Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88 in his residence at the Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City on Monday, April 21, 2025, at 7:35 a.m. His death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, reports the Baltimore Chronicle, citing Vatican News.
Francis, the first pope from Latin America, had led the Catholic Church since 2013.
In February 2025, the Pope was hospitalized with bronchitis, which progressed into bilateral pneumonia and was complicated by asthmatic attacks. His condition was considered critical, and he underwent oxygen therapy and blood transfusions. After more than five weeks of treatment, Francis was discharged from the hospital on March 23, but doctors recommended two months of rest for full recovery. On April 16, it was reported that the Pope would not participate in the pre-Easter rituals due to his ongoing recovery.
On April 20, the day before his death, Francis met briefly with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. During the short meeting, they exchanged Easter greetings. On Easter Sunday, the Pope appeared before the faithful on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time since his illness, offering greetings for the holiday. The main part of the blessing was read by one of his assistants. In his address, Francis called for an end to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, expressing hope for a just and lasting peace.
Pope Francis was the first-ever head of the Catholic Church from the New World. He introduced several reforms in the Vatican and held progressive views on social issues. Before ascending to the papacy, he was known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires to a family of Italian immigrants. Prior to entering the clergy, he worked as a nightclub bouncer, laboratory assistant, and janitor. At the age of 21, he joined the Jesuit order, earned a degree in philosophy, and taught humanities in Catholic colleges in Buenos Aires. In 2001, he was made a cardinal in the Vatican.
Earlier we wrote that Pope addresses faithful after three-week hospitalization.