Breaking News English Lesson: Pope Francis

  

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Pope Francis has been laid to rest after a solemn ceremony in Rome. The funeral and procession were attended by more than 250,000 people. Many high-ranking church officials, royalty, heads of state, and foreign dignitaries paid their respects to the pontiff in the magnificent 16th-century St Peter’s Basilica. The Vatican News website called the ceremony “moving, intense, and heartfelt”. Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, aged 88, after serving as head of the Catholic Church for 12 years. Francis was the first Pope from South America. A Catholic Church cardinal said the outpouring of affection in the Vatican streets “tells us how much Pope Francis touched minds and hearts”.

 

Vocabulary

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Choose the correct answer for each number

1.	laid to rest	a.	Kings, queens, princes, and princesses.
2.	solemn	b.	Very beautiful or very good.
3.	royalty	c.	When a person who has died is buried in the ground.
4.	dignitaries	d.	Very serious and quiet.
5.	paid their respects	e.	Important people, like leaders or officials.
6.	magnificent	f.	Showed they cared about or said goodbye to someone who died.
7.	outpouring	g.	A lot of feelings shown at once.

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Pope Francis was a hugely popular pontiff. He was seen as a man who did his utmost to bring people together. Cardinal Re told mourners that the late Pope had a deep commitment to the plight of migrants and to world peace. Cardinal Re said Francis had constantly urged people to “build bridges, not walls”. Francis was always outspoken in his criticism of war. He continually urged leaders to end conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and Myanmar. Francis will also be remembered for his calls for greater inclusivity. He gave his conditional blessing of same-sex couples. He also recognized transgender and LGBTQ+ issues, even though this brought criticism from conservatives.

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Choose the correct answer for each number

8.	pontiff	h.	A very bad or difficult situation.
9.	utmost	i.	Another word for the Pope (the head of the Catholic Church).
10.	mourners	j.	When you promise to do something and work hard at it.
11.	commitment	k.	Not afraid to say what you think, especially it it is shocking or controversial.
12.	plight	l.	The best or most you can do.
13.	outspoken	m.	When everyone is welcome and included.
14.	inclusivity	n.	People who are very sad because someone has died

Answers:

VOCABULARY (p.4)

1. c 2. d 3. a 4. e 5. f 6. b 7. g
2. i 9. l 10. n 11. j 12. h 13. k 14. m

Source: breakingnewsenglish.com©

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