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April 21, 2025 | Monday
Francis caught the minds of both Christians and nonbelievers.
Pope Francis, shown in the Vatican in 2022, is the modern era's first non-European pontiff.
ROME- Pope Francis, a champion of the poor who overcame great opposition to transform the Catholic Church, died on Easter Monday at the age of 88, the Vatican reported.
The pope died the morning after the holiest day of the Christian year, when the world's 1.3 billion Catholics commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Despite his ill health, Francis appeared in public several times at the Vatican throughout Holy Week, culminating in an Easter Sunday appearance at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, which pleased multitudes.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, announced the pope's death "with deep grief," stating that Francis died at 7:35 a.m. local time (1.35 a.m. ET). Until a new pope is appointed, Farrell serves as the Vatican's head.
"With enormous thankfulness for his example as a faithful disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend Pope Francis' soul to the boundless merciful love of the Triune God," the statement said.
Francis experienced a serious health crisis earlier this year and was hospitalized for five weeks with double pneumonia. He was released last month and was recovering in Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican. The Vatican stated just last week that he was improving.
The pope continued to schedule engagements until Easter Sunday, when he visited briefly with US Vice President JD Vance.
Francis delivered the traditional Easter blessing from the balcony of St. Peter's, though an aide recited the Urbi et Orbi on his behalf.
Vance told X on Monday that he was glad to see the pope, even though he was obviously extremely ill.
"My heart goes out to the millions of Christians throughout the globe who adored him," Vance said.
The pope's relentless advocacy for migrants led him to strongly condemn US President Donald Trump's immigration deportation policies in the months leading up to his death.
Francis, whose pontificate served as a counterweight to the growth of nationalist populism, frequently came under pressure from powerful conservative Catholic factions in the United States.
Condolences and tributes began pouring in quickly after the announcement was made.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the pope as "a great man and a great pastor," and stated that she "had the honor of enjoying his friendship, advice, and teachings, which never faltered even in times of sorrow and grief."
Meloni stated that the pope "called the world, once again, for the bravery to shift direction, to pursue a road that 'does not destroy, but cultivates, fixes, and protects,'" and that she will "travel in this direction."
The President of Francis' home nation, Argentina, Javier Milei, stated, "Having been able to know him in his kindness and knowledge was a genuine privilege for me."
Milei has already fought with the pope on his country's economic policy. On Monday, he stated that their differences "seem petty now."
According to Britain's King Charles, the pope will be remembered for his compassion, concern for Church unity, and relentless commitment to the shared causes of all people of religion, as well as those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others.
On X, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the pope "influenced millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and true love for the very disadvantaged."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed "great sadness" over the news.
Death occurs after a protracted hospital stay.
Francis, who became the first Latin American pontiff in 2013 and was one of the oldest popes in church history, died just weeks after being released from a Rome hospital after battling a life-threatening attack of pneumonia in both lungs.
His medical team said his condition had stabilized, allowing him to continue his recovery at his Casa Santa Marta residence in the Vatican.
Two weeks after leaving the hospital, he surprised the faithful by making an appearance in St. Peter's Square.
He has made several appearances since then, including a visit to St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday evening and a 30-minute stay to a jail in Rome on Thursday.
His death will spark a debate about the future course of the Catholic Church, with cardinals from all over the world scheduled to convene in Rome in the coming days to mourn the pontiff before electing his successor.
Francis, an outsider and the first non-European pontiff in nearly 1,300 years, advocated for the poor, migrants, and the environment, but disagreements over same-sex partnerships and how to address abuse scandals within the church lingered throughout his tenure.
Following Pope Francis' death, members of the faithful began to congregate in St. Peter's Square.
First Latin American and Jesuit to be chosen.
Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio to Italian migrants in Buenos Aires in 1936, is the first Latin American and Jesuit member to be elected pope in the church's 2,000-year history. He was also the first pope to use the name Francis.
The Argentine pontiff swiftly earned a reputation as a modernizer, with an outward-facing attitude that allowed him to speak out forcefully on humanitarian concerns such as migration, conflict, and climate change.
He tried to change the church by confronting clergy elitism, demanding a compassionate approach to divorced and LGBT Catholics, and emphasizing on the church's inclusiveness.
He implemented a number of efforts to clean up financial corruption in the Vatican and combat the scourge of clerical sexual abuse, including legislation to hold bishops accountable for cover-ups. Francis has attempted to expand the role of women in the Vatican and enabled priests to bless same-sex couples.
He forged ties with the Muslim world while attempting to play the role of peacemaker in the midst of global tensions, particularly in Ukraine and the Middle East.
His reforms drew unprecedented opposition from ultra-conservatives within the church, though progressive Catholics believed he should have gone further in allowing married men to be ordained as priests, shifting official teaching on homosexuality, and giving women more opportunities in ministry.
Despite taking a number of tough measures, Francis failed to end the scandal of child sexual abuse and other forms of abuse that had plagued the Catholic Church - a disgrace that he made it his personal responsibility to end, but which continued to harm the institutional church in multiple countries throughout his papacy.
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