Pope Francis Dies At 88
Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, announced the death of Pope Francis from the Casa Santa Marta on Easter Monday.
Pope Francis died on Monday at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta. He was 88.
Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, announced the death of Pope Francis from the Casa Santa Marta on Easter Monday.
"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, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church," he said.
"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. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God," said Ferrell.
On Easter Sunday, Pope Francis made a surprise public appearance, greeting a crowd of over 35,000 in St. Peter's Square from his popemobile. This marked his most significant outing since recovering from a severe case of double pneumonia. On Sunday, he had also met with US Vice President JD Vance.
The Pope was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital on Feb. 14, after suffering from a bout of bronchitis for several days. Pope Francis’ clinical situation gradually worsened, and his doctors diagnosed bilateral pneumonia on Feb. 18.
After 38 days in hospital, he had returned to his Vatican residence at the Casa Santa Marta to continue his recovery, as per Vatican news reports.
Born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio on Dec. 17, 1936, Francis was the spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics since March 2013. He hailed from Argentina, making him the first pope from the Americas, as well as the first Jesuit to hold the position in 1,000 years. He became pontiff after the abdication of Benedict XVI and almost immediately reinvigorated Catholicism with his easy demeanor, which was in contrast to his predecessor.
Pope Francis captivated many liberal non-Catholics with his focus on poverty and human suffering and called climate change a moral issue that must be addressed. He rejected the perks and privileges of his position, and shunned the palatial papal apartments in favour of the Vatican guest house, as per Bloomberg.
