U.S. Cardinal William Wakefield Baum died in Washington on Thursday, 23 July, at the age of 88 after a long illness. His funeral will be celebrated on Friday, 31 July, at 2 pm. On learning of the news, Pope Francis sent a telegram to Cardinal Donald William Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, recalling with gratitude “the late Cardinal’s years of episcopal service in Springfield-Cape Girardeau and in Washington”, and “his long service to the Apostolic See as Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education and subsequently Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary”.