SC 2 Cardinal Anthony Poola Modi, Vance hail progress in trade talks PRIME Minister Narendra Modi and US Vice President J D Vance on Monday hailed the significant progress in the ongoing talks for a fair and forward-looking bilateral trade agreement. They also acknowledged the growing cooperation between the two nations in key sectors such as energy defence, , advanced technologies, and other strategic areas, during a meeting marked by personal warmth and a shared commitment to strengthening the India-US partnership. The meeting took place on the first day of Vice President Vance’s four-day visit to India, with Second Lady Usha Vance, their three children, senior members of the US administration, and top Indian officials in attendance. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were also present. The pope will always be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage ADIEU, PROGRESSIVE POPE P N I C O L E W I N F I E L D @ Vatican City Gold hits 1 lakh per 10gm in B’luru, 99K in Delhi PAGES 12 8 Maoists gunned down in J’khand encounter Security forces on Monday gunned down at least eight cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist) in an encounter in Lugu Pahar area of Jharkhand’s Bokaro. This is the first time a Maoist cadre with `1 crore bounty on his head, has been killed in the encounter. | P8 Cool roof tech at major sites, including Vivekananda terminal, Kashmere Gate ISBT, & Delhi Secretariat further in shaking up the church without changing its core doctrine. “Who am I to judge?” he replied when asked about a purportedly gay priest. The comment sent a message of welcome to the LGBTQ+ community and those who felt shunned by a church that had stressed sexual propriety over unconditional Mercury stopper REAL-TIME HEAT ALERTS 18,000 2 accused in DISASTER MITRAS 3,000 WATER COOLERS and water ATMs, 1,000 each on roads, govt buildings & rural areas Summer plan a ‘shared responsibility’, says CM P R A B H AT S H U K L A @ New Delhi TO protect people from the dangers of extreme heat, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday launched the ambitious Delhi Heat Action Plan 2025, describing it as a “symbol of shared responsibility” and not just a government initiative. Developed with the support of the National Disaster Management Authority, the plan introduces a variety of preventive and responsive measures, including cool roof technologies, digital cold water dispensers, shaded walkways, heat wave wards in hospitals, and city-wide awareness campaigns. “This is not just a government scheme, it is a people’s movement,” Gupta stated during the launch event at the Secretariat, which was attended by ministers, senior officials, and representatives from organisa- love. “Being homosexual is not a crime,” he said in 2023. Stressing mercy, Francis changed the church’s position on the death penalty, calling it inadmissible in all circumstances. He also declared the possession of nuclear weapons, not just their use, was immoral. In other firsts, he approved an agreement with China over bishop nominations that had vexed the Vatican for decades, met the Russian patriarch and charted new relations with the Muslim world by visiting the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq. He reaffirmed the all-male, celibate priesthood and upheld the church’s opposition to abortion, equating it to “hiring a hit man to solve a problem”. But he added women to important decision-making roles and allowed them to serve as lectors and acolytes in parishes. He let women vote alongside bishops in periodic Vatican meetings, following long-standing complaints that women do much of the church’s work but are barred from power. Still, a note of criticism came from the Women’s Ordination Conference, which had been frustrated by Francis’ unwillingness to push for the ordination of women. AP tions like UNEP and NDMA. Around 3,000 water coolers will be installed throughout the city and cooling shades will be , constructed on footpaths and at bus stops to provide pedestrians relief from the sun. Also, school studentswill be trained on disaster management and heat wave protection. A ‘Water Bell’ initiative will be implemented in schools to encourage regular hydration and dedicated heat wave wards equipped with cooling infrastructure and ORS will be set up in major hospitals. Special attention will be laid on vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, outdoor workers, people with disabilities, and those living in slums or without shelter. “Heatwaves are no longer just a weather condition, but a deadly crisis. Our response must be equally serious,” Gupta said. P3 Murshidabad riot case held MAYANK BHUSAN PANI & RAJ KUMAR SHARMA @ Sambalpuri/ Jharsuguda TWO key accused in the killing of a father-son duo in Murshidabad during the recent violence over Waqf (Amendment) Act were arrested by a joint team of West Bengal STF and Jharsuguda police in the early hours of Monday . The two siblings, Bani Israel and Sefaul Haque, both residents of Sulitala village in Murshidabad, were prime suspects in the murder of Chandan Das (40) and his father Haragobinda Das (72). The father-son duo was hacked to death on April 13 by a mob during violent protests against the Waqf Act in Jafrabad village in Murshidabad district. The murders had triggered widespread tension in the region. Additionally, six others who were allegedly involved in the violence were also detained in a subsequent raid in the area. IG of Nor ther n Range, Himansu Lal told this newsaper that after a request from West Bengal STF, Banharpali police conducted raids at multiple locations early in the morning. The operation began around 5 am and led to the arrest of the siblings. “Their father was earlier arrested by WB police but the siblings had fled,” Lal said. BJP set to regain MCD control as AAP calls it quits, says not in fray A N U P V E R M A @ New Delhi AAP has decided not to contest the April 25 mayoral elections, clearing the way for the BJP to take charge of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Monday was the last day for filing nominations. Former CM and LoP in the Assembly Atishi on Monday said, “AAP will play the role of a strong opposition in MCD. Our party does not believe in politics of sabotage and horse-trading, and has, therefore, decided not to participate in the mayoral contest. Now, the BJP should form its triple -en- gine government and fulfil its promises made to the people without any excuses.” In response, CM Rekha Gupta said that the people have completely lost faith in the AAP “The po. litical base of AAP has shifted in Delhi and people have lost faith in the party It’s . good that they have realised the situation has changed in Delhi,” Gupta said. Meanwhile, BJP leader Raja Iqbal Singh filed nomination for the post of mayor and Jai Bhagwan Yadav submitted his papers for deputy mayor. The Congress also put forward its nominees, with Man- deep Singh filing for mayor and Ariba Khan for deputy mayor. AAP’s Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “After the MCD elections, the BJP will have no reason to make excuses. It’s time they show the people of Delhi how to run the city’s entire administration effectively P3 .”