(The Center Square)—New York City Mayor Eric Adams praised the Trump administration's efforts to deport members of the Tren de Aruga and MS-13 gangs during an appearance with the White House's border czar Tom Homan.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Adams gave a full-throttled endorsement of the Trump administration's deportation efforts, which he said are getting rid of "dangerous criminals" that are "wreaking havoc" on the streets of his city, and criticized fellow Democrats for bucking those efforts. 

"We have taken them down and we will continue to fight violent transnational crimes with the full force of the law," Adams told reporters. "It’s good to have partners in the federal agencies who are joining us in this priority on how important it is to keep our city safe."

The press briefing came after federal immigration officials on Tuesday announced the indictment of 27 alleged Tren de Aragua members and associates on racketeering, narcotics, sex trafficking and robbery charges.

“President Trump’s been clear, he made a promise to Americans to make the country safe again. And today you see one step, one small step, and many more steps to come here, to make this country safe and help Mayor Adams and the police commissioner,” Homan said.

Homan praised Adams for cooperating with federal authorities to address "significant public safety threats and national security threats" and said NYPD officers aren't being enlisted as immigration agents. 

"This is what collaboration looks like," Homan said Tuesday. "Work with us, give us access to the person you locked in a jail cell cause they’re obviously a public safety threat. That’s all we're asking." 

Adams, who is running for reelection as an independent, has been criticized by other New York Democrats over his support for the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigration. Several challengers have made Adams' cooperation with Trump a key plank of their campaigns to oust the incumbent.

Democrats have also targeted Adams over his administration's decision to enter into an agreement with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement agents to reopen their offices at the notorious Rikers Island prison. That deal has been temporarily blocked by a state judge after the New York City Council was sued over the agreement.

Homan also defended the Trump administration's handling of the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose deportation to an El Salvador mega-prison has become a flashpoint over the White House immigration policies. A federal judge has accused Homeland Security of violating court orders to return the man to the United States. He said that despite reports, Garcia was deported due to an "administrative error," there were "no mistakes" by authorities.

"I stand by the fact that this guy, this El Salvador national criminal and gang member terrorist is home," Homan said at Tuesday's briefing. "Every member of TDA should be on the run because the Trump administration is committed to removing every single member of TDA and MS-13." 

Adams also criticized Democratic Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen for his controversial taxpayer-funded trip to El Salvador to meet with Garcia and call for his return to the country. 

"I will tell you this: we have dangerous gangs in our city. And I would not be sipping drinks with them," Adams said in remarks Tuesday. "I would not be turning them into heroes."

Editor's Note: I am exceedingly skeptical of any so-called "prophecies" that are not in the Bible. This feels more like fodder than something of concern, but since we appear to be in the midst of a crucial time for both the church and the world, I cannot completely dismiss such things as what is written below because we are not privy to the details of how everything will unfold. Whether you give credence to "the Prophecy of the Popes" or not, it will play some role in world events if the "prophecy" does appear to come true. With that said, here's Snyder...

(End of the American Dream)—The death of Pope Francis has created a firestorm of speculation about the next pope.  There is no clear frontrunner, and all sorts of names are being thrown around.  Many liberal Catholics are hoping for another liberal pope that will be able to continue the legacy of Francis, while many conservative Catholics are desperate for a conservative pope that will move the Vatican in a very different direction.

Meanwhile, a controversial document that was discovered in the Vatican archives in the sixteenth century known as “the Prophecy of the Popes” is getting a ton of attention on social media.  Many are suggesting that the pope that will soon be elected will actually be the last pope before the return of Christ.

I will try to take this one step at a time.

On Monday, it was being reported that Pope Francis died “of a cerebral stroke and irreversible heart failure”…

Pope Francis died of a cerebral stroke and irreversible heart failure, the Vatican’s top doctor said Monday. Francis was 88.

The stroke led to a coma and “irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse,” Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, the head of the Vatican’s health department, said in a statement reported by multiple news outlets.

Francis died Monday at 7:35 a.m. at the Casa Santa Marta guesthouse at the Vatican where he lived.

Francis is being remembered as a “reformer” that often said very controversial things.

For example, just a few months ago Francis publicly declared that all religions “are paths to God” during a visit to Singapore…

“All religions are paths to God. I will use an analogy, they are like different languages that express the divine,” Francis said during a September trip to Singapore. “But God is for everyone, and therefore, we are all God’s children.”

Francis broke with traditional Catholic teaching in many other areas as well.

Now a new pope will be elected, and according to ABC News that process usually begins “between 15 to 20 days after the pope’s death”…

It’s also during the interregnum that all cardinals under the age of 80 who are eligible to participate are summoned to Rome to prepare for the secret conclave inside the Sistine Chapel to choose the next pontiff, a gathering that typically commences between 15 to 20 days after the pope’s death. The cardinals spend the interregnum housed in private rooms in the Domus Marthae Sanctae — essentially a residence hotel in the Vatican with dining facilities that usually houses visiting clergy and laity. Per tradition, the cardinals are cut off from the outside world, including televisions, phones, computers and newspapers.

