Pope Francis, the beloved and often controversial 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88 following a prolonged struggle with a severe respiratory illness. The Vatican confirmed the pontiff passed away peacefully at 7:35 a.m. on Monday, just one day after Easter Sunday, a solemn and symbolic timing that marked the end of a 12-year papacy defined by humility, bold reform, and tireless service to the global Church.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo responsible for managing Church affairs during the sede vacante, announced the news with deep emotion in St. Peter’s Square.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis... His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church.”
The Vatican has not yet released the schedule for Pope Francis’s funeral Mass. As the Church begins mourning its first Latin American pope, plans for a Papal Conclave are already underway, with 138 voting cardinals expected to elect a new pontiff in the coming weeks.
A Pontificate of Firsts and Global Focus
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1936, Pope Francis was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first non-European pope in over 1,200 years. From the moment he stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in 2013 and asked for the people’s prayers before giving his own blessing, Francis signaled that his papacy would be marked by humility and outreach.
He took the name “Francis” after St. Francis of Assisi, signaling his deep concern for the poor and for the natural world — themes that would define his leadership.
Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis made poverty, peace, and the planet central concerns of the Church. He became a vocal advocate for migrants and refugees, championed environmental causes through his encyclical Laudato Si', and consistently pushed for peace in war-torn regions, including Ukraine and the Gaza Strip. In recent months, he had made nightly phone calls to Catholics in Gaza amid escalating violence, showing his ongoing commitment to pastoral care despite his own deteriorating health.
A Leader in Declining Health
The Pope's final months were marked by visible frailty and a long bout of illness. In February, he was hospitalized with a complex bronchial infection that rapidly escalated into critical condition. Over the following weeks, he suffered multiple episodes of acute respiratory insufficiency and underwent mechanical ventilation. Though briefly discharged in March, the Pope remained weak but determined, continuing to make public appearances, including during Holy Week and even visiting a Roman prison just days before his death.
Despite using a wheelchair in recent years and facing calls to resign — as his predecessor Benedict XVI did — Pope Francis never considered stepping down, reportedly believing that he was called to serve until the very end.
Reform and Controversy
Francis will be remembered as a reform-minded pontiff who tried to bring the Church closer to the people — sometimes clashing with more conservative factions. His efforts to increase outreach to marginalized groups, including the LGBT community, earned him praise from progressive Catholics and criticism from traditionalists, particularly over his restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass.
His papacy also faced diplomatic and ethical dilemmas, including a controversial deal with the Chinese Communist Party over bishop appointments. Though the Vatican defended the agreement as a necessary step to maintain a presence in China, many Catholic observers — especially in Hong Kong — decried it as a betrayal of religious freedom.
Perhaps his most difficult internal task was confronting the Church's handling of clergy sexual abuse. Under his leadership, the Vatican removed disgraced Cardinal Theodore McCarrick from the College of Cardinals and initiated new measures aimed at transparency and accountability.
Legacy of Mercy and Mission
Among his lasting contributions is his revision of the Catechism to oppose the death penalty in all cases, which he called “inadmissible,” and his persistent challenge to the Church to see Christ in the poor, the immigrant, and the outcast.
He also led the Church through the ongoing Synod on Synodality — a global effort to engage Catholics in listening and dialogue. Though the Synod's final documents fell short of some reformers’ hopes, they reflected Francis’s deep belief in the Church as a living, listening body.
Just weeks before his final hospitalization, Francis encouraged Catholics during Lent to examine their lives in the light of global suffering — especially that of refugees and persecuted communities — a poignant message that now resonates as part of his spiritual legacy.
A World in Mourning
As news of his death spread, reactions poured in from leaders around the world. President Joe Biden, a Catholic himself, issued a statement calling the Pope “a man of compassion and conscience.” Vice President JD Vance, who met with the Pope on Easter Sunday, described him as “a shepherd with a heart for the forgotten.”
Church bells rang across Buenos Aires, and mourners gathered in St. Peter’s Square, some silently holding candles, others singing hymns. In Manila, Kinshasa, Kraków, and Chicago, Catholics held vigils to honor the man many came to see not only as a religious figure but a moral leader for our time.
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