Pope Francis died at 7:35 a.m. this Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, at his residence in Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, accompanied by Secretary of State Pitro Parolin and Deputy Secretary of State Edgar Peña Parra, announced the death of Pope Francis in a video from Casa Santa Marta.
“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sorrow that I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 a.m. this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the Father’s House,” the Camerlengo announced from Casa Santa Marta.
“He dedicated his entire life to the service of the Lord and his Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we entrust the soul of Pope Francis to the infinitely merciful love of the Triune God,” he added.
The Pontiff died one day after his last public appearance, coinciding with Easter Sunday, when he appeared on the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to impart the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing.
“Brothers and sisters, happy Easter,” the Pope said to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square from his wheelchair. Francis was convalescing, recovering from the pneumonia that kept him in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for more than a month.
Francis had been discharged from hospital on March 23 and had appeared in public on several occasions since then. This Sunday, he also held a brief meeting with US Vice President JD Vance at his residence in Santa Marta, where he continued his recovery.
The Pope was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital on Friday, February 14, 2025, after suffering from a bout of bronchitis for several days. The Pope’s medical condition progressively worsened, and on Tuesday, February 18, his doctors diagnosed bilateral pneumonia. During his hospitalization, the Pontiff’s health worsened, from which he gradually recovered.
On March 23, after 38 days in the hospital, he returned to his Vatican residence at Casa Santa Marta to continue his recovery. That day, he was seen in public leaving the hospital in a wheelchair and carrying oxygen cannulas.
Since then, he has appeared in public on several occasions. During Holy Week, he reappeared in St. Peter’s Square at the end of Palm Sunday Mass, wishing the faithful a “happy Holy Week.”
On Holy Thursday, he did not attend the Chrism Mass, but he did visit Rome’s Regina Caeli prison, where he met with 70 inmates of various nationalities, who regularly participated in activities and catechism classes.
His last public appearance was this Easter Sunday from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to impart the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing. During his convalescence, in addition to receiving the Vice President of the United States, the Pope was visited by King Charles III of England and Queen Camilla, who were with the Pope to coincide with his 20th wedding anniversary.
The Pope’s health had been delicate for some time. In 1957, the Pontiff underwent surgery in his native Argentina to remove part of his lung, which had been affected by a serious respiratory infection.
As he aged, Pope Francis frequently suffered bouts of respiratory illnesses, even canceling a planned visit to the United Arab Emirates in November 2023 due to the flu and lung inflammation.
