Pope francis, First Latin American pontiff, dies
Published: 05:04 PM,Apr 21,2025 | EDITED : 09:04 PM,Apr 21,2025
Pope Francis frees doves at the Istanbul's Holy Spirit Cathedral as part of a three-day trip in Turkiye. — AFP
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said on Monday, ending an often turbulent reign marked by division and tension as he sought to overhaul the hidebound institution. He was 88, and had suffered a serious bout of double pneumonia this year, but his death came as a shock after he had been driven around St. Peter's Square in an open-air popemobile to greet cheering crowds on Easter Sunday. '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.'
The Vatican said a ceremony planned for Sunday, April 27, when Carlo Acutis was to become the first Catholic saint of the millennial generation, had been postponed. Francis had on Sunday made his first prolonged public appearance since being discharged on March 23 from a 38-day hospital stay for pneumonia. In an Easter Sunday message read aloud by an aide as the pope looked on from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the pontiff had reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. At the Vatican, locals, tourists and pilgrims visiting for Easter expressed their shock and grief.
Doctors had prescribed two months of rest when the pope left hospital last month but he appeared on a number of occasions and met Britain's King Charles in April and had a brief meeting on Sunday with visiting US Vice-President JD Vance. 'My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him,' Vance said on X.
Other world leaders were reacting to the pope's death with praise for his efforts to reform the worldwide church and offering condolences to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni mourned the departure of 'a great man, a great shepherd'. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: 'He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate.' Jose Ramos-Horta, the president of East Timor, where Francis visited in September 2024 as part of the longest foreign trip of his papacy, said the pope 'leaves behind a profound legacy of humanity, of justice, of human fraternity'.
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 initiated changes within the Vatican, emphasizing transparency, accountability and financial reform, and appointed more women to senior posts in its hierarchy.
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. Benedict, a hero of the conservative cause, died in December 2022.
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.
Argentines held a special Mass and lit candles on Monday, mourning in shock for their countryman Pope Francis, who has died after battling serious illness in recent months.
The Mass was held in the cathedral in Buenos Aires, where Francis was once archbishop. The building was adorned with a photo of the pontiff, bunches of white flowers and the blue and white flag of Argentina. The government said there would be seven days of mourning. 'The Pope of the poor has left us, the Pope of the marginalized,' said Jorge Garcia Cuerva, now archbishop of Buenos Aires, referring to Francis' time working in the city's poor districts that led to his nickname, the 'slum Pope'. 'He insisted on building bridges, he insisted that we live in universal brotherhood. The Pope was our father, the father of the poor, the father of mercy. The best tribute we Argentines can pay to Francis is to unite.' — Reuters
The Vatican said a ceremony planned for Sunday, April 27, when Carlo Acutis was to become the first Catholic saint of the millennial generation, had been postponed. Francis had on Sunday made his first prolonged public appearance since being discharged on March 23 from a 38-day hospital stay for pneumonia. In an Easter Sunday message read aloud by an aide as the pope looked on from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the pontiff had reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. At the Vatican, locals, tourists and pilgrims visiting for Easter expressed their shock and grief.
Doctors had prescribed two months of rest when the pope left hospital last month but he appeared on a number of occasions and met Britain's King Charles in April and had a brief meeting on Sunday with visiting US Vice-President JD Vance. 'My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him,' Vance said on X.
Other world leaders were reacting to the pope's death with praise for his efforts to reform the worldwide church and offering condolences to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni mourned the departure of 'a great man, a great shepherd'. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: 'He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate.' Jose Ramos-Horta, the president of East Timor, where Francis visited in September 2024 as part of the longest foreign trip of his papacy, said the pope 'leaves behind a profound legacy of humanity, of justice, of human fraternity'.
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 initiated changes within the Vatican, emphasizing transparency, accountability and financial reform, and appointed more women to senior posts in its hierarchy.
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. Benedict, a hero of the conservative cause, died in December 2022.
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.
Argentines held a special Mass and lit candles on Monday, mourning in shock for their countryman Pope Francis, who has died after battling serious illness in recent months.
The Mass was held in the cathedral in Buenos Aires, where Francis was once archbishop. The building was adorned with a photo of the pontiff, bunches of white flowers and the blue and white flag of Argentina. The government said there would be seven days of mourning. 'The Pope of the poor has left us, the Pope of the marginalized,' said Jorge Garcia Cuerva, now archbishop of Buenos Aires, referring to Francis' time working in the city's poor districts that led to his nickname, the 'slum Pope'. 'He insisted on building bridges, he insisted that we live in universal brotherhood. The Pope was our father, the father of the poor, the father of mercy. The best tribute we Argentines can pay to Francis is to unite.' — Reuters