The College of Cardinals will cast as many as four ballots in a single day for the next pope, with a two-thirds majority required to elect a pontiff. After each vote, the ballots are burned and smoke is released from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney as a signal to the throngs holding vigil in St. Peter’s Square. Black smoke — fumata nera in Italian — indicates an inconclusive vote, while white smoke — fumata bianca — will signify that a new pope has been elected. If three days pass with no pope elected, voting can be suspended for a day to allow the cardinals time for reflection before the next round of ballots are cast.

This upcoming conclave is going to be fascinating to watch, because at this stage nobody knows who is going to win.

Right now, more money is being bet on Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin than anyone else.  He is currently the Vatican’s Secretary of State, and he is considered to be very “influential”…

The Vatican’s influential top diplomat and a popular moderate, he has recently been installed as the bookmakers favourite. Like his boss, the 70-year-old has espoused a liberal worldview and recently said he was hoping for “an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people”, and also urged Europe to “rediscover itself” in order to be able to face the “major challenges” of the era, in a recent interview.

Parolin is one of three leading contenders named “Peter”, and he would be the first Italian pope since 1978. The other leading contender is Cardinal Luis Tagle…

Tagle, 67, has been dubbed the “Asian Pope Francis”, because his views largely align with the late Pontiff.

He has criticised the Church’s “severe” stance on gay people, divorcees and single mothers.

Tagle is the seventh cardinal ever from the Philippines and, if picked, would become the first Asian Pope.

One expert claims that Tagle was once “Pope Francis’s favourite to succeed him”, but it appears that his age may work against him…

Edward Pentin, a Vatican expert and the author of The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates, said: “Five or six years ago, he was Pope Francis’s favourite to succeed him. He’s head of the important new super-dicastery for evangelisation. He’s quite a strong contender. And he’s still relatively young,”

His age may count against him, however – cardinals are wary of appointing a relatively young man because his papacy could last decades, thwarting their own ambitions and squeezing their chances of one day being elected.

Another candidate to watch closely is Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu.

He is considered to be very conservative, and he would be the very first black pope…

Besungu, 65, is a Congolese cardinal who has publicly clashed with Francis in the past.

He rejected a decree from Francis that the church should give its blessing to homosexual couples, arguing it “cannot be carried out in Africa without [Christians] exposing themselves to scandals”.

He effectively declared the doctrine, called Fiducia supplicans, null and void on the African continent.

There are many that are speculating that one of the three candidates named “Peter” will win because that would fit “the Prophecy of the Popes”.

“The Prophecy of the Popes” was supposedly written by St. Malachy in the twelfth century, and it was supposedly “discovered” in the Vatican archives in the sixteenth century by a Benedictine monk named Arnold Wion…

The “Prophecy of the Popes” (Latin: Prophetia Sancti Malachiae Archiepiscopi, de Summis Pontificibus) was discovered in 1590 by Benedictine monk Arnold Wion and is kept in the Vatican Secret Archives. This work describes 112 cryptic mottos in Latin, each relating to succeeding popes, starting with Celestine II.

This list supposedly describes all of the popes that will reign until the return of Christ.

The final pope in the list is given the title “Peter the Roman”, and “the Prophecy of the Popes” says some very alarming things about the time when he will lead the Vatican…

“In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End.”

A number of scholars were completely convinced that Pope Francis was “Peter the Roman”.

But Francis was not named Peter, and he was not Italian.

However, Cardinal Pietro Parolin fits both of those criteria.

“Pietro” is the Italian version of the name “Peter”, and he would be the first Italian pope since 1978.

Of course all of the speculation that we are witnessing about this on social media may be for nothing, because as Ricky Scaparo has pointed out, the authenticity of “the Prophecy of the Popes” is “highly questionable”…

The authenticity of the prophecy is highly questionable. The document first appeared in 1595, over 400 years after Malachy’s death, in a text by Benedictine monk Arnold Wion.

Scholars widely regard it as a forgery, possibly created to influence papal elections during the late 16th century. The mottos are vague and open to interpretation, making them easy to retrofit to various popes after the fact.

There is no way that we can prove that this document was originally authored by St. Malachy.

So ultimately we don’t have any way of proving if it is authentic or not.

But if a candidate named “Peter” is eventually elected, a lot of people out there are going to go nuts over this.

Personally, I will be very interested to see how all of this plays out.

What we do know is that we really are living in the end times, and so it is entirely possible that the next pope could be the last pope.

No matter how much time we have left, all of us should be living with a sense of urgency, and all of us should be trying to make an impact on this world while we still can.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

Editor's Note: I am not going to comment on Pope Francis at this time. My feelings about him have been seen throughout this publication. With respect for the deceased, I will not comment until a sufficient amount of time has passed. Here's the release by Francesca Merlo from Vatican News...

