VATICAN CITY (CNS) Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, a former Vatican official, a longtime champion of the poor, a prime mover behind the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon and a good friend of Pope Francis, died July 4, just over a month before his 88th birthday.
Pope Francis told reporters in 2013 that Cardinal Hummes helped inspire him to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi when he was elected pope.
During the March 2013 conclave, he said, I was seated next to the archbishop emeritus
Declining immunisation coverage in Brazil thelancet.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thelancet.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
With rainfall surpassing 10 inches in six hours in Petropolis, 104 people were killed, dozens missing and many more made homeless. Priests and parishioners are taking them in.