The Vatican announced that the Pope died at 88 years old on Easter Monday. Despite ongoing health problems, he made a public appearance on Easter Sunday to deliver a blessing to the crowd in St Peter’s Square.
However, Pope Francis died early Monday morning at 7:35am, just a day after his Easter appearance.
A statement from the Vatican said: “Dearest brothers and sister, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and his Church.”
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised.”
“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune.″
Now, Celtic officials have offered sincere tributes in light of Pope Francis’s passing.
A Celtic FC statement states: “Celtic Football Club would like to express its deepest condolences following the death of Pope Francis who has passed away this morning at the age of 88. Everyone at the club is saddened by this morning’s news and we offer our sincere thoughts and prayers. Requiescat in pace.”
In November 2023 prior to Celtic’s Champions League encounter against Lazio in Rome, Brendan Rodgers’ players and staff were received in a private audience by Pope Francis at the Vatican, where he praised the club’s charitable roots.
Pope Francis also spoke about the vital role of respect and fairness in sport and daily life. He devoted his life to standing with the marginalised and oppressed, and in his final days, he remained a steadfast advocate for peace and compassion.
May his enduring example of empathy, bravery, and kindness guide us in shaping a world that is more compassionate and just for all.
Requiescat in pace.
More must-reads:
Los Blancos turn up the heat with summer centre-back operation already underway. Arsenal defender William Saliba is reportedly open to making a ‘financial sacrifice’ in order to join Real Madrid, with the Spanish giants stepping up their interest in the French international. According to Football365, the La Liga champions have long admired Saliba and have now launched a fresh push to bring him to the Santiago Bernabéu. The report suggests Real Madrid are already advancing a summer plan to sign a new central defender, with manager Xabi Alonso said to be driving the process. Saliba is believed to be one of two top targets for the Spanish giants, alongside Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté. Both players are reported to be keen on the move, according to Spanish outlet Marca. Saliba interest grows as Arsenal strengthen and Madrid look to rebuild Arsenal are not expected to be willing sellers, having already strengthened significantly this window. Mikel Arteta’s side have brought in Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Christian Nørgaard for a combined fee of £123 million. In addition, a £55 million deal has been agreed with Sporting for Viktor Gyökeres, whose medical is due this week. Meanwhile, Arsenal are preparing to announce Cristhian Mosquera as their sixth signing of the summer after agreeing a £17 million fee with Valencia. The 21-year-old centre-back is set to join the squad in Singapore to complete his medical. Despite these reinforcements, the Gunners are aware that other clubs are monitoring their stars. Saliba, who has become one of the cornerstones of Arteta’s defence, is now the subject of serious interest from Madrid, who are looking to replace David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger in the long term. Real Madrid see opportunity in Saliba and Konaté The report suggests Madrid may consider Konaté the easier signing, with his Liverpool contract expiring next summer. The Reds are unlikely to let him leave for free, which could open the door to a transfer this summer. However, it is Saliba’s willingness to potentially reduce his salary demands to complete the switch that has caught attention in Spain. With the Frenchman reportedly open to the move and Real Madrid determined to strengthen their backline, this story may yet run deep into the summer. We can’t lost Saliba can we? Thoughts Gooners? Michelle M __________________________________________________________________________________________
The New York Yankees have made their 2025 goals abundantly clear: They're trying to return to the World Series and win it all. In an effort to do so, the Pinstripes traded pitcher Nestor Cortes and infielder Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers this season, adding closer Devin Williams to the roster. Halfway into the season, it looks like that was a big mistake. The Yankees are now looking to fill gaps in the both the bullpen and the infield before the MLB trade deadline rolls around at the end of the month. Utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera was great at third base, but suffered a potentially season-ending injury in May. The Yankees tried to compensate by shifting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to third, but it was clear Chisholm excels at second, and he's since been moved back. Durbin, on the other hand, has only gotten better in Milwaukee. "Over 75 games this season, Durbin is slashing .265/.350/.382 with five homers and elite contact skills at the plate," Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media wrote. "He ranks in the 95th percentile in whiff rate and 98th in strikeout rate — rare company for a young infielder. Durbin’s advanced plate discipline would’ve been invaluable in a Yankees lineup that too often leans on boom-or-bust approaches." Then there's Devin Williams, who has been part of a