Pope Francis Dies at 88, Vatican Confirms
Pope Francis has passed away at the age of 88, the Vatican announced on April 21. The pontiff died peacefully at the Domus Sanctae Marthae residence in Vatican City.
“It is with deep sorrow that I announce the passing of the Holy Father,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in a televised statement. “At 7:35 a.m. this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis, returned to the House of the Father.”
“His entire life was devoted to serving God and the Church,” the Vatican said in an official statement. “He taught us to live the Gospel through faith, courage, and compassion—especially toward the poorest and most vulnerable. With eternal gratitude for his example as a true disciple of Jesus, we entrust his soul to the infinite love of the Holy Trinity.”
News of his passing drew thousands of mourners to St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. His body will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing. According to tradition, the funeral is expected to be held 4–6 days after death, also in St. Peter’s Square, following a nine-day mourning period determined by the College of Cardinals.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was the first pontiff from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere. He chose to live in the modest guesthouse of Domus Sanctae Marthae instead of the papal apartments and requested to be buried at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in a simple wooden coffin—breaking from the traditional burial site under St. Peter’s Basilica.
He died just one day after appearing in public aboard the Popemobile in St. Peter’s Square during Easter celebrations—his first public appearance since being discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on March 23 after battling a severe bout of pneumonia. He had been hospitalized for five weeks earlier this year and twice came close to death.
Before joining the priesthood, Bergoglio studied chemical engineering and worked in a laboratory. He was ordained a priest in 1969 and rose steadily within the Church, becoming Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in Argentina and later Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998. In 2001, he was elevated to cardinal by Pope John Paul II.
He was elected the 266th pope on March 13, 2013, following the historic resignation of Pope Benedict XVI—marking the first papal resignation in nearly 600 years.
Known for his humility and closeness to the poor, Pope Francis chose public transportation over limousines and often made unannounced phone calls to widows, survivors of abuse, and prisoners. He became a global moral voice on issues from climate change to migration, urging compassion, inclusion, and justice.
Francis was widely regarded as more approachable than his predecessors, often engaging in frank conversations with young people and openly discussing his own health challenges.
(Sources: AFP, Reuters)
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