Pope Francis passes away at age 88, confirms Vatican
Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday.
- Apr 21, 2025,
- Updated Apr 21, 2025 1:53 PM IST
Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church and one of the most influential global figures of the past decade, has died at the age of 88, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday. The Vatican confirmed his death in a video statement on Monday, saying he passed away at 7:35 a.m. after a recent battle with double pneumonia.
"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."
Francis recently battled a series of serious health complications. On February 14, he was admitted to hospital for treatment of bronchitis. In the following days, the Vatican confirmed he had been diagnosed with double pneumonia. Doctors also discovered low platelet levels in his blood, a condition linked to anaemia, and he underwent blood transfusions.
By February 22, the Vatican announced that the pontiff was in critical condition due to a "prolonged respiratory crisis" that required a high flow of oxygen. The next day, his condition worsened, with the Vatican reporting "initial, mild" kidney failure—raising further concern about his ability to recover.
On Sunday, just a day before his passing, Pope Francis greeted crowds at the Easter Sunday service, appearing briefly after meeting with US Vice President J D Vance on Saturday. His 38-day hospital stay had ended on March 23, when he made his first public appearance in five weeks.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Argentine cleric was elected pope on March 13, 2013, in a surprise to many Church watchers. Known for his deep concern for the poor and his informal style, Francis brought a markedly different tone to the papacy.
From the outset, he signaled a shift by refusing to occupy the opulent papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace, choosing instead to live in a communal residence, which he said was better for his "psychological health."
Francis assumed leadership of the Church during a time of intense crisis, with the Vatican mired in scandal over widespread child sex abuse and plagued by bureaucratic infighting. He was chosen with a clear mandate to clean up the institution and restore its credibility.
Yet his papacy was far from smooth. As he tried to guide the 2,000-year-old Church through a time of global transformation, Francis found himself under constant fire. Conservatives within the Church accused him of undermining sacred traditions, while progressives argued he did not go far enough to modernise its teachings and policies.
Despite internal tensions, Pope Francis gained immense popularity on the world stage. He became a champion of interfaith dialogue and peace, using his platform to speak up for the marginalised, including refugees and migrants, and consistently called for compassion in global politics.
His papacy was also marked by a unique situation in modern Church history: for much of his tenure, there were two living popes within the Vatican walls. His predecessor, Benedict XVI, had resigned in 2013 and chose to live quietly in the Holy See until his death in December 2022.
With Benedict's passing, Francis stood alone as the spiritual leader of over a billion Catholics worldwide. And though he faced stiff resistance from the Church’s conservative faction, he ensured a strong progressive legacy by appointing nearly 80% of the cardinal electors who, as of February 2025, will be responsible for selecting his successor.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church and one of the most influential global figures of the past decade, has died at the age of 88, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday. The Vatican confirmed his death in a video statement on Monday, saying he passed away at 7:35 a.m. after a recent battle with double pneumonia.
"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."
Francis recently battled a series of serious health complications. On February 14, he was admitted to hospital for treatment of bronchitis. In the following days, the Vatican confirmed he had been diagnosed with double pneumonia. Doctors also discovered low platelet levels in his blood, a condition linked to anaemia, and he underwent blood transfusions.
By February 22, the Vatican announced that the pontiff was in critical condition due to a "prolonged respiratory crisis" that required a high flow of oxygen. The next day, his condition worsened, with the Vatican reporting "initial, mild" kidney failure—raising further concern about his ability to recover.
On Sunday, just a day before his passing, Pope Francis greeted crowds at the Easter Sunday service, appearing briefly after meeting with US Vice President J D Vance on Saturday. His 38-day hospital stay had ended on March 23, when he made his first public appearance in five weeks.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Argentine cleric was elected pope on March 13, 2013, in a surprise to many Church watchers. Known for his deep concern for the poor and his informal style, Francis brought a markedly different tone to the papacy.
From the outset, he signaled a shift by refusing to occupy the opulent papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace, choosing instead to live in a communal residence, which he said was better for his "psychological health."
Francis assumed leadership of the Church during a time of intense crisis, with the Vatican mired in scandal over widespread child sex abuse and plagued by bureaucratic infighting. He was chosen with a clear mandate to clean up the institution and restore its credibility.
Yet his papacy was far from smooth. As he tried to guide the 2,000-year-old Church through a time of global transformation, Francis found himself under constant fire. Conservatives within the Church accused him of undermining sacred traditions, while progressives argued he did not go far enough to modernise its teachings and policies.
Despite internal tensions, Pope Francis gained immense popularity on the world stage. He became a champion of interfaith dialogue and peace, using his platform to speak up for the marginalised, including refugees and migrants, and consistently called for compassion in global politics.
His papacy was also marked by a unique situation in modern Church history: for much of his tenure, there were two living popes within the Vatican walls. His predecessor, Benedict XVI, had resigned in 2013 and chose to live quietly in the Holy See until his death in December 2022.
With Benedict's passing, Francis stood alone as the spiritual leader of over a billion Catholics worldwide. And though he faced stiff resistance from the Church’s conservative faction, he ensured a strong progressive legacy by appointing nearly 80% of the cardinal electors who, as of February 2025, will be responsible for selecting his successor.
(With inputs from Reuters)