shaky-at-best Yankees bullpen. He has certainly seen improvement since the beginning of the season, when he was pulled from closing duties after a blown save to the Yankees' division rival Toronto Blue Jays. However, it hasn't been quite enough. Toronto swept New York in a four game series earlier this month, securing their lead of the AL east over the Pinstripes. Williams pitched the final inning, giving up two earned runs. He has a 4.82 ERA over 37.1 innings pitched in 41 games. Williams keeps improving, and hopefully will prove that the Yankees made the right choice by acquiring him. However, that still doesn't fill the gaping hole New York has at third base, and they're likely missing Durbin's consistent abilities in the field and at the plate. The Yankees have until the July 31 MLB trade deadline to make any trades to address these issues. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Cam Schlittler is Not Yankees Paul Skenes Yankees Fighting Red Sox for Diamondbacks Pitchers Yankees’ Aaron Judge Ties Alex Rodriguez on All-Time List Braves Troll Yankees' Jazz Chisholm With Walk-Up Song Yankees in Trade Talks With Pirates
Following a troubling injury update, Caitlin Clark isn't coming back to rescue the Indiana Fever anytime soon. But Aliyah Boston still can. On Thursday, the Fever announced that Clark remains out with a groin injury and has no timetable for a return. In a social media post, the team emphasized prioritizing "her long-term health and well-being," suggesting the organization won't cut corners in getting Clark back on the court. Indiana won't be title contenders without its star guard, but Boston's continued growth into one of the league's best players should keep it from falling out of the playoff picture. This season, Boston, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 WNBA Draft, ranks second in the league in win shares (4.5), trailing only MVP favorite Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (5.8). Boston is averaging 15.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and one block per game. She has the fourth-highest player efficiency rating (PER), only trailing Collier, Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas. Per Across The Timeline, she's one of seven players in league history with 1,500 points before turning 24 and is only improving. On June 24, she scored a career-high 31 points on 13-of-18 shooting in a win over the Seattle Storm. In that game, Clark struggled, going 3-of-13 from the court, including 0-of-6 on three-point attempts, and turning the ball over eight times. It was Boston and veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell, who had 26 points, who led the Fever when their star wasn't at her best. The Fever need Clark for them to reach their full potential, but until then, Boston must lead the way. She's arguably been Indiana's best player all season, something she'll have to continue being until Clark returns.
Several of the high-profile names of the 2024 free-agent class are really struggling to justify the massive contacts they received through the early stages of the 2025 season. Despite the generous contracts, some players have been very underwhelming after getting the big payday. In particular, these players who signed major deals are now playing on new teams or in new roles: Christian Wilkins — four-years, $110M with Raiders, now a free agent Kirk Cousins — four-years, $180M with Falcons, now a backup Bryce Huff — three-years, $51.1M with Eagles, now with 49ers Jonah Jackson — three-years, $51M with Rams, now with Bears Gabe Davis — three-years, $39M with Jaguars, now a free agent Gardner Minshew — two-years, $25M with Raiders, now with Chiefs Chidobe Awuzie — three-years, $36M with Titans, now with Ravens While certain free agents such as Saquon Barkley and Danielle Hunter have delivered massive returns on their contracts to the Eagles and Texans, respectively, these other big signings have taken a completely different trajectory. Whether it is due to injuries, underperformance or not fitting the schemes, these players have not lived up to their deals. Wilkins is a case in point. The Raiders decided to cut him after signing him to a four-year, $110M deal. He struggled with injuries that held him out in 2024, leading to the team and Wilkins disagreeing on how the injury has been handled. Because of this, the two split ways only one year into his contract. Huff only played in 12 games and had a total of 2.5 sacks for Philadelphia after inking a three-year, $51.1M deal. He was traded to the 49ers in June for a 2026 mid-round pick. Cousins might be the most egregious of these deals. The former Vikings QB signed a four-year, $180M, with $100M fully guaranteed. Yet, he only started 14 games in 2024, and now is the backup to Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons now are essentially stuck paying their backup quarterback an annual average of $45M. These signings highlight the risk of free agency. Paying top dollar for past performance runs the risk of overlooking team fit and future value of contracts. Too often, these high-profile veterans who get massive paydays decline very fast or simply fail to mesh with new systems. So far, these investments in 2024 appear to have aged very poorly. Unless these players turn their performances around in 2025, many of the teams will view these moves as a cautionary tale of overspending in free agency.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!