Pope Francis Passes Away at 88 on Easter Monday

The 266th leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, passed away on Monday, a day after Easter and nearly a month after being discharged from the hospital, the Vatican has confirmed. His death was attributed to a cerebral stroke, which resulted in a coma and irreversible cardiac failure, according to an official statement. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, announced Monday. “His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church.” The pontiff had been admitted to the hospital in February and spent five weeks receiving treatment for double pneumonia, which required high-flow oxygen therapy and multiple blood transfusions.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that he and Melania Trump would attend the funeral in Rome. On Easter Sunday, the Pope gave his blessing to thousands gathered at St. Peter’s Square following a meeting with Vice President JD Vance, during which they exchanged Easter greetings. “I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him,” Vance wrote on social media Monday. “I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul.”

The White House also shared an undated photo on X showing Trump and Melania with Pope Francis, as well as a recent image of Francis and Vance shaking hands, with the caption: “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis.” Condolences from around the world continued throughout the day.“Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!” Trump posted to Truth Social a few hours later. During the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, Trump ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of the Pope, whom he described as a “good man.”

Former President Joe Biden also posted a tribute, writing, “He was unlike any who came before him. Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time and I am better for having known him.” Biden commended Francis for championing peace and amplifying the voices of the marginalized. “Above all, he was a Pope for everyone. He was the People’s Pope — a light of faith, hope, and love,” Biden wrote.

The term “conclave,” which comes from the Latin words “com” (with) and “clavis” (key), refers to the secret meeting of cardinals to elect a new pope. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, a papal conclave typically takes place 15 to 20 days after a pope’s death or resignation. Only cardinals under 80 years of age are eligible to vote in the private proceedings. Some of the top contenders—or *papabile*—to succeed Pope Francis include Cardinals Peter Erdo, Reinhard Marx, Luis Tagle, Marc Ouellet, and Robert Sarah.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he was the son of Italian immigrants and the first pontiff to be chosen from the Americas. Despite what he once described as a lack of encouragement from his mother, Francis felt called to the priesthood early in life. He completed the Jesuit novitiate at age 22 and was ordained in 1969 at age 33. By the time of his ordination, his mother had come to accept his calling and asked for his blessing.

He led the Jesuits in Argentina from 1973 until 1998, when he was appointed Archbishop of Buenos Aires. On March 13, 2013, Bergoglio was elected pope by the College of Cardinals and chose the name Francis in tribute to Saint Francis of Assisi.He gained widespread respect for his modest lifestyle and deep connection to the people. “My people are poor, and I am one of them,” he once said, justifying his decision to live in a modest apartment and cook for himself, instead of moving into the Apostolic Palace after his election.

Francis was viewed as a reform-minded pontiff and occasionally stirred debate with his progressive outlook. He held that the Big Bang theory and evolution are not at odds with the biblical account of creation, and in 2016, he allowed priests to forgive abortions if repentance was sought—though he reaffirmed that it remained a serious moral offense. He also took a firm stance against sexual abuse within the Church, apologizing to victims and implementing new accountability measures.A strong advocate for environmental protection and climate action, Francis received multiple nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.

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