The Vatican woke to sorrow on Easter Monday as news broke of the death of Pope Francis, the 266th Bishop of Rome, at the age of 88. At exactly 9:45 AM, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, stepped forward at Casa Santa Marta to deliver the solemn announcement.

“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,” he began, his voice heavy with grief. “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 news has sent shockwaves through the Catholic world and beyond. Not only because of the timing—his death fell on the holiest week of the Christian calendar—but because Pope Francis had come to symbolize a different, humbler face of the papacy. Even as his health deteriorated, he remained a spiritual beacon for millions.

Final Days and Failing Health

The late pontiff had battled persistent respiratory issues for most of his adult life. In his early 20s, Jorge Mario Bergoglio had a portion of his lung removed following a severe infection. That youthful surgery never quite stopped haunting him. Over the years, he frequently suffered from lung-related ailments, including a serious bout of influenza in late 2023 that forced him to cancel a scheduled visit to the UAE.

In mid-February 2025, he was admitted to Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital after struggling with bronchitis for several days. His condition worsened, and by February 18, doctors confirmed a diagnosis of bilateral pneumonia. After spending 38 days under medical care, Pope Francis returned to his Vatican residence at Casa Santa Marta to rest and recover. He would never leave it again.

A Humble Exit

Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, told reporters that preparations for public veneration of the late Pope are already underway.

“The translation of the Holy Father’s mortal remains to the Vatican Basilica, for the veneration of all the faithful, may take place on the morning of Wednesday, April 23, 2025, according to the arrangements that shall be determined and communicated tomorrow, following the first Congregation of the Cardinals,” Bruni announced.

What makes this transition even more poignant is that in April 2024, just a year before his death, Pope Francis approved a revised edition of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the liturgical book that will now guide his own funeral.

Among the changes introduced: the Pope’s body is now to be moved to a chapel for the official ascertainment of death, rather than the room in which he passed away. It is then immediately placed into a coffin—an act of finality that mirrors the life of simplicity Pope Francis always embraced.

Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Master of Apostolic Ceremonies, noted that the late Pope had personally requested simplified funeral rites, focusing instead on the Church’s faith in the Resurrection.

“The renewed rite,” Ravelli said, “seeks to emphasise even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world.”

A Papacy of Profound Impact

Elected in 2013 as the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit pope, Francis will be remembered not for ornate liturgies or political posturing but for his deeply personal, human approach to leadership. He washed the feet of prisoners, embraced refugees, and challenged the Church to care more deeply for the environment, the poor, and the forgotten.

His tenure was far from easy, often marked by internal resistance within the Vatican, but he pressed forward with reform—quiet, often frustratingly gradual, but steady.

Pope Francis reminded the world that power can be wielded gently and that the Church is at its best when it walks alongside the broken-hearted and forgotten. As the Church prepares to mourn and honor his passing, one thing remains clear: the spirit of Pope Francis will echo in the halls of the Vatican and in the hearts of the faithful for generations to come.

Source: Vatican News