Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. The Pope had been in critical condition lately due to a prolonged lung infection. He passed away at 7:35 AM (05:35 GMT), the Vatican confirmed in a video statement on Monday. During his 12-year papacy, he had suffered various ailments and had not been keeping well for the past few months.
Pope Francis Passes Away On Easter Monday
Pope Francis was born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was the first pope from South America. As the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, he was best known for upholding the church’s commitment to social justice and the vision of “finding God in all things.”
According to Business Standard, he was ordained a priest in 1969 and took his final Jesuit vows in 1973. Growing up, he was deeply empathic towards the poor and after starting his religious journey, he worked among the poor and advocated for social justice and a more inclusive Church. He was often quoted saying, “My people are poor and I am one of them.”
Pope Francis avoided the luxuries of high office and would take public transportation, live in an apartment rather than the archbishop’s palace, and cook his meals. His journey as the archbishop of Buenos Aires started in 1998. He became a cardinal in 2001, and after the unexpected resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, he was elected pope on March 13, 2013. He made history by being the first non-European pope in over 1,200 years and the first from the Jesuit order.
Pope’s Last Message As The 266th Pontiff Of The Roman Catholic Church
A day before his passing, Pope Francis took to X to share a profound message to the people on the occasion of Easter. In the tweet, he said, “We were not made for death but for life.”
In February, Pope Francis was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia. After more than a month in the hospital, he returned to his Vatican residence at the Casa Santa Marta to continue his recovery. However on April 21, 2025, at 9:45 AM (local time), Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, announced the death of Pope Francis.
In the official statement, he said, “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 favour 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.”
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Rest in peace, Pope Francis.
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikipedia
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