Pope Francis dies at 88
- nhaught
- Apr 21
- 2 min read
Pope Francis, after surprising Vatican visitors with brief appearances on Easter weekend, died Monday morning after a long struggle with bronchitis. He was 88.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who will oversee the selection of the next pope, made the announcement at the Casa Santa Marta, the late pope’s residence:
"Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God."
The pope had been hospitalized for 38 days and was released on March 23, with physicians’ orders to refrain from his ordinary schedule and focus on his recovery. He missed some of his traditional Lenten and Easter appearances, often writing messages which were read aloud by others. But on Easter Sunday, Francis met briefly with J. D. Vance, vice president of the United States. The two had been at odds recently after Francis challenged Vance’s interpretation of Catholic teaching.
Later in the day, the pope surprised a crowd of about 35,000 people with a quick trip through St. Peter’s Square in the popemobile.
In his Easter message, Pope Francis spoke of political and natural crises around the world and challenged the faithful “not to yield to the logic of fear which only leads to isolation.”
“Love has triumphed over hatred, light over darkness and truth over falsehood. Forgiveness has triumphed over revenge. Evil has not disappeared from history; it will remain until the end, but it no longer has the upper hand; it no longer has the power over those who accept the grace of this day.”
The pope's autobiography, Hope, the first ever written by a pope, was published in January. It recounts stories of his youth, vocation, his life as a Jesuit, and his papacy. It has been praised as "a very human memoir, moving and sometimes funny . . . the story of a life." Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013.
