Pope Francis Dies At The Age Of 88
Vatican City: Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Easter Monday at 7:35 am, confirmed the Vatican in a video statement.
“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,” Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, said in the announcement.
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His death comes a few hours after he made an appearance at the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square for Easter Sunday. Coming out in a wheelchair, he waved from the balcony and said, “Dear brothers and sisters, happy Easter.” In his last sermon, Pope Francis called for a ceasefire in Gaza, peace in Ukraine and other places including Congo and Myanmar.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised,” Farell said in the statement.
At 9:45 AM on Easter Monday, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, spoke these words at the Casa Santa Marta:
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome,…
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 21, 2025
Following his traditional Easter address and blessing, read by an aide, Pope Francis was driven around the square, passing through the crowd of over 350,000 people.
Originally from Argentina and the first pope from the Americas, he was also the first Jesuit to be elected to the throne of St Peter along with being the first non-European pontiff in over 1,200 years.
Since getting elected in 2013, Pope Francis reportedly has never taken holidays and has followed a strict schedule despite his advancing age and several warnings from doctors. He embraced several communities under his papacy, which had previously been shunned by the church, including the LGBTQ+ community.
His health has been a concern in recent years. Pope Francis was hospitalised multiple times for respiratory issues, including a case of double pneumonia in 2025. On March 23, he was released from the hospital following nearly five weeks of treatment for pneumonia.
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The Vatican is expected to prepare funeral arrangements soon. Pope Francis has opted for a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc, reported BBC. A papal funeral is traditionally an elaborate affair, but he had recently approved plans to make the procedure less complex.
Francis will be the first pope in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican. Mourners will be invited to pay their respects while his body remains inside the coffin, with the lid removed. He will be laid to rest in the Basilica of St Mary Major, one of four major papal basilicas in Rome.
The process for choosing a new pope, called a conclave, generally takes place between 15 and 20 days after the death of a pontiff. The College of Cardinals, a group of high-ranking Catholic Church officials, will vote to elect a new Bishop of Rome.