At his last public appearance, Pope Francis repeated what had become a slogan in his pontificate of peace. Everyone knew to expect it at the end of his audiences, but never did it lose its strength.

During the Easter Urbi et Orbi blessing, the day before he died, the Pope’s words echoed the countless appeals he had made over the years, urging world leaders to lay down arms and turn to dialogue.

Even as he struggled to speak, having asked someone to read his message on his behalf, his voice, albeit weak, resonated across St Peter's Square and screens across the world.

From the first days of his 12-year-long pontificate, Pope Francis spearheaded the global Catholic movement for peace advocacy. Through words, actions, and deeds, he demonstrated his unshakable belief in the power of reconciliation, the importance of dialogue, and the urgency of ending violence in all its forms.

Words and actions

Dubbed “the Pope of the peripheries,” Pope Francis always took the time to remember those suffering from conflict. While praying for peace in areas that gain most of the media attention, he also never failed to channel his prayers to some of the areas most hard-hit, yet most forgotten by the world.

One of his most symbolic gestures, and a particularly striking moment of his pontificate, was in April 2019, when he knelt to kiss the feet of South Sudanese leaders at the head of a country grappling with a horrific civil war. As he greeted President Salva Kiir and his rival Riek Machar in the Vatican, the Pope, in his humility, kissed their feet, urging the leaders to lay down their weapons and pursue paths of peace.

His personal plea turned diplomatic when, four years later, in February 2023, he traveled to South Sudan. Along with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, he warmly addressed thousands of faithful who had suffered and continued to endure the brutal consequences of war.

Then, as he addressed the nation’s authorities, civil society and diplomatic corps at the Presidential Palace in Juba, he warned them: “Future generations will either venerate your names or cancel their memory, based on what you now do”.

His cry for peace also looked to the legacy of wars past, the scars inflicted by the violent atrocities committed between nations and peoples, and ensuring that certain mistakes are never repeated. During his visit to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in November 2019, Pope Francis delivered a powerful plea against nuclear weapons.

Standing at the Atomic Bomb Hypocentre Park in Nagasaki, on the same ground where atomic bombs had caused unprecedented destruction, he condemned the devastation caused by such arms and all who possess them, declaring, “The use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral, just as the possession of nuclear weapons is immoral.”

Pope Francis consistently sought to address the roots of destruction, urging those in positions of power to take responsibility. His advocacy for denuclearization was essential in this.

So often, Pope Francis denounced the arms trade, repeatedly condemning those who profit from war. Addressing the United States Congress on 24 September 2015, he posed a haunting question: “Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood.”

He described the investment of money in weapons as ‘madness’ and decried the debt linked to the “black market” of arms. As the world entered 2025, his message remained as urgent as ever: “Stop colonizing people with weapons!”

Pilgrimages of peace

Just as South Sudan was, many more of Pope Francis’ apostolic journeys were dedicated to peace. In March 2021, he made history as the first pope to travel to Iraq. There, he brought a message of unity and hope to a nation devastated by years of conflict.

In particular, his meeting with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf underscored the power of interreligious dialogue and mutual respect, and led to Pope Francis’ statement that “Peace does not demand winners or losers, but brothers and sisters who, despite misunderstandings and past wounds, choose the path of dialogue.”

Most recently, in September 2024, Pope Francis visited East Timor, a young nation that fought long and hard for independence. His presence was a fierce sign of closeness to the most Catholic nation in the world, which struggled so long for freedom and is still healing from its past.

There, as he celebrated Mass at Tasitolu for 600,000 people, the Pope reminded those present that “You remained firm in hope even amid affliction, and, thanks to the character of your people and your faith, you have turned sorrow into joy”.

Diplomatic appeals and ceasefire calls

Beyond his travels, Pope Francis has used his voice to intervene in global conflicts, appealing tirelessly for ceasefires and negotiations. In May 2014, Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with him in the Vatican for a prayer summit, demonstrating his belief that prayer and dialogue could pave the way for peace.

Since then, as violence continued to escalate in the Middle East, in October 2024, Pope Francis made an impassioned plea for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of Israeli hostages and humanitarian access to those in need across the region.

In that same month, after one year of Israeli offensive in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Palestinian Minister for Foreign Affairs Nasser Al-Kidwa presented Pope Francis with their peace proposal for the war devastating their nations.

The unwavering voice of a peacemaker

The Pope’s closeness to those who suffer and his advocacy for an end to global violence were always a priority. Even in moments of personal difficulty, Pope Francis remained committed to peace.

In his final weeks, throughout his hospitalization for bilateral pneumonia, Pope Francis took the time to video chat with the Holy Family parish in Gaza, with whom he has been in close contact throughout the entirety of the Israeli offensive.

In this Holy Year dedicated to Hope, Pope Francis’ messages, closeness, and care for peace are a legacy that will continue to resonate throughout the future of the Church and humanity, remembering that his was not just a cry for an absence of war, but for the presence of justice, dialogue, and fraternity - for a world that is for everyone and not just for some, and in which those who have more never, ever forget those who have less.