Pope Francis has died, Vatican says

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Pope Francis has died, Vatican says

10:08 CAT | 21 Apr 2025

Pope Francis celebrates Holy Mass at the Zimpeto stadium in Maputo, on September 6 2019, the second day of his apostolic visit to Mozambique. [Photo: AFP]

Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88, the Vatican said in a video statement.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died at the age of 88, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday.

He was 88, and had suffered various ailments in his 12-year papacy.

“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican’s TV channel

“At 7:35 this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.”

Francis’ death comes a day after the pope had made his first prolonged public appearance since being discharged on March 23 from a 38-day hospital stay for pneumonia.

On Sunday, Easter day, Francis had entered St. Peter’s Square in an open-air popemobile shortly after mid-day, greeting cheering crowds. He had also offered a special blessing for the first time since Christmas.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013, surprising many church watchers who had seen the Argentine cleric, known for his concern for the poor, as an outsider.

He sought to project simplicity into the grand role and never took possession of the ornate papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors, saying he preferred to live in a community setting for his “psychological health”.

He inherited a church under attack over a child sex abuse scandal and torn by infighting in the Vatican bureaucracy, and was elected with a clear mandate to restore order.

But as his papacy progressed, he faced fierce criticism from conservatives, who accused him of trashing cherished traditions. He also drew the ire of progressives, who felt he should have done much more to reshape the 2,000-year-old church.

While he struggled with internal dissent, Francis became a global superstar, drawing huge crowds on his many foreign travels as he tirelessly promoted interfaith dialogue and peace, taking the side of the marginalised, such as migrants.

Unique in modern times, there were two men wearing white in the Vatican for much of Francis’ rule, with his predecessor Benedict opting to continue to live in the Holy See after his shock resignation in 2013 had opened the way for a new pontiff.

Benedict, a hero of the conservative cause, died in December 2022, finally leaving Francis alone on the papal stage.

Francis appointed nearly 80% of the cardinal electors who will choose the next pope, increasing the possibility that his successor will continue his progressive policies, despite the strong pushback from traditionalists.

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. pic.twitter.com/jUIkbplVi2

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 21, 2025

#PopeFrancis died this morning at 7:35. The announcement was made by Cardinal Farrell, camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. pic.twitter.com/LP072zBGIl

— Catholic News Service Rome (@CatholicNewsSvc) April 21, 2025

#PopeFrancis died Monday morning, Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, announced.
“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,″ Farrell said in the… pic.twitter.com/gypfVkplru

— Deccan Chronicle (@DeccanChronicle) April 21, 2025

Source: Reuters