Pope Francis, the 88-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Easter Monday, April 21, after a prolonged battle with pneumonia. The pontiff passed away at 7:35 a.m. at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, according to an official statement by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Farrell said. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.” He added, “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.”
Vatican News confirmed the news on social media, noting that the Pope had been battling double pneumonia for more than a month. He was first admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on February 14 for bronchitis, which later progressed into bilateral pneumonia. His condition became critical, requiring bronchoscopies and non-invasive ventilation. After five weeks of treatment, he was discharged on March 23 and made a brief public appearance, blessing the faithful from the hospital window. On Sunday, a day before his passing, he met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance in what would be his final official engagement.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires in 1936, Pope Francis was elected in 2013 as the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas. His papacy was marked by a strong focus on social justice, climate advocacy, and Church reform. Despite long-standing health issues—including partial lung removal in his youth, chronic knee problems, and multiple abdominal surgeries—he remained a vocal leader on global humanitarian issues and a symbol of humility and progressive values within the Church.
