The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/04/21 at 14:00 EDT

Episode Date: April 21, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/04/21 at 14:00 EDT

Whose take do you trust during this election cycle? I'm Rosemary Barton, CBC's chief political correspondent. At Issue is also where I listen and learn from the very best. Chantelle Bair, Andrew Coyne and Althea Raj. They are political heavyweights. They write and talk about politics for Canada's biggest publications and broadcasters, and they help shape the national conversation. So if you're looking for people who can connect the dots, cut through the spin, check out

the At Issue podcast every week, wherever you listen. From CBC News, the world this hour. I'm Mike Miles. Preparations are underway at the Vatican for the funeral of Pope Francis and for the election of a new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. 88-year-old Francis died this morning, just a day after he took part in Easter Sunday celebrations in St. Peter's Square. The first Pope from Latin America, he's being mourned in his native Argentina and around the world. Here at home, people are remembering a pope who had the common touch. Francis visited Canada in 2022 and Canadians

are honoring the pontiff as a vocal advocate for the poor and forgotten. Ethel Moussa has more. I woke up to the news really saddened. I took it personally. I felt like a family member had passed away. He was known as the people's Pope for promoting a more inclusive church and today many Canadians across the country are mourning the passing of Pope Francis. He was just he just knew he just got you he was a people person. He was really open to everybody, you know, and he didn't really care your background. Father Morgan Rice in Toronto traveled to the Vatican in 2022. He says when asked what he missed most after becoming Pope, the Pontiff's answer spoke volumes. He missed being with the people because there was so much security and he couldn't just go out, walk the streets like he could before.

Cardinals from around the world, including Canada, will be heading to Rome to take part in the conclave to elect the next pope. Ilamusa, CBC News, Toronto. Canada's political leaders began the final week of the campaign sharing their thoughts about Pope Francis. Liberal leader Mark Carney was on the East Coast. He remembered the Pope's commitments to the poor, the vulnerable, and the fight against climate change.

His Holiness understood and taught that value in the market must never eclipse the values of society. He wrote about the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor, reminding us that ecological degradation and social injustice are deeply entwined. Carney also recalled the Pope's Canadian visit to apologize for the Church's role in residential schools.

He calls it a crucial step in moving the Church forward in its journey toward meaningful reconciliation. Conservative leader Pierre Poliev says Pope Francis's humility, compassion, and faith had a profound impact on millions of Canadians. The US President says he stands firmly behind his defence secretary. Pete Hegseth is under fire yet again for allegedly using a messaging app to share highly sensitive military plans. And the New York Times says this time family members were included in the conversations. Kate Fisher has more. The report alleges that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth shared plans to bomb Houthi targets

on the messaging app Signal in a group chat that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer. It comes around a month after a journalist was mistakenly added to another Signal chat in which Hegseth shared details of those same attack plans in Yemen with top administration officials. President Trump called concerns over Hegseth's sharing of military plans a waste of time. Ask the hoodies how much this functioned. There's none. Pete's doing a great job. Hegseth blamed the story on leaks from disgruntled former staff.

What a big surprise that a bunch of, a few leakers get fired and suddenly a bunch of hit pieces come out. The Trump administration insists that no classified information was shared in either chat. Kate Fischer for CBC News, Washington. Russia's President Vladimir Putin says the Kremlin is considering Ukraine's request for a 30-day pause in strikes on civilian infrastructure. But Putin says civilian facilities are often used by the Ukrainian military and can be considered legitimate targets.

Fighting resumed in Ukraine after a brief Easter truce, both sides accusing each other of multiple violations of the ceasefire, Washington says it would welcome the extension of the truce. That is your World This Hour. For CBC News, I'm Mike Miles.