Pope Francis has died at the age of 88.
The Vatican confirmed that the pontiff passed away on Easter Monday at his residence in the Casa Santa Marta within Vatican City.
Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber,
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, announced the death of Pope Francis from the Casa Santa Marta on Monday morning.
Farrell said the Pope died at exactly 7.35am.
He devoted his entire life to serving the Lord and His Church. He taught us to live the Gospel's values with fidelity, courage, and a love for everyone, especially for the poor and those who are left out. "We commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God, with immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus.
" It should be recalled that Pope has been making progress toward recovery ever since he was allowed to leave the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital. The late Pope returned to the Casa Santa Marta, his Vatican residence, to continue his recovery after spending 38 days in the hospital. After suffering from bronchitis for several days, the Pope was admitted on February 14, 2025. On Tuesday, February 18, Pope Francis' doctors diagnosed him with bilateral pneumonia after his clinical condition gradually deteriorated. Jorge Mario Bergoglio had surgery in Argentina to remove a portion of his lung that had been affected by a severe respiratory infection in his early 20s in 1957.
Pope Francis experienced frequent bouts of respiratory illness as he got older. He even had to cancel a planned trip to the United Arab Emirates in November 2023 because of influenza and inflammation in his lungs. An updated version of the liturgical book for papal funeral rites was approved by the late Pope Francis in April 2024.
This edition will serve as a guide for the funeral Mass, which has not yet been announced. Several new features are included in the second edition of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, including the manner in which the Pope's mortal remains are to be handled after his death. Instead of in the room where he died, the chapel determines his death, and his body is immediately placed inside the coffin. Master of Apostolic Ceremonies Archbishop Diego Ravelli claims that the late Pope Francis had requested that the funeral rites be simplified and focused on expressing the Church's faith in the Risen Christ. Archbishop Ravelli stated, "The renewed rite seeks to emphasize even more that the Roman Pontiff's funeral is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ, not of a powerful person of this world."