Pope Francis, the first Jesuit and first Latin American pope, passed away peacefully on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. The Holy Father died at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, following complications related to a prolonged respiratory illness.
The announcement came at 9:45 a.m. from Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber. “Dearest brothers and sisters,” he said, “with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His life was dedicated entirely to serving the Lord and His Church.”
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, underwent lung surgery in his early twenties and continued to experience respiratory issues throughout his life. He had been hospitalized at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in February 2025 with bronchitis, which later developed into bilateral pneumonia. Though he returned to the Vatican after a 38-day hospital stay, his condition steadily declined.
His health challenges had long affected his papacy. In late 2023, he canceled a planned trip to the United Arab Emirates due to flu and inflammation in his lungs. Despite his struggles, Francis continued to work, even approving a revised version of the liturgical rites for papal funerals in April 2024. The updated Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis includes simplified funeral procedures and reflects the pope’s wish for humility and a focus on Christ’s resurrection rather than worldly power.
Francis had often referred to himself as a “sinner,” but his influence was immense. Elected on March 13, 2013, after Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation, he was an unexpected choice. Bergoglio had finished second in the 2005 conclave and did not anticipate being elected in 2013. However, frustration among cardinals over Vatican bureaucracy, scandals, and the Church’s handling of abuse led to a desire for reform. Bergoglio’s reputation as a straight-talking reformer helped him gain momentum, and on the fifth round of voting, he surpassed the two-thirds majority needed.
Upon accepting the papacy, Cardinal Cláudio Hummes of Brazil embraced him and urged, “Don’t forget the poor!” Pope Francis took the name of St. Francis of Assisi and made poverty and compassion central to his mission. “Without a solution to the problems of the poor, we cannot resolve the problems of the world,” he said in 2015.
Over his 12-year papacy, Francis made headlines for his outspoken positions on global issues. He helped broker a thaw in relations between the United States and Cuba and played a behind-the-scenes role in Colombia’s peace process. He consistently challenged populist and nationalist movements in Europe and the U.S., famously questioning whether Donald Trump’s policies were in line with Christian values.
Francis also made interfaith dialogue a hallmark of his leadership. He built bridges with Muslim leaders, especially at Al Azhar University in Cairo, and took bold steps to visit areas torn by conflict, including Iraq in 2021. He advocated for the rights of marginalized religious groups such as the Yazidis and Rohingya and issued powerful apologies for the Church’s historical failures—from the abuse crisis in Ireland to the treatment of Indigenous children in Canadian residential schools.
While his message sometimes clashed with political trends, he remained a spiritual voice for peace, justice, and humility. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi once called Francis “a global conscience, even if it’s a losing effort.”
Pope Francis’ funeral details have yet to be formally announced, but the rites will follow the simplified procedures he approved. In death, as in life, he rejected grandeur, seeking instead to bear witness to the teachings of Christ.