The Supreme Head of the Catholic Church worldwide, Pope Francis has died at the age of 88. He died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025 at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Catholic Church announced the death from the Casa Santa Marta at 9:45am with these words:
“Dearest brothers and sisters, 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 entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. 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.”
No cause of death was included in the statement.
It would be recalled that in February this year, after a bout with bronchitis, he had been hospitalized in Rome with what Vatican officials called a “complex clinical picture” that included a diagnosis of double pneumonia.
Over recent years, he had suffered recurring respiratory infections, undergone colon and abdominal surgery and experienced increasing mobility problems, requiring the use of a cane and wheelchair.
Our online Correspondent gathered that the late Pope was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome on Friday, February 14, 2025, after suffering from a bout of bronchitis for several days.
But that his clinical situation gradually worsened and his doctors diagnosed bilateral pneumonia on Tuesday, February 18. After 38 days in the hospital, he returned to his Vatican residence at the Casa Santa Marta to continue his recovery.
The late pontiff, who was Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church, became pope in 2013 after his predecessor, Benedict XVI resigned.
Meanwhile, condolence messages have been flooding the Vatican city from world leaders and prominent individuals, with controversial President Donald Trump of the US indicating his intention to attend the Pontiff’s funeral in Rome inspite of the late Pope’s criticism of his anti immigration policies.
